Page 4 of The Runaway Duchess
Caroline wrinkled her nose as his hot, ale-stale breath bloomed over her face. She took a step back, her hand going to the scissors in the pocket of her apron she still wore.
“Leave me be, sir,” Caroline snapped.
She felt proud that her voice sounded much stronger than she actually felt, but even so, her fingers began to tremble around her scissors. The man chuckled as Caroline moved to step around him, but she only managed two steps before he grabbed her arm and pulled her backward, slamming her against thewall.
“It is all right if you do not want me to pay. We will just have a bit of fun, aye?” the man slurred, pressing his odorous body against hers.
Caroline gagged at his stench as her fear grew. Still, she managed to pull the scissors from her pocket, pressing the blades to his throat.
“Step back, sir,” she demanded through gritted teeth. “Please.”
The man’s face was still hidden by shadows, and a hoarse chuckle escaped his lips as he pushed his throat toward the blades.
“Oh, a scratching kitten. I like those. Go on then, little kitty. Scratch me. It excites me even more.”
Caroline’s stomach clenched painfully in fear as she desperately tried to steady her trembling hands. Then she gasped when his hand suddenly wrapped around her waist, forcing her to use her scissors to cut into his flesh before she could stop herself.
Disgust roiled up in her gut at his reaction, and for a moment, she began to brace herself for the worst.
Then the man’s breath hitched.
She could not see his eyes, but she saw the outline of his head turn to the side. A second later, he let go of her, stumbling back. A cry of terror escaped his throat, and then he spun around, sprinting out of the alley as if the devil himself was after him.
For a moment, Caroline stayed there pressed against the wall, unable to believe that she had just succeeded in defending herself. She let out a laugh, relief and adrenaline floodingthrough her veins as she stepped away from the wall and smoothed her skirts.
I did it! I chased him away, and I did it on my own! Elara would have been proud!
A satisfied smile spread across her lips, and she turned, ready to go down the alley opposite the way the man had run—and that was when she saw him. She did not need to see his face; his gargoyle-like figure and stance were enough for her to recognize the man whom Agatha was supposed to have fooled. Anger consumed every bit of relief and the residual fear she had left, and she pushed against the man’s broad chest.
Why is he here? He was supposed to have married Lilian by now!
“Stay away from me!” she snarled, raising the scissors to his throat. She would not hesitate this time. Not withhim.
Yet in the blink of an eye, her scissors were out of her hand, clattering to the cobblestones, and instead of having him against the wall, it was her back that was once more pressed into the damp bricks.
“What is the matter, my bride?” Damien’s deep voice rumbled through the silent air of the night. Despite her anger, Caroline felt her body prick to life as she heard his voice, sending tingling volts through her veins. “Disappointed to see me?”
Chapter 3
“You,” Caroline panted. “How did you—”
Damien’s hand moved swiftly, his long, strong fingers wrapping around her neck, cutting off her words even though his grip was not strangling. Unlike the oily touch of the other man, his was warm, sending gooseflesh racing across her skin and her heart stuttering for an entirely different reason. She realized, distantly, that it was the first time he had ever touched her.
“You thought you could just dress your stepsister up as a bride and I would simply marry her in your stead?” Damien asked. “You thought I could be fooled that easily?”
His fingers stroked down her throat, making Caroline’s lashes flutter.
This is wrong. This is not supposed to feel like this.
Yet even as she had the thought, even as she willed herself to stop enjoying it, her body betrayed her. Desire and warmth bloomed in her lower belly, eating away the knots of tension that had settled there. Even so, she forced herself to shake her head.
“I never agreed to this marriage,” she said forcefully, shoving his hand away from her throat. To her surprise, Damien let go, even though he was easily ten times stronger than she and could have kept his hold there if he wanted.
She chalked it up to him being surprised by her gumption, something she had not had in the past, and pressed on.
“You struck a deal with my stepmother, not me. I had no part in her plan, but I certainly did not refuse what she offered me after.”
“And that was?” Damien asked.
