My Dangerous Duke (The Twisted Dukes #2)

Chapter 19

Four Weeks Later

“ Y es, Jared, that is fine,” Xander said testily, wishing the man would hurry up. He felt another deep tug of pleasure as Eleanor’s tongue reached the base of his extremely hardened cock, and he rapped his knuckles on his desk to stop himself from moaning. When that failed, he forced out a loud cough and began to tap his pen on this desk.

“Everything all right, Your Grace?”

“Yes. That is all, isn’t it?” He asked, looking up at his valet.

“Just one more point, Your Grace,” Jared informed him.

Xander groaned internally, starting to wonder whether this little game he and Eleanor had created was more pleasurable or torturous. Since their first time together in bed, she had proven herself to be a most willing student of lovemaking, and he feared he had created, in some twisted way, his perfect little monster. Sweet and pure on the outside; dark and seductive on the inside. They were barely able to stay away from one another.

“What is this?” Xander asked, losing focus as Eleanor’s tongue brought him closer to his climax.

Xander tried to comprehend his valet’s words as he drew ever and ever closer, but when he realized he had reached the end of his resolve, he gave up trying to listen, signed the portfolio, and immediately ordered Jared to leave.

The moment the door shut behind him, Eleanor’s hands clenched down on Xander’s thighs, and she suckled harder, bringing him to climax in seconds.

“Oh my God,” Xander panted, pulling Eleanor out from under his desk. Her eyes were bright with desire and her full lips were dewy from her blessed work. He moaned in approval as he drew his thumb across her bottom lip, and then kissed her deeply.

“You held on longer this time,” she teased, smiling through her kisses.

“I had to,” Xander groaned, resting his forehead against hers. “Jared would not bloody leave. Every time I thought we were done; he would pull one more paper out of his arse.”

“I like this game,” Eleanor giggled, getting comfortable in his lap.

“I love this game,” Xander, agreed with a satisfied smile. “But it has proven to be potentially dangerous as I have no idea what I have just signed for Jared. I could have signed over Larsen Hall to him for all I know.”

“Oh, no,” Eleanor gasped in mock concern. “Well, we cannot have that, can we?”

“Mmm,” Xander murmured, pulling her in for another kiss. “We certainly cannot.”

His head was churning through the many deliciously dark ways he could pay his wife back for her little act of service when another knock on the door came. They both sighed in annoyance as they broke their kiss and, against his wishes, he let Eleanor get off of his lap so they could adjust themselves.

“Later?” He asked, winking at her as they finished.

“You better,” She warned, her grin incredibly alluring as she looked at him from the chaise lounge.

Xander gave her one more heated look before he turned his focus to the door and said, “Enter.”

“Ah, good, you are both here,” The Dowager stated after the butler opened the door.

Xander and Eleanor threw one another one more amused glance, both hiding their smiles.

“How are you today, Your Grace?” Eleanor greeted, getting up to help Margaret take a seat.

“Quite happy,” the Matriarch announced, accepting Eleanor’s help. “It seems our dear Richard is home again. For a longer visit this time.”

“How long?” Xander asked, his mood changing immediately.

“He was vague on the details,” the Dowager sighed, her expression shifting from pleased to concerned. “But he is not himself. More on edge than ever since his last visit. He wishes to speak with you privately before we have tea as a family.”

The illusion of bliss had settled over Larsen Hall since the night Xander came home beaten and bloodied a month ago. There was no more tension between him and Eleanor, and in Richard’s absence, there had been no unnecessary fires for him to put out. Even Victor, as annoying as he was, had been placated lately by Eleanor’s little act of forgery.

With Richard home, though, the illusion was now shattered, and the intense emotions he had been free from for a month were now all rushing back to him.

“I will have the butler fetch him and bring him here,” Xander stated, his emotionless mask sliding back into place. “We shall join you for tea in the day room when we are done.”

Satisfied with this answer, Margaret got up and made her way to the door.

“Is everything all right?” Eleanor whispered to him as his grandmother called for her to come.

“Of course it is,” he lied, feeling a sense of doom as he swept a quick caress across her cheek. “Go on. We will be there soon.”

Eleanor gave him a look, and he knew she saw through him. To his relief though, she gave him a nod and went to catch up to his grandmother.

“I cannot keep doing this, Cousin,” Richard stated adamantly as soon as the two of them were alone.

