His Reluctant Lady Read online

  “Why, you’re just a bundle of laughs, aren’t you?”

  “I try to be.”

  “Well, you’re not.”

  With a heavy sigh, Ethan closed his book and turned his full attention to him. “What do you wish you hadn’t done?”

  “A week ago, I made the mistake of betting my wife she’d be coming to my bed before I come to hers.”

  “You did what?”

  “I did it to prove that she wants to be intimate with me.”

  “Which is why she hasn’t been to your bed.”

  “I suppose you think you’re funny.” Ignoring his friend’s shrug, Christopher rolled his eyes. “I should never have made the bet. I should have known she had a wall made of steel build around her. Or maybe it’s like she said. Ladies just don’t need it like gentlemen do.”

  At that, Ethan snorted. “Ladies need it. They just don’t admit it. At least most of them don’t.”

  “Your wife does?”

  “Well, I don’t mean to brag,” his lips curled up into a smug smile, “but Catherine’s been known to come to my bed and initiate lovemaking. Actually, she does it more often than not. The poor lady can’t keep her hands off me.”

  “You’re jesting.”

  “I’m not the one groaning on the couch because I’m not enjoying the bed with my wife. I’m fully satisfied. Sometimes I’m even worn out. She may not look like it, but she can be rather demanding.”

  Christopher sighed. He wouldn’t mind it if Agatha wore him out. In fact, he’d welcome it. “Do you prompt things along to get your wife’s interest?”

  “Prompt things along?”

  “You know…touch her, kiss her, tease her but don’t proceed further?”

  “I don’t have to do anything.”

  Christopher’s eyebrows furrowed as he examined his friend to make sure he was telling him the truth. “You don’t do anything?”

  He didn’t think it was possible, but Ethan looked even more smug as he said, “No, I don’t. Sometimes I think she likes the pursuit.”

  “Pursuit? As in she chases you?”

  “Well, she doesn’t literally run after me, but I think she likes to convince me to join her in bed.”

  “Agatha doesn’t have to convince me. I’ll gladly join her anywhere at anytime.”

  “Maybe that’s your problem. Stop being so eager. Pretend you’re as uninterested as she is. Give her a challenge.”

  A plan formed in his mind and he slapped his knee. “All right.” Then, with a sudden burst of confidence, he hurried out of the townhouse to enact it.

  ***

  Agatha examined her evening gown in the full-length mirror in her bedchamber. The red dress was one of her finest gowns, and she chose it because she thought Christopher might like the color red. It certainly suited him. Passionate, intense, exhilarating. She figured that as his wife it was only fitting that she do what she could to look good for him. Gentleman, after all, did like to look at attractive ladies. She pinched her cheeks to add color to her face and adjusted her breasts to give him a better view of her cleavage. She stepped back and turned to examine her backside.

  Christopher knocked on the door connecting their bedchambers. Her lips curled into a smile. She didn’t think he could last long without making love. She thought he would wait until after dinner, but she supposed if he was that eager, she’d oblige him. It was her duty, after all. Her heart beating with an excitement that she told herself had nothing to do with having him in her bed, she hurried to the door and opened it.

  To her surprise, he held the pages of her story. With a smile, he entered her bedchamber, and she couldn’t help but notice he was fully dressed and ready for dinner. For some reason, she had expected him to be only half-dressed. At least, he was supposed to have half of his shirt open, exposing that strong chest of his. She blinked, unaware her thoughts had taken such a horrifying turn.

  Her gaze returned to his eyes. Yes, that was better. And safer. “You want to talk about my story?”

  “I didn’t think you’d mind,” he said as he sat on her bed. “Do you want to join me?” Though he patted the spot next to him, his innocent expression confused her. Did he want to make love to her or not?

  “I can’t sit there. I’m wearing one of my best gowns.” She pulled the chair away from the vanity and sat down. “So you read all of it?”

  “Well, all you’ve done so far.”

  She nodded and took a deep breath, preparing herself for what he’d say. So far, the publisher hadn’t cared for her work, so she was prepared in case he didn’t.

  “I like it.”

  She stared at him for a moment then ventured, “You do?”

  “Yes. You did a remarkable job of creating a spooky house. I even had to sleep with a candle lit last night because I kept imagining things lurking about in the shadows, but I’ll deny I ever said that if you tell anyone.”

  She chuckled. “Your secret is safe with me.”

  “Thank you.” After a moment, he continued, “I’d like more of the lady. The whole time you explain what the hero wants. But what about what she wants? She agrees to marry him and goes to his mansion, but does she want to do it or does she feel she has no choice?”

  “I hadn’t thought of that,” she admitted. “I’m more concerned about the secrets she’ll discover in the house.”

  “I’m interested in those too, but I’d like to see more passion between the hero and heroine.” With a grin that made her heart leap, he continued, “A touch, a kiss, a certain look…” He got off the bed and knelt in front of her, his hands settling on her thighs. He leaned forward, his lips brushing hers. “Let your characters feel the heat of passion. Have your hero give her a kiss that leaves her wanting more.”

