could not stop thinking about it.
Forcing her eyes to open, Isabel stared at the mirror and watched herself writhe between his skilled hands and hard body. At that moment she hated herself, hated seeing an echo of the girl she had been almost a decade ago, helpless in the grip of a desire skillfully crafted for a man’s pleasure.
Gray’s arms tightened, pinning her tightly to his chest. His mouth, hot and wet, nuzzled all over her throat and shoulder. “God, I want to fuck you,” he rasped, the clasp of his fingers becoming a hard pinch. “I want that so badly I’m afraid I will tear you apart.”
The crudeness of his speech was more than she could tolerate. With a cry, she came, her cunt spasming so hard her knees nearly gave way.
Panting, she turned her gaze away from her wanton reflection and sought out Pelham’s likeness. She looked into dark eyes that had once drawn her into sexual decadence, and she called to mind every one of his mistresses. She remembered every time she had been forced to sit across from one of them at a social function or to smell their perfume on her husband’s skin. She thought of all the women who had been in her home today with their come-hither smiles, and her stomach roiled violently, dousing her ardor instantly.
“Release me,” she said, her voice low and determined. She straightened, shrugging him off.
He stiffened behind her. “Listen to your breathing, and the rapid beat of your heart. You want this as badly as I do.”
“I do not.” She struggled in near panic until he released her with a curse. Then she spun on him with her fists clenched, every cell in her body working to turn her raging desire into just plain rage. “Keep your distance from me. Move back to your room. Leave me alone.”
“What in hell is the matter with you?” He ran both hands through his thick, dark hair. “I don’t understand you.”
“I don’t want a sexual relationship with you. I have said that many times.”
“Why not?” he said crossly, beginning to pace.
“Do not push me anymore, Grayson. I mean it. If you keep forcing yourself on me, I will have to leave.”
“Forcing myself on you?” He pointed a finger at her, a wealth of frustration betrayed by the rigidness of his body. “We will work this out. Tonight.”
Lifting her chin, she held her gown to her breasts and shook her head rapidly. “I have plans for this evening. I told you that.”
“You cannot go out,” he scoffed. “Look at you. You are shaking all over with the need for a good tumble.”
“That is not your concern.”
“Damned if it isn’t.”
“Gray—”
Gray’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Don’t bring Hargreaves into this, Isabel. Don’t go to him to sate the needs I arouse.”
She gaped. “Are you threatening me?”
“No. And well you know it. I am promising you, that if you go to Hargreaves to ease cravings brought on by my touch, I will call him out.”
“I cannot believe this.”
He threw up his hands. “Neither can I. There you stand, aching for me. Here I stand, ready to fuck you until neither of us can walk. What is the problem, Isabel? Can you tell me that?”
“I do not want to ruin our marriage!”
Gray took a deep, calming breath. “I must point out to you, dear wife, that marriage is supposed to include sex. Between the spouses, not third parties.”
“Not our marriage,” she said firmly. “We had a bargain. You must find someone else.”
“That blasted bargain! Christ, Pel. Things have changed.” He stepped toward her with arms outstretched, the tense line of his jaw softening.
She ran to her escritoire, and put the piece of furniture between them. If he touched her, she would crumble.
His jaw clenched again. “Fine,” he bit out. “But this is not what you want. I saw you today, the way you looked at every woman who walked in the door. The truth is, whatever your reasoning is for not wanting me in your bed, you don’t want me in any other woman’s bed either.” Gray bowed.
Forcing her eyes to open, Isabel stared at the mirror and watched herself writhe between his skilled hands and hard body. At that moment she hated herself, hated seeing an echo of the girl she had been almost a decade ago, helpless in the grip of a desire skillfully crafted for a man’s pleasure.
Gray’s arms tightened, pinning her tightly to his chest. His mouth, hot and wet, nuzzled all over her throat and shoulder. “God, I want to fuck you,” he rasped, the clasp of his fingers becoming a hard pinch. “I want that so badly I’m afraid I will tear you apart.”
The crudeness of his speech was more than she could tolerate. With a cry, she came, her cunt spasming so hard her knees nearly gave way.
Panting, she turned her gaze away from her wanton reflection and sought out Pelham’s likeness. She looked into dark eyes that had once drawn her into sexual decadence, and she called to mind every one of his mistresses. She remembered every time she had been forced to sit across from one of them at a social function or to smell their perfume on her husband’s skin. She thought of all the women who had been in her home today with their come-hither smiles, and her stomach roiled violently, dousing her ardor instantly.
“Release me,” she said, her voice low and determined. She straightened, shrugging him off.
He stiffened behind her. “Listen to your breathing, and the rapid beat of your heart. You want this as badly as I do.”
“I do not.” She struggled in near panic until he released her with a curse. Then she spun on him with her fists clenched, every cell in her body working to turn her raging desire into just plain rage. “Keep your distance from me. Move back to your room. Leave me alone.”
“What in hell is the matter with you?” He ran both hands through his thick, dark hair. “I don’t understand you.”
“I don’t want a sexual relationship with you. I have said that many times.”
“Why not?” he said crossly, beginning to pace.
“Do not push me anymore, Grayson. I mean it. If you keep forcing yourself on me, I will have to leave.”
“Forcing myself on you?” He pointed a finger at her, a wealth of frustration betrayed by the rigidness of his body. “We will work this out. Tonight.”
Lifting her chin, she held her gown to her breasts and shook her head rapidly. “I have plans for this evening. I told you that.”
“You cannot go out,” he scoffed. “Look at you. You are shaking all over with the need for a good tumble.”
“That is not your concern.”
“Damned if it isn’t.”
“Gray—”
Gray’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Don’t bring Hargreaves into this, Isabel. Don’t go to him to sate the needs I arouse.”
She gaped. “Are you threatening me?”
“No. And well you know it. I am promising you, that if you go to Hargreaves to ease cravings brought on by my touch, I will call him out.”
“I cannot believe this.”
He threw up his hands. “Neither can I. There you stand, aching for me. Here I stand, ready to fuck you until neither of us can walk. What is the problem, Isabel? Can you tell me that?”
“I do not want to ruin our marriage!”
Gray took a deep, calming breath. “I must point out to you, dear wife, that marriage is supposed to include sex. Between the spouses, not third parties.”
“Not our marriage,” she said firmly. “We had a bargain. You must find someone else.”
“That blasted bargain! Christ, Pel. Things have changed.” He stepped toward her with arms outstretched, the tense line of his jaw softening.
She ran to her escritoire, and put the piece of furniture between them. If he touched her, she would crumble.
His jaw clenched again. “Fine,” he bit out. “But this is not what you want. I saw you today, the way you looked at every woman who walked in the door. The truth is, whatever your reasoning is for not wanting me in your bed, you don’t want me in any other woman’s bed either.” Gray bowed.
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