Page 72 of Deviant Duchess
He’d told her that he was going to put a baby in her belly. Ababy.
He had never wanted children of his own, ever. It was not something he’d ever even once thought of, and the fact that he had spoken such words to Deborah had shaken him to his core.
Cedric had lost many hours to thought ever since. He tried to tell himself that he was simply caught up in the heat and passion of the moment. That he was still in shock over how one woman could make him feel more ecstasy than any of the copious others in the past put together had. Yet even as he tried to convince himself that it was so, he could not help but wonder if he was lying to himself.
He wondered if he wanted a future with Deborah. Not just a marriage with an arrangement, but a marriage of love. A marriage that led to a family.Hisfamily.
He looked to her then, wondering what she had thought about what he had said- and if it was the reason she had stayed away from him the same way he had stayed away from her.
“Adeline, if you are finished with your breakfast, would you please excuse yourself?” Cedric requested, “Aunt Deborah and I have some things we need to discuss.”
He waited for the little girl to resist, but to his surprise, she swiftly replied with ‘I am finished anyway. I think I shall go read,” and then left him and Deborah alone in the dining room.
“Deborah,” he began, drawing on his courage to start the no doubt awkward conversation, “I think we should talk about what I said the other-”
“Apologies, but I cannot converse with you right now, Cedric; I am busy,” Deborah interrupted him with a swiftness.
Hurt lanced through his chest as she said the words so quickly and callously, but he quickly pushed it aside and rose from his chair.
“What are you working on?” He asked as he walked toward her, “Perhaps I can help.”
Just as he reached her side, Deborah shut her notebook and stood on the opposite side of the chair she had just been seated in, creating a barrier between them.
“No, I do not believe you can,” she stated curtly, holding the book tightly to her chest.
He crouched down a little, trying to meet her eyes, but Deborah looked away.
“I have decided to handle this Sylvester business on my own,” she explained, taking another step away from him.
Alarm slammed into Cedric. After all he had seen and learned, the last thing he wanted was for Deborah to be seeking revenge alone. It was not that he thought that she was reckless, but that he understood that the world she was trying to sneak into was ruthless. One small mistake and she could disappear forever.
“That was not the arrangement we discussed,” Cedric replied, willing his voice to remain calm.
“Well, our arrangement is not working,” she snapped. “I need to go back there alone and see what I can find out.”
Anxiety drew into Cedric like a thunderstorm, and he shoved the chair between them out of the way.
“You will do no such thing,” He commanded, hovering over her as he closed the space between them.
Deborah only glared up at him in challenge.
“I will do what I need to do to end this,” she said through gritted teeth.
“Not at the risk of your safety!” He snarled, his hand shooting up to wrap around her throat.
Lust sparked in her eyes at the same time as it slammed into his veins, but neither gave in to it.
“You are not going,” he gritted out, tightening the grip on her throat, “I forbid it.”
Deborah’s answering chuckle was wicked, sending ice through his heated veins.
“You cannot forbid anything,” she replied bitterly. “We do not have a true marriage, remember? This was just an agreement, and you have failed to hold up your end of the bargain.”
Cedric’s nostrils flared as her harsh words settled deep into his chest.
“Agreement or not, wearemarried in the eyes of God, and I will not allow my wife to enter that auction ever again.”
Rage took over Deborah’s beautiful features, and she shoved against his chest, causing him to lose his grip on her throat.