  He kissed her, gentle but firm. She moaned and leaned toward him, her hands tracing his arms until they settled on his shoulders. She knew he came here to make love to her. She just knew it! He deepened the kiss, and she opened her mouth to receive him, her tongue interlacing with his. The area between her legs ached for him, her core clenching in anticipation of feeling him inside her. She longed for his touch. She wanted him to cup her breasts in his hands and wanted his hands on her bare bottom, guiding her hips as he thrust into her. She gripped his clothes.

  She fully expected him to start undressing her, but he ended the kiss and whispered, “Have the hero kiss her like that. Show her desire for him.”

  “But that’s not the point of the story. The point is for her to discover the hero’s secrets.”

  With a smile, he leaned forward again, this time kissing her neck. “As intriguing as the story is, would it be better if you showed the characters as they truly are? People have the need to love. Characters are no different. Your hero wants to love your heroine.” His hands traced the curve of her breasts. “And a chaste kiss isn’t going to satisfy him.”

  She became aware of the way her body responded to him, her nipples hardening under his touch and her core becoming slick, getting ready for his entry. She didn’t think her heroine would be satisfied with a chaste kiss either, not if the hero kissed and touched her this way.

  “Of course,” he added, nipping her ear in a way that was seductive and playful, “you can’t forget to include love. Despite what you believe, gentlemen desire the love of the lady in his life.” He kissed her, his lips lingering on hers for a while before he rose to his feet. “What I’m trying to say is, don’t be afraid to reveal your characters. Get to know them so the person reading your stories can, too. I thoroughly enjoyed what I read. I’d purchase it if I saw it at the bookseller.”

  It took her a moment to realize he was talking about her story instead of asking her to join him in bed. Her gaze lowered to the buttons on his trousers which strained against his erection. What was wrong with him? He was aroused. So why didn’t he do something about it?

  He went to her bed so he could collect the papers and held them toward her. She stared dumbly at him as she took them. Clearing h
er throat, she smiled. “Thank you. For the suggestions,” she clarified in case he thought she was thanking him for fondling and kissing her.

  Looking pleased, he returned her smile. “May I escort you to dinner?”

  “W-what was all the,” she gestured to her breasts, neck and lips, “touching and kissing about?”

  “Oh, I merely wanted to show you what the hero should do in your book.”

  “Then why didn’t you just tell me? Why act it out?”

  He stared at her for a moment then his eyes grew wide. “I didn’t think of it.”

  “You didn’t think of it?” Could he be that daft? He had to have known what his touch and kiss would do to her. Even now, her body craved more of it.

  “No.” Letting out a chuckle, he shrugged. “I will next time.” He extended his hand to her. “Ready for dinner?”

  She stared at his hand. He was serious? He did all of that with her to show her what her hero should do in the book? That made no sense. Then a thought came to her mind. What if he’d intentionally done all of that to arouse her, to try to get her to go to his bed?

  Rising to her feet, she brushed her hand against her cheek and let it fall to the skin right about her breasts, satisfied when she saw his gaze go to her cleavage. “I’m sorry I misjudged you, Christopher. You are a gentleman after all.”

  She turned and smiled at him before she strolled out of the room, making sure to add an extra swing to her hips for his benefit. If he could play the game, so could she. She had the feeling that since they were now going to be seducing each other, it’d speed things up and he’d be coming to her bed within the next evening, two at the most.

  Chapter Twenty

  “Why do I have to come with you to your sister’s so we can talk about the wedding?” Christopher asked the next day after the footman closed the carriage door.

  “I told you,” Agatha began as she checked her reticule then snapped it shut. “I like being with you.” She wiggled closer to him and traced his arm with her finger in an almost hypnotizing manner. “Can you blame me for wanting to spend some time with you before you go to White’s?”

  “Wouldn’t you rather talk to her without me there to get in the way?”

  She pressed the side of her breast against his arm, an action which caused his semi-hard erection to thicken. “I like being with you. I thought you’d be happy to be with me.”

  He hid back a retort. He knew very well what she was doing. She’d figured out his plan to get her to break down and come to his bedroom and was turning it on him. Well, if she thought he could be so easily manipulated, she had another thing coming. Even if he was so hard that he was afraid his buttons wouldn’t be able to restrain him anymore, he could wait.

  He crossed his legs, doing what he could to hide his erection. It wasn’t fair that gentlemen couldn’t hide their excitement while one could never tell if a lady was aroused or not. It wasn’t like ladies had an unsightly bulge to content with.

  Smiling at her, he placed his hand on her thigh and gave it a light squeeze. “I am happy to be with you. I just don’t like discussing a wedding. Those things are boring.”

  “Boring? I seem to remember you were eager for our wedding.”

  “That’s because you’re exciting. You make weddings worthwhile.”

  He leaned forward and kissed her, allowing his tongue to brush her lower lip. She let out a soft moan and brought her hand to the back of his neck where she brushed her fingers against his skin, a sensation that probably shouldn’t have been as arousing as it seemed. She was good. There was no denying that. The lady knew exactly what to do to make him wish he hadn’t made the ridiculous bet. He struggled to recall why he was so determined to get her to admit she enjoyed making love to him.