“It is good to see you too, Richard,” Xander replied in a hard tone.

“Stop it,” Richard demanded, his voice strangled. “I am serious, Xander, I cannot do this anymore. I am not built for this. I hate it. Everyone somehow knows what I am, and I swear I am in more danger on those boats than I am on land!”

“That may be so,” Xander countered, his voice rising as he rose back to his feet. “But you are far less dangerous to people out there than you are here, and I cannot keep cleaning up your mistakes!”

“I am not going back,” Richard stated, baring his teeth. “Not for your benefit or anyone else’s! All I have ever wanted was a life of my own, Xander. If you would have just let me have it, this would have never happened!”

“You cannot be serious!” Xander boomed incredulously. “Every time you are left alone, Richard, every time, you have made a mess. Why are we having the conversation? This is a subject much over-discussed. If you want to be a man, Richard, you are going to have to prove it!”

Richard’s teeth drew back in a sneer as his eyes grew dark and he balled his fists.

“Is that what you want?” he asked, drawing his fists to his face as he took a step toward Xander. “You need me to prove to you I am a man?”

“Richard, please,” Xander drawled, shaking his head as he turned around. “Enough of-”

Before he could finish his sentence, Xander felt the weight of his cousin’s body fly into him, and the two men tumbled to the floor in a mess of swinging fists.

Both Eleanor and Margaret’s heads shot up as the sound of shouting protruded the silence.

“Oh no,” the Dowager whispered, her eyes growing wide with fear.

“What is that?” Eleanor asked, moving to her side.

“I fear it is the worst,” Margaret replied, her voice quivering as she began to pull Eleanor to the door. “Come, my dear, we must hurry! By the sound of it, Xander is about to kill him.”

Fear ran through Eleanor as she walked briskly with the Dowager Duchess, who was moving surprisingly fast with her cane.

“Kill who, Your Grace?” Eleanor asked.

“Who else?” Margaret cried as they neared the doors to the study.

Before she could ask why, Margaret pushed open Xander’s study doors, and Eleanor caught up with her just in time to stop the old woman from getting between the two quarreling men.

“Stop this at once!” Margaret shouted, slamming the butt of her cane repeatedly on the ground.

“I need to be free of this!” Richard roared, pushing away from Xander and his grandmother. “I cannot take it anymore!”

“You. Have. No. Choice.” Xander ground out.

“Why does he have no choice?” the Dowager demanded to know, taking Richard’s side. “He is a grown man! If he does not want to be in the Navy, he should not have to.”

“Grandmother, please,” Xander pleaded, “You and Eleanor need to leave. Out. Now.”

“But your grandmother is right, Xander,” Eleanor argued, trying to find the sense in it all. “If he wishes to leave the Navy, why not let him?”

A look of betrayal hovered in Xander’s eyes but before he could speak, Richard broke out of Margaret’s embrace and came striding toward Eleanor.

“You stay out of this,” he growled, his face contorted with rage. “This is all of your fault! You and your greedy, nosy father and his blackmail. It is you that has taken everything away from me!”

“Richard,” Xander warned, taking a step toward him.

“What is my fault?” Eleanor asked, urging Richard to ignore her husband’s threatening gaze. “You have said that before. Why? What does it mean?”

“Because, you little twit, your marriage to Xander is nothing but a response from blackmail from your father!” Richard exploded. “Your father has letters written by me to my lover, Marcus, and the bastard has us both by the shaft!”

“Blackmail…?”

The sound of flesh being slapped rang through the room, causing silence to fall over everyone as Margaret pulled her hand away from Richard’s now bright red cheek. Eleanor looked on at the scene with a detached numbness. Took in Richard’s shocked, pale face. Margaret’s seething disappointment. Xander’s rage.

“To your quarters,” the Dowager hissed, grabbing Richard firmly by the wrist. “Immediately.

“Grandmother, I-”

“I said go!” Margaret bellowed, pulling him along before he could finish.

Eleanor…” Xander said, his voice raw as they were left alone.

“What was he talking about?” Eleanor asked, whirling around to face him. Xander’s face filled with pity, causing a stir of rage and shame to rise in her.

“Honey,” Xander rasped.

“No!” She demanded, her voice breaking as tears pricked her eyes. “You finally tell me the truth of why you married me, and you tell me now!”