BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE: The Unforgettable Billionaires: The Complete Collection Boxed Set 1-12 (Young Adult Rich Alpha Male Billionaire Romance) (Alpha Bad Boy Billionaire Romance) (114 page)

“
R
obert, please ask the servants to take all of Lady Rebecca’s belongings to her room,” the Duchess commands the butler. She then turns to Rebecca and adds, “My dear, don’t worry about opening your luggage just yet. The maids will assist you with that later on. You can take a short nap if you want. I shall introduce you to the staff this evening. They are all very eager to meet their new Duchess,” Lady Elizabeth goes on without stopping. Some of her enthusiasm rubs off on Rebecca too. She is suddenly not feeling tired anymore.

“I would love to meet them. And I am not too tired right now. If you please, I can meet them right away.”

Henry looks at her as if she’s lost her mind but she chooses to ignore him. “Well,
I
am very tired, so I shall take my leave and rest for some time. Rebecca can get acquainted with the castle and the staff if she wishes to, though I would recommend that she take things easy for a while,” he says looking at her.

“Oh, Henry! If she wants to meet a few people, what is the harm? She is their new mistress after all!” says Lady Elizabeth. “Come on my dear, they are all waiting to meet you.”

Rebecca spends the rest of the afternoon with her mother-in-law, meeting people and getting a little acquainted with the castle. In between, Her Grace asks her questions about her family- her parents, her brother, Leicester in general. She seems to have already heard about her father and his reputation and even sympathizes with her for having such a
scandalous
and
self-centered
man for a father! Though Rebecca didn’t love her father deeply, she still feels a little offended by Her Grace’s remarks.

By the evening, Rebecca is thoroughly tired. Her exhaustion probably shows on her face and Lady Elizabeth asks her to go and take some rest. One of the maids escorts her to her chamber and she is surprised to see how large it is. The maid, Mary, informs her that Lord Northwall’s chamber is adjacent to hers and that they are connected with a small door.

“These chambers previously belonged to His Grace and Her Grace but after His Grace’s demise, Her Grace moved out of this room. Lord Henry occupies his late father’s chamber and Her Grace always said that this chamber will be occupied by his wife,” she tells Rebecca. “Do you need anything else, my lady?”

“Yes, please. Can you get someone to prepare a hot bath for me? I badly need to relax my sore muscles,” she says rubbing the back of her neck.

After a long, warm bath, Rebecca finally feels relaxed. She wears a light pink gown that she’d inherited from her mother. It is trimmed with pale blue lace and Rebecca wears a fresh pearl necklace to go with it. She then proceeds downstairs to accompany her husband and mother-in-law for dinner.

As soon as she enters the dining room, a rich and savory aroma of mutton assaults her senses. When her stomach involuntarily growls, she realizes how hungry she is.

“Come, come, my dear. We were waiting for you. I hope you are a little relaxed by now,” Her Grace says with a smile.

“Yes, Mother,” Rebecca blushes. “I hope I can address you that way!”

“Why, yes of course. I would love that,” she beams. “I am proud of your choice, Henry. Rebecca is truly a gem. What I really wonder is how you managed to convince her to be your wife!”

Henry literally chokes on his food. Rebecca gives him an amused look that he pretends not to see. Rebecca is eagerly waiting to hear his response.

“Well, that was quite easy. She became enamored with my charm and wit and….”

Now it is Rebecca’s turn to choke on her food. After a brief fit of coughing, she literally glares at Henry. He merely chuckles in response.

“Henry, don’t lie to your mother! I am dying to hear your story. Before leaving, you’d said that you were going to Leicester to claim something that was yours. Were you talking about Rebecca?”

“No. I’ll tell you everything in detail later on, Mother.”

“Oh don’t sound so mysterious! Rebecca, you tell me. What qualities did you see in my son that attracted you towards him?” Lady Elizabeth asks an unsuspecting Rebecca. She has absolutely no clue how to respond to that! The look on Lady Elizabeth’s face tells her that she is eagerly awaiting her answer.

“I-I like him for his honesty,” she blurts.

“Honesty?” Clearly Her Grace was not expecting that answer! She looks a little confused and Henry raises one of his eyebrows at her confession. “I know my son is an honest man but I don’t know if this virtue alone is enough to attract a woman….let alone a lovely woman like yourself!”

“
W
ell, I find him quite good looking too.” Rebecca is not lying but admitting such a thing right in front of Henry is embarrassing to say the least! She doesn’t even dare to look in his direction. Apparently,
this
answer pleases Her Grace.

