Chapter 5
JACK
“Looks like another Stanley heir is on the way. I heard that she gave birth to her last child in the car.” Annabella is right there, once I turn back around and prepare to return to my guests.
Seeing Alex, who is usually so calm and collected, reduced to sheer panic may have added a little humour to the evening, but now that he’s gone, I can’t help feeling like I’ve been left to the dogs.
All this was his idea; I felt a lot more confident about it when I had him by my side.
I’d just been rehearsing the toast I'd prepared in my office; I was ready to grab the bull by the horns and deliver it, but now I’m starting to wonder if any of this was a good idea.
“Looks that way.” I shrug as I move past her; the last thing I want is her hanging off my side all night. I couldn't have made my feelings towards the girl any clearer, yet she doesn’t seem to give in.
“Jack, we could make an announcement tonight; make all this worthwhile. I know why you’ve thrown this party.
You’re looking for acceptance. Do you have any idea how respected my father is by everyone in there?
Anyone who doubts that you deserve your title would soon change their opinion, if you jus—”
“Annabella, it isn’t going to happen. I’m not the marrying kind, and even if I was, you're not the type of girl I would go for.” I didn’t want to give it to her cruelly, but her relentlessness leaves me with no choice.
“You mean I’m not a whore,” she sniggers. “I’m not naive, I’ve read the tabloids. I know all about the life you have been accustomed to, but that's not your reality anymore. How do you intend to have an heir if you won’t marry?” she questions me, folding her arms across her chest.
“Having an heir is the last thing on my mind right now,” I lie, because these past few weeks it's been all I’ve thought about.
I don’t know why I feel the duty to uphold this family's legacy; my duty to my father should have died with him, and yet something inside me that feels a lot like fucking pride won’t allow me to fail.
I keep questioning why he named me as his heir and beneficent when he had Thomas, primed and ready to take the role.
Maybe I want to believe that the old man was proud of me.
That he believed I was his best choice. I want to believe it so bad that I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure I don’t give him cause to regret it.
What I’m not prepared to do is marry Annabella fucking Linchford.
I march back through the front door, into the room full of strangers.
Marion Tilsley quickly snatches her daughter's arm and starts dragging her towards me, while my father's old business associate takes the nudge from his wife and starts moving in on me, too. I can feel them closing in on me, judging me, and yet wanting to use me for an advantage. It’s suffocating. I want to scream, demand that everyone leave. I’m not a fucking duke.
I didn’t grow up around this; I’m not seasoned and savvy when it comes to etiquette and polite conversation.
I want to feel like myself again, no pressure, no responsibility, and I can’t do that with all these eyes on me.
I keep moving forward, avoiding eye contact with all the masked faces, rushing towards the stairs without causing a scene so I can lock myself away for just a few minutes and catch my breath.
Cecelia is right. Annabella’s right. Eventually, I’m going to have to settle, commit myself to one woman, because there is no way I would want the bastard life for a child of my own.
Swinging open the door to my room, I flick on the light and stand still and silent when I find something very unexpected in front of me.
My dresser has been shifted to the side, and a perfectly round ass, dressed in black lace, is raised in front of me while the person I’ve just caught rummaging through the safe stops dead.
Slowly, I close the door and step up behind her, and when I see what she has in her hand, I shake my head and laugh.
“What are you doing?” I ask, as she sheepishly turns her head to the side and looks up at me.
I recognise the eyes beneath her pretty lace mask immediately.
The same eyes that have been torturing my thoughts since last week.
“You?” The words come out weak and startled, and although the circumstances are unfortunate, I'm surprised at how relieved I am to see this stranger again.
“I was just…”
“I don’t think you're going to find that dog of yours in there.” I smile cleverly.
“Honestly, I know how this looks, but I was just—”
“I can see what you were doing.” I snatch the necklace from her hand and kick the safe door shut.
“Get up!” I order, and despite the look of hatred in her eyes, she does exactly what I demand and straightens herself up in front of me.
“Can’t I just expl–”
“You know this necklace was made for a princess?” I cut her off, remembering the story my mum told me about the duke who had his heart broken.
I could tell she found it relatable. I’d been wondering where my father was keeping the cursed little heirloom.
I had no idea that this safe in my room even existed.
The girl says nothing, just holds her head high and stares right through me, attempting to look fearless. She looks so different dressed in the tight, lace dress that matches her mask, and I can’t help thinking that this necklace would look exquisite draped around the rough, little diamond neck.
My fingers would look good there, too.
“What are you doing in here?” She studies me in confusion.
“What am–? This is my room.” I laugh at her audacity.
“No…This is the duke and duchess’s room.”
“I don’t know if you heard, but I am the duke.” I take in every detail that's visible on her face; I can’t recall ever paying such attention to a woman.
“I know that, but I thought—I’m…I’m sorry. I really am. I just wanted to look at it. I’ve heard the stories and–”
“Bull shit.” I tuck the necklace into my pocket out of sight.
I watch her forehead crease into a frown when she realises I’m not buying her story.
“You were here to take this. If you’ve heard the story, I’m sure you know its value.”
She makes a sudden dash to move past me, but I snatch at her wrist, and this time I prepare myself for a swing of her fist, and grab it before it can impact on my jaw.
“Nice try.” I quickly spin her around so her back is against my chest, and when she eventually stops struggling against me and accepts that she’s overpowered, I take the necklace back out and dangle it in front of her face.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” I whisper into her ear, ensuring that my lips brush against her skin. The way her body relaxes and sags into mine is so fucking gratifying that I almost forget how angry I should be. Touching the precious stones against her skin, I fix the back so it sits upon her neck.
“How does it feel?” Her breath hitches when my lips graze against her skin again, and my cock stiffens in my trousers.
