The Devil's Good Intentions Read Free Page A

he had to force marriage on her prior to breaking down those walls, but he expected a battle and was well prepared.
    With that last thought in mind, he snuffed out the lantern and cradled himself around her, possessively pulling her against him and wrapping his arm and leg around her before finding sleep.

Chapter 3 - Fire & Ice
     

    Katherine woke and stiffened at once. She felt trapped. She was trapped in the arms of what looked to belong to a man. Memories of the day before slowly seeped back into her mind, which made her stiffen even more. Her Father’s lawyer had pretty much sold her to this man that was now wrapped around her like a boa constrictor. She had to admit that he was handsome, but his arrogance countered any attraction that she would have for him if not for his mouth.
    Her Mother had fought tooth and nail with her father to keep her free from such betrothal contracts and here she was now practically wed to a stranger. Arrangements such as this happened all of the time in aristocrat society, and were well accepted. Because of arrangements like this however, there were very few marriages that included love. Most married couples would take their own lovers on the side and live in a marriage of convenience. Perhaps this is what she was to accept? She couldn’t say she loved this man and was not in any way jealous of any lovers that he may have. Maybe he would leave her alone and allow her to continue her life as is; only keeping her under his roof for appearance sake. Perhaps she would meet a man that she would fall in love with and take him as a lover on the side. The thought of actually falling in love with the man who was wrapped around her now was something she couldn’t conceive of. His arrogance alone would assure that she would do anything and everything to stay out of his way. She prayed he would not dictate her life and become overbearing. Her initial reaction when first seeing him was an instant attraction – she wasn’t blind. As soon as he opened his mouth and spoke, she immediately cooled down the attraction and felt more fear of her situation and dislike of the man who placed her in it. Perhaps she could try to run, but she really had nowhere to go. She could threaten not to repeat her vows before God, but he had a legal contract and would win in the end. Would he expect her to sleep with him? Perhaps she could encourage him to take up an in-house mistress and let her stay as far away from them as possible to give them some privacy? All she knew at this point was that she didn’t like the hold that he had over her, in her life and most certainly in this bed.
    She was in her petticoats again and didn’t feel overly self conscience. She could be certain that he was no virgin and therefore had most likely seen barer bodies. She was not a prude and was realistic on so many levels, however, had he stripped her naked - that would have horrified her. She didn’t want him lusting after her. What she wanted was to be back at the cottage.
    Her stomach growled from beneath his hand, prompting his thumb to slowly caress her stomach. He was awake.
    “ Please remove yourself from my person” She requested in the most arrogant tone she could muster up.
    “ No” he growled into her hair while snuggling himself closer.
    She let out a heavy sigh and decided that physically struggling with him would do no good since he was much stronger than her, and it would probably only arouse him further than he already was. She felt his hard length stiff and pressing into her back. If he was a true gentlemen, he would have scooted backwards to try and disguise his arousal, but instead he pulled her into him more tightly. She probably should have been disgusted or at least scared of the unknown, but she had heard the maids and the servants speaking when they thought she wasn’t in the room. They were sometimes very crude in the re-telling of their nightly rumps in the sack, and it was through their recaps that