“Ah yes! My Henry is one fine looking man,” she says, her eyes shining bright with pride. “You know, he gets his looks from his late father, God bless his soul! Women used to actually swoon in his presence.”

“Really?” says Rebecca, eager to know more about the erstwhile Duke of Southampton.

“Why, yes! I met him at one of the parties in London. He was with his group of friends while I happened to pass by him. My foot somehow got caught in the carpet and I stumbled. If it hadn’t been for him, I would’ve fallen flat on my face and become the laughing stock of the party,” she reminisces. “He caught me in his strong arms before I could fall and…That was it! We fell in love the first time we looked into each other’s eyes.”

“Oh! How romantic! It seems so…
perfect
!” exclaims Rebecca. Henry looks at her a little strangely. He had heard this story probably a million times and could never really comprehend how two individuals could fall in love so quickly! He doesn’t believe in love at first sight. Actually, he thinks, he doesn’t believe in love at all! Like, yes; lust, most definitely; but love, no…never!

This is why Rebecca’s reaction to his mother’s story surprises him. Did she believe in love? No, an intelligent woman like her would know better than that! Love is an overrated emotion that sometimes forces a man to make illogical decisions. He has successfully avoided it till now and he has no plans to fall in love any time soon.

“Please, tell me what happened after that?”

“He properly wooed me after that; and I must confess, he didn’t have to try too hard,” she giggles. Henry can’t believe his ears. His Mother, the Dowager Duchess of Southampton is giggling like a schoolgirl! “I had already fallen head over heels in love with him!”

“Mother, I really don’t think you fell in
love
with Father. It must have been a strong attraction, maybe,” Henry interjects.

“Attraction? No, not at all. We were in love, not merely attracted to each other,” she states firmly.

“How can you tell the difference between the two?” Henry asks.

“Attraction fades after a while. But love…..it never fades. Rather, it grows strong with each passing day. If we’d been merely attracted towards each other, our relationship would have withered after some time, but it did not! Love nourishes a relationship, makes it bloom. Yes, it can come with a lot of sacrifices, but they seem negligible in front of the little joys that it encompasses.”

“I am not sure I understand all that. I personally feel that love is an overrated emotion and we human beings can just do fine
without
it.”

Her Grace smiles at him. “You are saying this because you are unaware of what love is all about. Son, you will not even realize when you’ll fall into its grip. And once in it, there is no looking back!”

Rebecca, who was sitting quietly until hearing the mother-son conversation, gives out a silent prayer that whatever her mother-in-law is saying turns out to be true. She’ll be waiting for the day her husband falls in love with her. She just hopes it comes very soon because maybe, just maybe, she has already started falling in love with him!

A
fter a sumptuous meal and a light-hearted conversation, everyone decides to retire for the day. Once in her bed, Rebecca wonders why Henry finds the idea of love so repulsive. She had seen in her own family how devastating love could be, but still she’d not given up on the feeling. In fact, she’d always believed that a relationship can stand the tests of life if it is based on love.

Rebecca herself is not sure if what she is experiencing is actually love. She tries to think of some way by which she can make sure if she’s really fallen in love with Henry or not. One way could be to consummate their marriage….. If she still has the same feelings for him, she’ll understand that it is not just a passing attraction but something deeper than that.

Rebecca gets out of her bed and plans to seduce her husband. He has promised not to touch her till she asks him to, right? Tonight, she’ll make him go crazy with desire without even asking him to touch her. She quickly rummages through her luggage and finds the garment she’d been looking for: A slinky piece of sheer fabric that she’d found too scandalous to wear until now. It had been given to her on her eighteenth birthday by one of her ‘forward’ friends and she’d always kept it well hidden. Tonight, however, she’ll have to find the courage to finally wear it!

The nightgown is made of gossamer georgette and delicate silk gauze and is a pale shade of purple. It has intricate lace trimmings and strategically placed embroidery that is capable of instantly drawing one’s attention. She takes a close look at the garment for the first time and is shocked to notice that the embroidery on its front is exactly where her breasts would be if she chooses to wear it. This makes her nervous and she rethinks her decision to wear this wicked piece of clothing.

You have to Rebecca! It is not that you are doing something inappropriate. He is your husband after all!
says the same little voice at the back of her mind. Taking a deep breath, she decides to go ahead with her plan. She wants to put an end to this growing sweet tension between them once and for all. The physical aspect of their relationship is bound to happen sooner or later; Henry has married her to produce an heir, hasn’t he? And if she really loves him, her love for him will grow further once they take their relationship to the next level. Yes, this one night of togetherness will help her in finding answers to a lot of questions.