“Heavy,” she tells me, swallowing thickly as she tries to compose herself. I can feel her heart beating through her back, rapid and frantic like a rabbit in the headlights.
“A thief turned princess.” I laugh into her ear, before sinking my teeth into her lobe, and causing her to make the most addictive little moan.
“Tell me your name, princess.”
“No.” She shakes her head defiantly
“Tell me your name!” I growl as my hand slides up between her tits, grasping her around her dainty throat, and ensuring those pretty diamonds cut into her skin.
The girl remains silent, still trying to hold her nerve.
“You know, the commissioner of police is just down those stairs with his wife. I could always ask him to come on up, and open an investiga—”
“No!” She loses her cool in an instant, her voice coming out desperate as her body tenses tighter. “Please…You can’t do that. I…I have people who rely on me. I…” She uses all her strength to spin her body so she can face me and plead with those crystal blue eyes.
“Did you expect to steal from me without consequence?” I stare right back into them.
“I expected to steal from you without getting caught.” Tilting her head, her lips lift ever so slightly into an arrogant smile, and it makes me want to teach her a fucking lesson.
“Well, here you are… caught, with nowhere to go. What will I do with you?” I crease my forehead while I contemplate my options.
“We could just pretend this never happened.” She turns on the charm, batting her lashes as she slides her hand up behind my neck and delicately scratches her nails over my skin.
“We could…” I lean in so our lips are almost touching, so close, so tempting, before I still.
“But that's not going to happen,” I assure her, feeling her breath brush my lips as she sighs in frustration.
“Look, your lordship, or whatever… You can’t involve the police. I’m…” She bites down on her lip like she’s holding onto something.
“You’re…?” I urge her to continue.
“I’m on parole.” She slides her hands up into her hair and grips it tight.
“You are in quite the predicament, aren’t you?” I laugh.
“Don’t mock me. You have no idea what my story is.” She shakes her head and huffs a laugh of her own, and I hear the pain inside it.
“What's your name?” I ask her again, because not knowing it is driving me crazy. I want her to tell me her story. I want to know everything. But I’ve got a hunch that she won’t give up that information freely.
“I think it gets you off better not knowing my name.” Her eyes drop between us to where my cock is pressed hard against her stomach, and she smiles seductively.
“You're not going to fuck your way out of this,” I warn her, and this time I’m not ready for the hand that flies up and slaps my cheek, catching me by surprise and stinging like hell.
“I’m not a fucking whore!” She points her finger in my face and makes her point very fucking clear.
“Just a desperate thief,” I remind her, causing rage to spark in her eyes.
“Listen, I can’t go back to jail. Like I said, there are people who count on me.
I’m sorry. I know what I was doing here is wrong, but desperate people do desperate things.
” Her chest is rising and falling like she’s about to have a panic attack, and I feel the strongest urge to make her calm again. I just don’t know how.
“How much longer do you have on your parole?” I question her when an idea starts to form in my head. It’s callous and calculated, but I won’t let this girl get away from me a second time. Not when I have so many questions for her.
“Just under a year,” she answers.
“A year.” I try not to show my shock, nodding my head calmly while trying to figure out what she could have done.
“I know how it sounds and, given the position you found me in, you must be thinkin—”
“How about you and I make a deal?” I cut her off again, because I can see this girl being the remedy to all my problems.
“What kind of deal?” She stares back at me, vulnerable and confused
“The kind that’s going to get you out of the shit you're in,” I tell her, guessing that being at a disadvantage isn’t something she’s used to when that vulnerability turns to frustration.
“Then let's hear it.” She shrugs as if she’s all out of options.
“You give me the rest of the time you have on parole, and I’ll overlook the fact you were prepared to steal eight million pounds worth of necklace from me.
“What?” Her mouth drops open in horror.
“No police, no jail. We can forget this ever happened. But your time belongs to me now. I get to use it however I see fit.” I make it a little clearer for her because clearly she’s in shock.
“Wait, you're gonna have to be a little clearer on what you mean because, like I told you, I’m not a whore. I’d rather go to jail than–”
“You can start by joining me downstairs,” I interrupt her, loving the way it triggers her frustration
“Are you crazy?” She looks at me as if I need my head checked. “You want me to be your arm candy?”
“More than that. I want you to convince everyone downstairs that we are an item. That we have been for some time, and that I’m ready to share you with the world now that I’m settled here at my new estate.”
“And you want me to keep that up for the rest of my parole sentence?" She’s acting as if I’m expecting the unthinkable.
“Unless, of course, you’d rather go to jail?” I remind her that I have the upper hand in this. “We can hold negotiations in the morning, but for now I’d say a little performance was the least you could do for me.”
“In the morning? What makes you think that once I leave here, I’d ever come back?" She tests me, and I lean forward even more, allowing the rush of having her close to consume me.
“Now, who mentioned anything about you leaving?” I smirk, stepping back so I can admire that shocked expression to stretch her eyes wide again.
“I…you can’t just… Grrrrr.” She growls in frustration, tapping her foot against the floor and scowling at me while she considers her options.
“Fine!” She tosses her hands up in defeat. “But we will be negotiating in the morning, and there is no way I’m sleeping in here with you.”
“I’ll have a guest room made up especially for you.”
“Okay.” She throws her arms up in defeat.
“Wonderful.” Nodding sarcastically, I offer her the crook of my arm. “Shall we?” I wait for her to take it before leading her towards the door.
“You know this is never going to work,” she hisses at me as we head out to the landing.
“You’d be surprised at how convincing I can be.” I wink, knowing that the hard work has only just started. Somehow, I’ve got to convince this feisty little thief to carry me an heir.