  When he ended the kiss, she whispered, “Since I make weddings worthwhile, then you’ll enjoy discussing my sister’s.”

  It took a moment for him to remember what they were talking about. “Agatha, there’s something you should know. My cousin’s wedding is not something I consider worth discussing.”

  “Be nice.”

  “I am being nice. Gentlemen are just not interested in things like weddings. We attend them because we have to. I would have been just as satisfied running off to Gretna Green and marrying you there, but I wanted you to have your special day where I could show everyone what a lucky gentleman I was to have you as my wife.”

  She giggled and played with his hair that rested along his neck. “Don’t you mean that it was your special day since you showed everyone you were lucky?”

  “All right. It was ‘your special day since you got to show everyone you were lucky’. That works for me.”

  She paused, and he hid his grin at the way he had turned her question back on her. Letting out a slight chuckle, she pressed even closer to him and ran her free hand from his knee to his thigh. “Of course. I should have realized you were baiting me.”

  He folded his hands over his erection before she could reach it. If she touched that part of him, he didn’t think he could manage to restrain himself. As it was, he was having trouble not wanting to pull her dress up and slide into her. It was unfortunate that he knew how wonderful being in her was now that he was no longer a virgin. The temptation wouldn’t have been as great had he never been intimate with her.

  With more bravado than he felt, he said, “You’ll have to do better than that if you expect me to admit defeat. You won’t win so easily.”

  She released him and sighed. “You knew exactly what I was doing.”

  “Yes, and apparently you figured out what I was doing when I was showing you what that hero in your book should do with your heroine.”

  She nodded and brushed back a lock of hair from her shoulder, and though he knew this time it was an innocent action, he found it as arousing as everything else she’d done.

  “Even though I did all of that with an ulterior motive,” he began, finally uncrossing his legs to relieve the discomfort, “I did enjoy your story. I’d very much like to see more romantic tension between them. Preferably that which turns to a more intimate nature, but as long as there’s more romantic tension, that should please the publisher.”

  “Your suggestion is duly noted.”

  After a moment of silence, he studied her while she examined her reticule, wondering what was so fascinating about it. But then he noticed that her foot was tapping impatiently on the carriage floor and a knowing smile tugged at his lips. Perhaps she couldn’t have an erection, but the foot tapping was just as telling. “It seems we are at an impasse,” he finally said.

  “Pardon me?” she asked, glancing at him.

  “You want to make love to me as much as I want to make love to you, but you refuse to admit it, thereby forcing me to withhold giving you pleasure.”

  She stared at him for a moment and laughed. “You speak as if I’m the only one who benefits from the bed.”

  “You admit you benefit at all and we’ll call a truce.”

  “If I admit anything, and I’m not saying there’s anything to admit,” she clarified with a pointed look, “you’ll take that as a victory, and I’ll lose.”

  Blast it! She caught that. He should have known she would. Staying one step ahead of her was proving a most daunting task. Trying for another angle, he lowered his voice and traced her lower lip with his finger. “Is it a loss when you’re moaning in pleasure?”

  She brushed his hand away. “You’re not going to win that easily.”

  “Ah, you admit I’ll win.”

  Her eyes grew wide for a second then a confident smile graced her lips. “I admit nothing. I merely meant that you are sure about something that isn’t going to happen. I hate to break this to you, Christopher, but I’d be very happy if you only came to my bed to talk.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “It’s true. You should try it sometime.”

  “That sounds a lot like an invitation.”

  “Only to talk. Nothing more.”


  “All right. Consider yourself very happy then. I’ll come by to talk,” he said in a tone that indicated he didn’t believe her.

  “I’ll show you I’m telling you the truth.”

  He shrugged. “If you say so…”

  The carriage came to a stop and her gaze lowered to his erection. “You might want to think of something uninteresting before the footman opens the door.”

  So she’d notice his discomfort after all. “Very well,” he muttered and closed his eyes. Within seconds he went limp.

  “How did you do that so fast?” she whispered.

  He almost refused to tell her but then figured there was no harm in telling her. “I imagined Lady Cadwalader naked.”

  Her jaw dropped. “Naked?”

  He shuddered. “You know why. She’s atrocious.”

  The footman opened the door, preventing her from replying.

  “After you, my love,” Christopher said, motioning to her sister’s townhouse. “I’m ready to be bored as you ladies gab about the wedding.”

  Though she rolled her eyes, he sensed a smile tugging at her lips and grinned. The poor lady tried so hard to appear as if few things affected her, but he knew she felt deeply about everything that happened. Perhaps once she could admit how much she enjoyed making love to him, she could embrace her other emotions more easily. He followed her out of the carriage, resigned to wasting his time as she rambled on with her aunt and sister. If that didn’t prove his love for her, he didn’t know what did. With any luck, some day she’d understand that.

  ***

  “Well?” Ethan asked as Christopher sat beside him at White’s two days later.

  Christopher glanced at his friend. “Well what?”

  “Did you get her to admit she wants you in her bed?”

  He glowered at him.

  “I see you didn’t,” Ethan replied then gathered his cards and motioned for him to get ready to play a game with him. “Why torture yourself? You might as well let her win.”