Page 48 of Duchess Needed
“I did not ignore them on purpose! I swear, I actually did not hear a single knock.”
“That is beside the point, Phoebe. You went a whole day without anything to eat. Regardless of whatever you are doing, you must never forget to take care of yourself,” he scolded.
Phoebe nodded sagely. “You have my word, it will not happen again.”
“It had better not. You are to carry my heir eventually and I suspect it would be hard to ensure the well-being of a child if yours is not handled efficiently.” He pointed out.
He was right, of course, but being reminded that he was merely concerned about her health because she was to bear him a child stung for some reason.
“I understand —”
“And I would also prefer it if my wife did not leave herself in a weakened state as well. Heir or no heir, you are still my duchess. Take better care of yourself.” He added curtly.
Warmth spread through Phoebe’s chest and she couldn’t help the slight smile that tugged at her lips.
“I do not know why you look so pleased, when you are about to be punished,” he remarked as he turned away from her, walking towards the door with her hand still in his.
“I-I’m being punished?” she sputtered in bewilderment.
“Absolutely,” he nodded, speaking to the housekeeper who was waiting for them in the hallway. “Have the cook prepare a three-course meal for the duchess. Something light as the appetizer and something filling as the main course. Then a refreshing dessert to go along with some tea afterwards.”
To Phoebe, Edward claimed, “I will not leave your side until every bite is gone from the plate.”
There had been a time when his attention made her nervous, but now, she relished in being the center of his focus.
“Oh, and send for a locksmith. Or perhaps a carpenter. Send for them both.” He added, swiftly tugging Phoebe in the direction of the dining room.
In less than twenty minutes, the cook had managed to whip up a delectable meal and although Phoebe had felt fine initially, the sight of the food made her mouth water.
Edward kept his word, silently watching her eat and sometimes around the second course, she tried to distract him by asking him about his day. They hardly spent time together like this and it was strangely nice. She did not want to miss the opportunity to get to know him better.
“Oh, I simply visited a gentlemen’s establishment with Thomas for a little sparring match in the boxing ring.”
“Boxing?” Phoebe’s heart skipped a beat in fear as her eyes ran over his face. “Are you all right? Did you get hurt?”
The look he gave her was immensely offended.
“Do I seem as though I cannot take care of myself?” he questioned in a haughty tone.
‘Oh, no, dear husband. I would never make such an outrageous presumption. I am of the firm belief that there is no problem too big for you to navigate. Or in this case, no opponent too strong,” Phoebe corrected quickly.
Edward paused, then he nodded, looking rather proud of himself.
“I am glad you think so, because I’ll have you know I won the sparring match.”
“You did?” Phoebe clapped her hands together in glee.
“Yes. But for his sake we decided to have a rematch so that he would be able to hold his head up as he faces his wife. But I remain an undisputed victor,” Edward sniffed, looking wholly pleased with himself.
It was almost odd, seeing him like this and being able to have such a simple, mundane conversation. Phoebe could scarcely believe that this was the same man who had led her away fromthe ball a few nights ago and ruined her thoroughly as she writhed in his lap, overcome with immense pleasure.
In the days that followed, Edward had been the first and last thing on her mind. He had not held her hard enough to leave any bruises, busy she could swear she could still feel the grip of his fingers on her hips, bringing her down on his member, over and over again.
Her neck was bare of any bite or kiss marks, yet she could still feel his teeth sinking into the column of her throat. He was all she could think about and it seemed the only way she could escape the thoughts threatening to consume her was to bury herself in her work.
Which had been successful, until it wasn’t, because it seemed to have summoned him
But for now, this moment didn’t make her as nervous or as needy as the others had and she was rather thankful for it. Even though it served as a reminder that perhaps things might have been different between them in another life — a thought she had found herself entertaining more often than not these days.
