Becoming Lady Thomas (Becoming Her Book 1) (9 page)

“I need more time,” the man bellows.

More hushed words from Jasper.

“You’re a raving lunatic if you think I can come up with that much money by tomorrow morning!”

This time, Jasper raises his voice, but I still can’t understand what he’s saying.

When I hear stomping on the wood floors, I am about to retreat, but the door is suddenly flung open. Since I am pressed against it, I stumble right into the arms of the person who opened the door.

A man not much older than William with a mess of black curls steadies me by my elbows. When my green eyes meet his nearly black ones, I quiver in fear. While Jasper may have stolen me away from my family, deep down, I know he has a good heart. However, as the brow of the man before me furrows and his eyes skim my inappropriately dressed body, I realize he is pure evil. His heart is as black as a starless night.

Everything seems to move in such slow motion. The calculating grin of the one before me. The familiar, possessive growl of Jasper. And the out-of-place deep chuckling from behind me.

I’m in so much trouble.

THE BLITHERING FOOL WAS ALREADY idiotic enough to think I would grant him an extension on the debt he owed me. But to touch my woman—my sweet, Elisabeth—without my permission? That is inexcusable.

“Remove your hands from the lady and depart from us before I forcibly drag you from my estate,” I snarl in my most menacing tone.

Mr. Caulder hesitates for a moment before dropping his hands and tossing a smug grin over his shoulder at me. “Such a sweet, fragile thing. Is she yours? You might be careful in this crime-ridden city. A flower such as she could easily get smashed into the filthy streets.”

A threat.

Seeing red, I am about to obliterate this goddamned fool with my fists until all that remains is a heap of swollen, broken, bloody flesh and bones. His warning fuels my desire to take his life right here in this room. My knuckles crack as I ball them into fists, readying myself to kill him.

“You, sir, certainly have a death wish. How about I escort you from the premises?” a familiar deep voice thunders from the doorway.

My oldest friend.

The great Earl of Havering.

Affectionately known as Count Alexander Dumont.

Mr. Caulder laughs in an evil manner but wisely allows Alexander to show him the way out. Once the door clicks in place behind them, I turn my attention to my Elisabeth.

“I, uh—” she stammers, but I silence her when I raise my hand.

“What are you wearing?” I hiss, my fists still balled in anger.

As she looks down at her small, bare feet, I take the moment to peruse her body. Scarlet, wild, and wavy hair hangs down in front of her breasts. She’s chosen my discarded shirt from yesterday to dress in. Her slender legs are uncovered, which means that fool saw what is mine.

He’ll definitely die by my hand and soon.

“Did you want that man to take you and have his way with you?” I roar.

Her green eyes fly to mine and she glares at me. “Of course not. How could you say such a thing to me?” Behind the anger, she appears to be stung by my words, a slight quiver of her bottom lip being her tell.

I shake my head at her. “Honeysuckle, men like that use and abuse women.”

“Like you use and abuse me,” she snips out.

This time, I’m the one hurt by her words. “Get out. I don’t want to see you over here ever again. Do you understand me?”

Her eyes flood with tears and her nose turns pink. My heart aches, but she must realize how dangerous my work can be. Men like Mr. Caulder would damage my honeysuckle beyond repair just to get back at me. She can’t ever be in their presence. And because of their meeting, death is certain on his part. I can’t take any chances with men like him.

“Elisabeth, this wing is forbidden,” I tell her in a low voice, “and should I see you so much as step one pale foot into the hallway of this wing again, I will punish you. You like playing the damsel in distress, locked away by some monster. I will become that monster. Are my words clear enough for you?”

Her eyes widen in horror, and I swallow down the satisfaction. I need her to fear the unknown because being seen by any of the men I do business with is a risk to her safety.

She’s still gaping at me when I stride over to her in a few short steps. A gasp rushes from her when my chest brushes against hers. The fact that, even though I scolded her, she still wants me has me smiling smugly at her.

“I hate you.” Her words drip with venom.

I slide a hand behind her neck and crash my lips to her hers. Her hand slaps at my chest as she fights my kiss. She’s a stubborn woman and won’t open her mouth to me. But when I slip my free hand under the dress shirt and run a finger down the slit of her pussy, she moans and gives me the access I demand to her mouth.

“You don’t hate me,” I murmur between kisses.

Her lips are swollen and ripe for nibbling. The sweet spot between her legs grows wetter and wetter with each bite.

“I do,” she argues unconvincingly.

Both of my hands find her plump arse and I lift her body. With an instinctive and mutual need, she wraps her legs around my waist. Our lips and tongues are a flurry of entanglement as I stride with her in my arms over to the wall. Once her back connects with the surface, I grind my cock into her bare pussy through my trousers.

“Oh, God!” she cries out in pleasure.

“Don’t call for him,” I growl, “because what I want to do to you is sinful.”

Her moan is decadent and alluring as I push against her, needing my trousers gone in the worst possible way. If only the fabric could disappear and I could slam into her. The need to tear through her tight innocence is an addictive craving in which I need to indulge. Knowing I’ll be the one to make her bleed that first time as I forever make her mine nearly causes me to come in my pants.

“Honeysuckle, I want to make love to you. Please,” I beg, which is unfamiliar for me.

She tears away from my lips to regard me with glowing, green eyes. “No.”

I glare at her. “What do you mean? You’re soaking my trousers because you want it as badly as I do.”

