Duncan observed her going through the motions, smiling and cheering and working the crowd like a pro.
He knew her smile was stuck in place. From the short time he’d known her, he knew she didn’t like the attention.
When it came to the dancing Tess made sure to be as far away from him as possible. He watched as she was spun around by every available male. While he got to watch her, he noticed how stiff she was with all the men. Even as they tried to talk, it looked to him as if she spent a great deal of time tuning them out. Duncan got the opportunity to look at his bride without her running away from him. He tried to cover up his obsessive watching by speaking occasionally to the circle of acquaintances constantly forming around him. All of his business associates were happy to see one of the most eligible bachelors tied in the chains of marriage. He knew he’d have the last laugh. Tess wasn’t a woman to feel chained to.
Mark had already given him marital advice, gloating about marriage being unknown territory to him.
As if I don’t know that already.
To add insult to injury, Tess seemed to find every opportunity to stay away from him. He’d hoped his lack of contact with her the last two weeks would have increased the intimacy between them. If he made a move towards her she simply turned the other way, completely blanking him. The kiss at the church had disturbed her. He knew he’d taken it too far.
class=Section2> His gaze searched out his wife. For the few seconds his attention had been pulled away someone had zoomed in to grab her attention. She was laughing with one of his client’s son, Tyler Ward. Jealousy struck hard and fast like lightning through him. Duncan ignored his companions as he moved away. He went with intent towards his bride, his stride full of purpose.
“Duncan doesn’t deserve a gorgeous woman like you.” He heard Tyler say with a smug sound to his voice. He watched Tess smile at her companion. She sipped her glass of
champagne, her gaze wandering over the dance floor. Duncan felt his anger rise. Tess should be arguing Tyler’s claim, not smiling in some sort of agreement with this foul-mouthed
hooligan. There was a reason he didn’t like Tyler, and his dislike was increasing with every passing second.
“I may not deserve my gorgeous wife, but she’s my wife so back off, Tyler.” He wrapped his arm around her waist in an obviously possessive gesture. Duncan pulled her closer to his body. He noticed Tyler looked shocked and took a step back. Duncan kept his gaze on the other man until he’d put enough space between himself and his bride. Within seconds Tyler excused himself from their company, leaving Tess alone with him. He knew he’d acted like a jealous, dominating husband, but he didn’t care. No one touched what was his.
“I never want to see you with Tyler Ward again,” he said. His voice was filled with warning. He pulled her around to face him, making her body flush with his.
The desire to mark her came over him. Duncan sank his fingers into her hair as he broke the distance between them. He slammed his lips down on hers, commanding her to accept him.
class=Section3> She submitted to his kiss. He felt her reluctance in the tenseness of her body.
“Why not?” she asked the moment he pulled away. Tess moved away from him putting as much distance between them as possible. Her hands rested on her waist, showing her full hips off to perfection.
“He treats women appallingly,” he said while steering her to a quiet alcove away from all the guests. Duncan wanted her to himself for a change. He placed her against the wall, one of his hands covering her waist while the other cupped her cheek. He couldn’t keep his hands off her.
Tess laughed. “As opposed to you?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked. His temper rose as she continued to argue with him. Many women would love to be branded as his.
“First, your reputation as a playboy. You have a new woman on your arm every other night. Isn’t that part of the appalling treatment? You use them for your own pleasure, and when you’re done you toss them aside. When you’re bored or another beautiful woman takes your fancy you move on. What makes you any different from Tyler?” She was glaring at him, her anger directed at him. Duncan found himself lost for words. That was exactly how he treated women.
class=Section4> “So it’s ‘Tyler’ now. You’re on first name terms already?” He pressed her up against the wall, trapping her against the wall and his body. His cock thickened at the closeness of her curves. He needed to wipe that snivelling shit from her mind. He was a much better option than Tyler Ward. Duncan knew Tyler was closer to Tess’s age, but he knew what to do with his cock.
“What other names are there? Yes, he knows I’m Tess. The stupid naïve woman who married you.”
“I don’t want you talking to him again,” he said with a growl.
“Why? What makes him different from you?”
“I’m not Tyler.” His jaw tensed with the effort it took to suppress his rage.
“How is it different? You with all of your other women?” she asked.
“None of those women are my wife.”
He slammed his lips down on hers. Duncan let lose his pent-up anger on her lips. He needed to mark her. She opened to him like she always did. He held her close, grinding his cock against her rounded stomach.
She gasped. Her arms wrapped around his neck holding him close. He gripped her waist as the other hand fisted her hair at his waist. Duncan possessed her lips not letting go
class=Section5> until she surrendered to him. Her mouth opened, giving him all the access he needed. Duncan plunged into her mouth tasting her. He’d spent most of the day wanting her. She gripped the hair at the base of his neck yanking on the strands. He growled, breaking the kiss to go to her neck, where he bit into the delicate curve of her flesh.
“You’re mine,” he said against her ear before going back to her lips. She gave him everything he craved. His cock pulsed in his pants. He’d need to keep her close so none of their guests would see his state of arousal. The sooner he got her to a bed the happier he’d be.
It was dark, passionate, and awakened a craving within him. He’d never felt this possessive for another woman. Tess was breaking all of his self-imposed boundaries. When
men talked to the other women he dated he’d never felt jealousy or the need to mark his territory. Tess was screwing with his head.
By the time he pulled away they were both gasping for breath. Duncan rested his head against hers, their heavy breathing the only sound between them.
“I’ve been your wife for about eight hours, Duncan.” Tess was the first person to break the sudden silence.
Her words echoed through his mind. She’d be his wife for a whole lot longer when he got his way. There was no way he’d let her go.
class=Section6> “Regardless of the time, you’re still my wife.”
“I’d never break our vows, Duncan. I’m not that kind of person,” she said. He struggled to hear her as she spoke so softly.
He stared at her bowed head. The dark curls and the dress made her appear younger than her twenty-three years. Duncan stared at her feeling his heart ache. She had no idea how precious she was. He wished she was older, as then he’d never have had to grow cynical about the opposite sex.
Duncan knew she was asking a question with her words. She’d never be unfaithful, but would he? He didn’t know how to voice his thoughts. When he’d entered into this marriage he’d done so with the thought of still living his bachelor days. Instead of taking a girlfriend, he’d take a mistress.
He was starting to doubt his original plan. The look of innocence on her face distracted him.
****
Tess stared at his chest. Her lips tingled while her neck felt on fire from his kisses. How did he make her forget everything about herself? He took her over unlike anyone else.
class=Section7> The dress she wore felt tight from the arousal he’d created. All the men she’d danced with hadn’t created this kind of reaction inside her.
She waited for him to voice his agreement about being faithful. He didn’t say a word. Taking a deep breath she went to move away from the wall he’d pinned her against. Duncan stopped her with a hand on the wall. His finger went under her chin. She lifted her gaze to his.
“I’ll do my best to make you happy,” he said.
He looked so sincere that she nodded her head. What else could she do? He held her future in his hands. The longer she stayed in his company the more her feelings for him were growing.
Duncan took her hand. “May I have this dance?” he asked.
She stared at his hand then at him. The confused glances of the guests would stay with her forever when she refused to give him the first dance. Being with him when they entered the grand hall would have been a mistake. He had a way of making her feel something
class=Section8> different. There were times she loathed him, like his reaction to Tyler. Then there were times when she was in his arms when she felt a hell of a lot more than she could put words to.