Drawing a deep breath, she finally shimmies into the almost-transparent fabric. As she had thought, the delicate embroidery on the front conceals nothing at all; rather it draws one’s eyes to her pink nipples! She is mortified as she looks at herself in the mirror! The wide and deep neckline of the gown shows a ridiculous amount of her cleavage and the sheer fabric reveals even the soft curls protecting her womanhood. Before she can change her mind, Rebecca quickly goes towards the secret door that connects her chamber to Henry’s. The door opens with a small click.

*******************************************************

Henry does not know if he is dreaming or if the sight before his eyes is actually a reality. He pinches himself to make sure it is not a dream. Ouch! It is not a dream then! The woman standing in front of him wearing next to nothing is actually his wife, Duchess Rebecca Northwall!

THE END

Regency Romance

A Prize to Be TREASURED

Defiant Lords Series

Rose Haven

Regency Romance: A Prize to Be TREASURED

G
athering every ounce of courage that she possesses, Lady Rebecca Northwall finally opens the door that leads to her husband, Lord Henry Northwall’s, chamber. As soon as she steps inside, she sees that he is standing near the gaslight reading some papers. He is naked from the waist up and, in the dim light, he looks like no less than some Greek God, his body chiseled to perfection.

Henry looks up immediately upon hearing the click of the knob. Although he knows that there is a door that connects his chamber to Rebecca’s, he is a little startled as he’d not expected it to open in the middle of the night. When he sees a lady looking suspiciously like Rebecca emerging out of that door wearing nothing but a negligee, his heart skips a beat.

Henry finds it difficult to believe his eyes. Is it really Rebecca standing in front of him wearing that exotic piece of clothing? He actually pinches himself to make sure he’s not in some wonderful dream.

When Rebecca slowly moves towards him, he realizes that it is not a dream. His heart rate quickens as he notices that the sultry seductress is actually trying to tempt him by batting her eyelashes! Good Heavens! What is wrong with her? Just last night, she wanted him to close his eyes while she changed clothes, and tonight she’s standing right in front of him wearing almost nothing!

“Are you alright?” Henry finally finds his voice and manages to clamp shut the jaw that has hung open since the time he’d spotted her.

“Yes,
Henry
. It’s just that I was feeling a little lonely, so I thought maybe you wouldn’t mind keeping me company for some time,” replies Rebecca, her voice dripping with honey. Once again, she bats her long eyelashes! Henry swears that he’ll eat that little chit alive if she does that one more time!

“Uhhhh…yes, why not! It is natural to feel a little …restless….in a new place. You should get used to your surroundings in a day or two.” Henry is trying to avoid looking at his wife. He is damn sure that he’ll break his promise if he continues to look at her luscious curves and heaving bosom any longer.

“I think so too.” Rebecca looks away, suddenly shy. “Ummm… Do you mind if we talk sitting on that bed? My feet ache terribly after moving about the castle this afternoon.”

“Sure,” Henry says and regrets it the moment he sees Rebecca sitting on
his
bed, her glorious form peeping beneath the sheer fabric, assaulting his good sense. Worse still, as she sits on the bed, her nightgown (if that scandalous garment qualifies to be called that!) rides further up her thighs, exposing her long, slender legs to his hungry eyes. Sweet Heaven! He is about to explode with lust!

“What do you want to talk about?” he asks her rather gruffly. He wants her gone from his room.
Now!
Otherwise, both of them will have to bear the repercussions of his actions.

“No need to be so rude. If you want me to leave, you can just ask me to,” Rebecca says in mock anger.

“I am sorry. It’s just that…nevermind. May I ask you something?”

“Of course! I am all yours for tonight!”

Henry is shocked at her words. He shakes his head vigorously to ensure there is nothing wrong with his head or his ears.

“Excuse me?”

“I am all ears. You can ask me anything!”

Henry hesitates. “Ah…. I just wanted to know if you wear such…exotic night garments frequently or if is there some special occasion tonight?” he asks, his lips curved in a devilish smile. He’s finally regaining his composure; this little seductress had caught him off guard.

Now it is Rebecca’s turn to feel a little uncomfortable.
Get a grip, girl! You are here to seduce him. Don’t get flustered by his words. Give him a reply that will make him crazy with desire.
Rebecca is thankful that this inner voice helps her overcome her dilemmas.

“I know this may sound a little scandalous, but I prefer to sleep naked. Since night garments like these almost make me
feel
naked, I like wearing them.” She looks straight into his eyes while making the bold statement. She really can’t fathom where she got the courage to say such a shocking thing, but the effect it has on Henry is makes everything worth it!

Henry has had enough! If Rebecca is so hell bent on inviting trouble, then so be it!