Chapter 22 #2
Camelia bit her tongue in an attempt to hold back a torrent of words, but she failed.
“You’re barely involved in Pamela’s life or mine.
She’s slipping away, and we decline every social invitation, and—and you’ve made no effort to produce an heir!
Am I supposed to sit quietly while you ignore your duty? ”
Raph stilled
Heir? Why did I bring that up?
He turned and approached her slowly, and she instinctively backed away until her thighs hit the edge of his bed. She plopped down on the soft mattress while he continued to loom over her.
“Little flower, I thought you might need more time after our last lesson. Your body was trembling under my hand, and you were exhausted. Or did I misjudge your recovery time?” Raph touched the tip of her chin.
Her face burned, memories of his slaps and kisses flooding her mind again, but she refused to let him distract her.
“Don’t change the subject, Raph. You need to be more involved with Pamela, with us. If you have time for courtesans, you have time for your family!”
“Courtesans?” He raised an eyebrow at her.
“Yes, that’s the only explanation for the horrible smell clinging to you!”
Raph let out a dark, teasing chuckle and sat heavily beside her on the large bed. His thigh brushed against hers, and she tried her best to ignore the contact.
“You’re arguing about heirs and courtesans. Is there something you wish to tell me?”
“Is there anything you wish to tell me, Raph?” she shot back.
“Are you jealous, little flower?”
“No!” Camelia responded too quickly, betraying her effort to stay composed.
Raph chuckled again, his eyes glinting with mischief. “Wendy did approach me tonight—”
“Wendy?” Camelia cut in. Her anger surfaced despite her attempt to sound indifferent.
Wendy? So familiar, so casual.
She gritted her teeth.
“Yes, Wendy,” he said, leaning closer. “She’s a courtesan.”
Camelia averted her eyes, staring at the embroidered bedspread to hide her hurt. “Oh, I see.”
“What is the problem?”
“Did you… want her?”
“No.”
“Did you have her?”
“Yes, Camelia.”
Her chest tightened with a searing pain, but she forced a cold smile.
“Did Wendy offer her… services to you again?” she hissed.
“Yes, she did,” he replied flatly. “She even touched my arm.”
Camelia took a sharp breath.
I won’t let him see me crumble.
Raph’s husky voice taunted her. “Does that make your blood boil, Duchess?”
Camelia lifted her chin. “Hardly, Raph. I’m merely curious why a duke wastes time with courtesans when he has a wife. Unless Wendy is your… lover?” She kept her calm. “Did Wendy’s touch thrill you? Or was it just polite conversation?”
She hoped he would tell her what she wanted to hear.
Raph’s thigh pressed harder against hers. “Camelia, her touch was nothing like yours, which sets me on fire. You’re the one who haunts me day and night, little flower. Not her.”
Camelia’s breath caught at his confession.
“You sure know how to speak to a lady. Should I be flattered, or is this just your way of dodging my questions?” she teased, but hid the comfort his words gave her.
“Would you like to hear more about Wendy?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“No, but I’m not letting you off that easily.”
“I don’t suspect you will.”
His closeness made it hard for her to think.
Raph chuckled and brushed her arm, sending a shiver through her. “I’m here, aren’t I? Talking to you instead of Wendy. And no, she’s not my lover. Now, admit it. Were you jealous, thinking of her touching me?”
Camelia forced a laugh. “Jealous? Of Wendy? Please, Raph. But I do wonder how many other hands you have let touch you tonight.”
“It was just Wendy, I think,” he said mockingly.
“You’re avoiding my question. What did you say to her?”
Raph’s eyes darkened, his voice a husky promise. “I told her I’m a married man. My desires are spoken for by a wife who drives me to distraction. You want to know what I want?”
“Yes,” she said breathlessly.
“You, here, now, not another woman’s fleeting touch.”
Camelia’s cheeks flushed, her voice trembling despite her calm facade. “If you wanted me, then why did you run off on your secret errands, Raph? If you desire me, why not stay and show it?”
Raph leaned in, his lips brushing her ear as he whispered, “Oh, little flower. I’m showing it every time I look at you.”
“I’m trying, Raph, but you make it hard when you shut me out. I want to be your partner, not just your wife. Tell me something, anything, about where you go, about your past, and your plans for the future. Be honest with me.”
