Edmund was speechless as he stared into those big hazel eyes peering up at him. Why did her declaration of making him hers not repulse him as usual?
Her slender finger began tracing his facial features as she spoke, "My desire to make you mine," Her finger moved towards his plump lips as she sensually caressed them under her thumb, wondering how they would feel on hers. Will it be as mind-blowing as she had always imagined it to be? "Is still as solid as a rock, but...." She suddenly stopped her movement and stepped away from him.
He frowned. When did she become so bold to touch him like that? He knew her for being timid and naive. Yes, he knew the girl fancied him a lot, but she had never dared to act on her feelings. Did he like it? Yes! And he was ready to see how far she could go in her game, so before she could take another step away from him, he brought her back to her previous position. Maybe closer than before.
Oh, how he wanted to feel those round breasts on his body and run his hands along those delicious-looking curves, but he held himself back. Susan wasn't his regular woman.
He could still feel the fierce innocence in those hazel eyes despite how daring she presented herself. It was her innocence that sent him running for his life. He couldn't trap her in his darkness- the darkness she was begging to be part of.
To distract himself from throwing her into the bed and satisfying his demons, he repeated her last word as he was curious to know her mind, "But?"
"But I won't force you this time around...."
He smirked, "Already giving up?"
"No. I am not giving up on my feelings for you—yet." Edmund let out an internal sigh of relief. At least he knew the vixen still felt something for him. Why that made him happy, he could not tell. "But," she began, "I am not getting any younger. You don't expect me to chase after you for the rest of my life. I need to find myself a man that knows my worth. I need to produce an heir for my family."
"I can give you an heir. As many as you want. That you know I am very capable of if you know what to do." He smiled at her.
Her nose flared, "Love is not stupidity, Edmund. For the hundredth time, I won't be your mistress for any reason. What you are asking for is simply scandalous."
At first, he had made her the offer of becoming his mistress because he knew it would keep her away from him since the lady was looking for a potential husband. He had no plans of honouring the deal. But now—he wanted a taste of this vixen. Marriage was not an option for him.
"It is not that bad. You will have me to yourself."
She closed her eyes to soothe the anger brewing within her, "Is that how little you think of me, Edmund? Do I have to remind you that I am not just any woman but the daughter of an earl? I have duties and responsibilities. I have a reputation to uphold. What will people think of me?"
"People are free to think whatever they want."
"Of course," She flashed him a bitter smile. "Coming from you, I am sure it means a lot." Her sarcastic reply made him chuckle.
"Lady Susan, people will always think and talk about has nothing to do with them."
"Duke Edmund, I am not foolish. I am not a baby. I am not the same woman you left behind months ago. I know what I want for myself. I want a family."
The warning bells in his head began ringing. He knew it was time to leave. He always left when women started talking about forever and family, but he was still stood there with the vixen. He was trapped. "Okay. You would be more than a mistress to me." More than a mistress? What did that even mean?
"What does that mean?"
"I am not sure. It means we have a chance to be together. It means you have a chance to have a taste of me. It means you would be special to me."
"Special enough not to be discarded when you are tired?" He averted his gaze from her, unable to answer, "I thought as much. Duke Edmund, I don't want to be someone you will toss aside when you are tired."
He took her hand and kissed her palm, "Sweet Susan," He whispered in that deep velvety voice that gave her goosebumps. She was not repulsed at all. She wanted more. "Marriage is not as pleasant as it looks in your pretty little head. It can be a nightmare." He kissed her fingertips with those sinful lips while locking her in with his piercing eyes. "There is more to life than being tied down to someone you might end up hating in the future."
"That will never happen." She declared.
He smiled. What was he expecting from a woman who was hellbent on getting a man for herself? After kissing her fingertips, he gently placed the hand on his taut chest, allowing her to feel how strong it was. He was pleased to see how her chest picked up a fast rhythm, "Do you know there is something greater than marriage?"
"Something greater than marriage?" Her brows knitted together in confusion as she allowed herself to get trapped in his eyes. She was a willing prisoner. "What might that be?"
"Pleasure."
"Pleasure?"
"Yes, pleasure."
"What sort of pleasure?"
"The type you wouldn't need marriage for."
"Bodily pleasure?"
His eyes settled on her plump lips that were slightly opened, "That is one way to put it, Lady Susan."
"I don't think—" That was as far as she could get before she felt something soft and warm pressing against her lips. Her eyes widened in surprise as she wasn't expecting him to kiss her like that suddenly.