Starting now.”
Anna didn’t even have a chance to take a breath before his mouth fell on hers, hard and cold and unmoving. Her lips were crushed against her teeth and her head was pressed back against the wall. She brought her hands up to his upper arms, trying to dislodge him, but he wouldn’t budge. Her eyes darted to the side, trying to find something she might be able to use against him.
Then something unexpected happened. He shifted his stance and his head angled to the side. At the same time, his hand came up to wrap around the back of her neck, squeezing the tension there. His mouth changed too. It softened just the tiniest bit and his lips parted against hers. She was so startled by the change such minute differences made in the overall tone of the kiss that when his tongue pressed forward, she didn’t even think to resist. In fact, she tilted her own head to allow him better access. And as his velvet tongue swept inside her mouth, her limbs flooded with jittery warmth. Her fingers curled around the muscles of his biceps and her lower back arched involuntarily. Every thought flew from her mind as she was overcome by burning, shuddering sensations pulsing through her entire body.
She found herself answering the dart of his tongue with a sliding exploration of her own. His breath was rich and intoxicating. His body was strong and encompassing. And Anna once again experienced a yearning for so much more of him.
That was when he stopped. His head lifted just enough to break contact between their mouths. Anna’s breath expelled on a sigh as she lifted her stunned eyes to meet his. She stiffened at what she saw there.
“It seems you are that good,” he murmured with ugly approval.
Anna’s eyes widened as every ounce of the desire he had roused within her fled as if blown away by a gale wind. Her body tensed with a depth of fury she had never known.
“I hate you,” she muttered through her teeth.
Jude’s mouth spread in a smile that more resembled a snarl. “We are on the same page then, wife.”
He stepped away from her and she wasted no time in swinging around and stepping into her mare’s stall. She leapt up into the saddle without the assistance of a mounting block. All she could think about was getting far away from him and the unwelcome feelings he created. She settled her feet into the stirrups and urged the horse from the stall.
“I will have the paperwork necessary to dissolve our marriage sent to you as soon as possible.” Jude’s voice was formal and distant, a stark contrast to the passion she had just experienced in his arms. Clearly, he had felt nothing of the same.
Anna stopped her mount and looked down at him. She tried to infuse her voice with the same cold finality. “Feel free. But you won’t get your annulment. It is the least I can do for such a devoted husband.”
Not the slightest bit concerned with what he would think of her vindictive refusal, Anna pressed her heels to her horse’s sides and the well-trained thoroughbred leapt into an instant and powerful gallop. The sound of pounding hooves resounded through the dingy stables for only a moment before she turned onto the road and gave the horse free rein.
Chapter Six
“What the hell is the matter with you tonight, Sinclair?” Lord Rutherford demanded.
He and Jude sat in a pair of leather armchairs pulled up in front of a low-burning fire at their club. They were supposed to be enjoying a few quiet hours with expensive French brandy and delicately rolled cigars from Jamaica. But as Rutherford had just noted with cantankerous candor, Jude was not displaying the appropriate mood for the gentlemanly pursuit of socializing.
“For the last hour, you have been altogether unresponsive. We are supposed to be having a good time, and frankly, you are boring me.”
Jude turned his scowling gaze back to his friend. “I suppose I am distracted tonight.”
It was a gross understatement.
He had remained at Silverly only long
Anna didn’t even have a chance to take a breath before his mouth fell on hers, hard and cold and unmoving. Her lips were crushed against her teeth and her head was pressed back against the wall. She brought her hands up to his upper arms, trying to dislodge him, but he wouldn’t budge. Her eyes darted to the side, trying to find something she might be able to use against him.
Then something unexpected happened. He shifted his stance and his head angled to the side. At the same time, his hand came up to wrap around the back of her neck, squeezing the tension there. His mouth changed too. It softened just the tiniest bit and his lips parted against hers. She was so startled by the change such minute differences made in the overall tone of the kiss that when his tongue pressed forward, she didn’t even think to resist. In fact, she tilted her own head to allow him better access. And as his velvet tongue swept inside her mouth, her limbs flooded with jittery warmth. Her fingers curled around the muscles of his biceps and her lower back arched involuntarily. Every thought flew from her mind as she was overcome by burning, shuddering sensations pulsing through her entire body.
She found herself answering the dart of his tongue with a sliding exploration of her own. His breath was rich and intoxicating. His body was strong and encompassing. And Anna once again experienced a yearning for so much more of him.
That was when he stopped. His head lifted just enough to break contact between their mouths. Anna’s breath expelled on a sigh as she lifted her stunned eyes to meet his. She stiffened at what she saw there.
“It seems you are that good,” he murmured with ugly approval.
Anna’s eyes widened as every ounce of the desire he had roused within her fled as if blown away by a gale wind. Her body tensed with a depth of fury she had never known.
“I hate you,” she muttered through her teeth.
Jude’s mouth spread in a smile that more resembled a snarl. “We are on the same page then, wife.”
He stepped away from her and she wasted no time in swinging around and stepping into her mare’s stall. She leapt up into the saddle without the assistance of a mounting block. All she could think about was getting far away from him and the unwelcome feelings he created. She settled her feet into the stirrups and urged the horse from the stall.
“I will have the paperwork necessary to dissolve our marriage sent to you as soon as possible.” Jude’s voice was formal and distant, a stark contrast to the passion she had just experienced in his arms. Clearly, he had felt nothing of the same.
Anna stopped her mount and looked down at him. She tried to infuse her voice with the same cold finality. “Feel free. But you won’t get your annulment. It is the least I can do for such a devoted husband.”
Not the slightest bit concerned with what he would think of her vindictive refusal, Anna pressed her heels to her horse’s sides and the well-trained thoroughbred leapt into an instant and powerful gallop. The sound of pounding hooves resounded through the dingy stables for only a moment before she turned onto the road and gave the horse free rein.
Chapter Six
“What the hell is the matter with you tonight, Sinclair?” Lord Rutherford demanded.
He and Jude sat in a pair of leather armchairs pulled up in front of a low-burning fire at their club. They were supposed to be enjoying a few quiet hours with expensive French brandy and delicately rolled cigars from Jamaica. But as Rutherford had just noted with cantankerous candor, Jude was not displaying the appropriate mood for the gentlemanly pursuit of socializing.
“For the last hour, you have been altogether unresponsive. We are supposed to be having a good time, and frankly, you are boring me.”
Jude turned his scowling gaze back to his friend. “I suppose I am distracted tonight.”
It was a gross understatement.
He had remained at Silverly only long
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