Her cheeks redden in embarrassment, but she stays firm to her words. I hold her stare as I slowly rock in a circular motion against her body, rubbing her sensitive area in exactly the right way.

“S-s-stop,” she tells me with lust-filled eyes before sucking her lip between her teeth.

I pause my movement and raise an eyebrow at her. Her eyes fly back open and she wiggles against me.

“Why do you pretend?” I question as I ignore her verbal wishes, granting those that are nonverbal by rubbing her again.

“I don’t pretend,” she pouts breathlessly. “I’m here because I have to be. Not because I want to. I’ll never give you what you want.”

She flutters her eyes closed and bites down on that luscious lip again. I can tell by the way her body tenses that she’ll orgasm just from how I am pressed against her.

“Maybe I’ll just fucking take it anyway,” I snap as I thrust with force.

A pleasure-filled moan erupts from her throat, but her eyes pop open at my words. “But you’ll fail. I’ll win if you do that. Are you ready to let me go so soon?”

Her tone indicates that she might be disappointed to have to leave me. The thought of her gone sends maddening thoughts rippling through my head. It will be the most difficult task I’ve ever encountered, but I will keep from entering her against her wishes. I need to get through that stubborn heart of hers and make her realize she wants me as much as I want her.

“I’ll never let you go, honeysuckle. You’re mine forever.”

My words barely leave my lips before she comes apart wildly in my arms, the orgasm tearing through her with the force of a storm. This woman, whether she likes it or not, feels physically and emotionally for me. She’ll need more convincing, however, to make her brain understand what her heart feels.

A plan begins to bubble in my head—one that would help her come to the conclusion faster. Pushing away my thoughts, I admire her post pleasure glow.

“Do you feel better?” I tease when she finally opens her eyes.

She smiles sheepishly at me. “I still hate you.” Her words are playful, though, and I certainly don’t believe them.

“If this is how you react to me when you hate me, then I will be fucking ecstatic to see how you’ll behave when you love me.”

Love.

The idea is as foreign as begging for sex.

“It would appear I arrived in time for the grand finale,” Alexander chuckles beside me.

Both Elisabeth and I whip our heads in his direction, neither of us having noticed his stealthy arrival. Sneaky bastard.

“Honeysuckle, meet me in the garden in an hour. I’ll escort you for a stroll,” I instruct and press a chaste kiss on her plump lips before carefully sliding her to her feet.

She nods and scurries off out of the room. Alexander has wisely chosen to admire a painting rather than watch my half-naked woman as she exits.

“Honeysuckle? Boy, brother, do you have it bad or what?” he laughs as he turns to regard me with a teasing grin.

I shake my head at him. “She’s to be my wife. I’ve negotiated a deal for her.”

His dark eyebrows fly up in surprise. “A deal? She certainly seems happy to have been purchased as your fuck toy.”

I growl at his words. “She is not a fuck toy. Elisabeth will be my lover. My partner. My other half. In due time. Now, please don’t talk of her disrespectfully or I’ll break your nose.”

Alexander, having known me since we were children, brushes off my threat. “Fine, Jaz. I’ll leave your woman alone. It surprises me that you haven’t already made her your lover. What’s the holdup? Did I literally interrupt your first fuck?”

I squeeze my eyes shut. “It’s a long story.”

A chair squeaks and I open my eyes to see him getting right comfortable.

“Luckily for you, I have plenty of time, brother.”

A groan rumbles in my chest, but I join him in the seating area and sit across from him. “I made a deal with her after the deal I made with her father. She was beautiful and innocent—I simply wanted to humor her,” I reveal and close my eyes again as I remember her determined, green eyes as she negotiated the terms of our deal. “Turns out, I must not take her virginity against her will should I want to keep her. And if she can remain a virgin for a fortnight’s time, then she will be free to go.”

I pop my eyes back open and look at my friend. His eyebrows are narrowed thoughtfully as he listens to my story.

“So, where in all of this do you get to keep her?”

A breath rushes from my lungs. “If she gives herself to me.”

Alexander’s lips form a pleased grin. “I’d say she was pretty damn well close a few minutes ago.”

Groaning, I shake my head at him. “She says she hates me. My Elisabeth is a stubborn woman, and I worry she’ll do whatever it takes to deny me, no matter how her body responds to me.”

He frowns as he thinks. Alexander has always been a problem solver—even if it falls on the impractical or unethical side of things. He’ll always find a solution. Right now, I’ll take either as long as he can figure a way to convince her to stay.

“I seem to be a little confused, dear brother. If the debt has been paid and she clearly wants you, why is she playing some child’s game? To what is she so eager to run off?” he questions.

Anger flares in my chest. “Not what. Whom. She was set to marry some pigheaded fool before I came along. Everything about him stinks. The man pushed her aside for four years while he and her sister were at university. He expected her to be waiting when he came back. Unfortunately for him, I saw the angel and swooped in, knowing she wasn’t something to ever pass up. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her as mine.”

Alexander’s eyes widen as he leans forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. “Wait. You said he ran off to university with her sister? Do you think they had relations? Is she as pretty as Elisabeth?”

Not at all. Elisabeth’s beauty is unmatched.

“I doubt that any man could ever look at another after being with Elisabeth. And Edith is pretty, I suppose, but she’s no Elisabeth,” I assure him. “Even when she threw herself at me, knowing full well I was interested in her sister, I thwarted her advances easily.”