He’s so close, I want to melt into him.
Raph’s hand lingered on her arm, sending heat waves through her. “Something? All right. All of my errands are to ensure that Pamela’s future is secure. That’s all you’ll get for now, little flower. But know this, you both are the only ones who matter.”
“Then prove it, Raph.”
“Prove it how?”
“By not going out at night and returning smelling like someone else was in your arms.”
Raph smirked at her, and she wanted to get up and leave. But the sight of him on his bed, disheveled and tempting, kept her in place.
He’s taunting me.
The thought of another woman’s hands on him was unbearable.
Raph leaned closer to her, his voice softening as he reached for her. “I stopped her, Camelia. I neither desired nor wanted her. I haven’t touched another woman since the night I met you in that alley.”
Camelia’s anger cooled, but she kept her nose in the air. Her pulse quickened at his confession, but she hid the tremor.
“Then why have you stopped caring about producing an heir? Have I done something wrong? Do you… not want me?”
Instead of answering, he pulled her onto his lap, his hands firm on her hips.
Camelia’s emotions scattered when he leaned in and kissed her deeply, his lips claiming hers with a hunger that left her breathless. She felt his hardness beneath her, the evidence of his arousal undeniable, and her body responded, aching for him.
Raph broke the kiss with a growl. “Does that answer your question, little flower? Can you feel how much I want you?”
Oh God.
“Yes!”
Camelia’s breathing was ragged, and her hands clutched his shoulders as his hard member pressed against her thighs. She adjusted herself slowly so she could see him. Her movements made him close his eyes and grunt.
I refuse to be tempted.
With every ounce of strength she had, Camelia struggled against him but Raph held her still with his strong hands and piercing gaze.
“Do you want to leave, little flower?”
“You can’t just kiss me to avoid this, Raph!” she snapped back but silently prayed that his hands will remain on her.
“I am not avoiding anything, Camelia.”
“You are. You speak only in rules, and I’m tired of it. I’m tired of being kept in the dark.”
“And what is it you desire to be brought to light?”
Camelia found it difficult to answer him when he was so close to her. She glanced at his lips for a second and her thoughts scattered.
“I want to know why you married me. You knew Lord Montague threatened my family… You could’ve chosen anyone, yet you picked me, a defiant spinster with a reputation. Why?” The words spilled out of her.
Raph’s eyes darkened, and his hands stilled on her hips. “There’s bad blood between Montague and me,” he said in a clipped tone, all signs of seduction gone. “Montague is a predator who preys on innocent women, and I’ve made it my mission to ensure that he never succeeds.”
Camelia’s eyes widened. “Your injury. The scar on your shoulder. Was it Montague? Did he do that to you?”
He’s hiding so much, but I need to know. I need to know all of him!
Raph’s silence was heavy before he spoke. “Yes. And that’s all I will confess.”
Camelia reveled in the revelation for one triumphant heartbeat, then the full, brutal truth crashed over her like ice. Fury surged through her veins, so fierce her hands shook with it. She looked at the rigid line of his shoulder, and something inside her chest cracked wide open.
“He hurt you,” she hissed.
Raph lifted her off his lap and lowered her beside him. “This bed is off-limits, Camelia. You know the rule.”
Her compassion was quickly replaced with frustration. “Rules? Rules!” She jumped off the bed. “I’m sick of your rules, Raph! I’m your wife, not a prisoner. Why can’t you trust me with the truth? Why did you truly choose me? Tell me! I need to know the truth now!”
“I chose you because your family would have been ruined by Montague. Marrying you was my way of protecting them and thwarting him. It was…convenient for us, Camelia. And that’s enough for you to know. You should be grateful.”
Camelia flinched. “Are you protecting me, or are you using me to fight some hidden war between you and Lord Montague?”
He answered her with a tense silence, and her heart shattered.
“Perhaps you should take up a lover.”
“Camelia—”
“I deserve more, Raph. I’m your wife for a reason. Tell me why you’re so afraid to be with me?”
Raph got off the bed and turned his back to her. “Leave it be, Camelia.”
She sighed as the tense silence between them grew until it was unbearable. She made for the door, but paused before exiting.
“You can’t keep me in your shadow forever, Raph.” The door clicked shut behind her.