“Let me make this clear to you, I do not condone what you have done with my house or the idea you are here? I left you at Blakewood manor for a specific reason.”
“Which is?”
His eyes roamed her face, and he pulled away from the wall. Running one hand over his hair. He turned towards her. “To punish you of course.”
For a moment, Cole wondered whether she had heard. Her face showed no reaction to his words; she seemed frozen. Then her brow rose. “I see.”
Cole was quite certain she saw nothing. Because punishing her wasn't the only reason he had left her at Blakewood Manor. The earl had discovered he wanted his wife, despite what she did, despite how she tricked him. And that angered him. The idea he could still want her after all that, after all, she had done, caused him to question his sanity. This series of events eventually led to some hard decisions he made.
He knew if he stayed with her in one ho
THE FRESH SMELL of hays filtered through Cole's nostrils as they made their rounds that morning. Stopping at various stalls and examining the horseflesh. Half-heartedly he listened to the rambles of his stablemaster while staring at a particularly grey stallion with interest, an unusual gleam in his eyes.He remembered standing there with his father a few years back and doing the same thing he was doing now.Running one roughcast hand over his cheeks and chin he moved to the stall that held his interest, his stablemaster Oliver, trailing after him, but not ceasing his endless campaign on the qualities of the previous horse they had just left (a fine black stallion with white markings on the body).Cole sighed. He was getting tired. He had been here all morning and particularly indecisive about choosing a sire for his new horse. Normally, he went about matters like this more swiftly, but today, he was plagued with unfinished business
THE HEAVENS didn't have to come down for Emily to know her husband was irritated. It was there in his posture, in the way he held himself. Rigid and stiff. Unaware of Oliver, who was trying to get his attention. Emily felt a slow smile creep up her face as she assessed that with calm eyes.Following the departure of her guests, she had feared her husband would pack up and leave, especially now there were no more strangers in his home. That he hadn't done so didn't mean he wouldn't or that he hadn't contemplated it. Emily was very well aware of that fact and so had acted accordingly. There was little, or no time left to lose, especially with a husband who wanted to foist her to the back of his mind. She refused to be that woman, and she refused to be ignored. She wanted a real marriage and was willing to fight for it. Even if it meant tampering with his activities. (Which was what she was doing now) Emily wanted him to be aware of her as a woman, as his countes
As they cut across another corner, Emily made one more attempt. Hugging his neck and wriggling around, trying to slip from his arms. She succeeded for a while, but he soon heaved her up again, holding her tighter than before. She could taste defeat in her mouth but wasn't willing to admit it yet.Within her mind, she searched for solutions. She raked it for any way to extricate herself from this humiliating position, and in that silence realized she had been unconsciously staring at her husband's buttocks while thinking. A blush rose to her cheeks, and soon whatever scheme Emily had been hatching was temporarily forgotten as she stared shamelessly at Cole's buttock which she realized was tantalisingly close to her eye level.If she reached out her hand just so and touched it what would it feel like? The young woman wondered. But did she dare? Emily bit her lips, contemplating.They had already walked for a while wh
FAIR EYELIDS fluttered at the belabouring clanking coming from the other room.A banging, thumping sound that irritated Emily to the core, causing her to toss and turn on her bed wishing she could escape it, but no matter how much she tried to or even covered her ears with a fluffy pillow, the sound still burrowed into her subconscious, irritating her until such a time when she couldn't take it any more.Angrily, Emily flung the covers from her body, sitting up in one flash. Her short blond tresses were dishevelled. Her face marred with a deep, deep frown. She turned to her side where her husband had slept last night and noticed he had already roused and gone. Judging by the huge dip on the bed. He must not have been gone too long. Emily raised a hand to her head, wincing as the pounding started again. That clank and bang sound that whizzed as if things were being knocked apart.However, what she didn't understand was why it sounded
“You left me at the manor!” Emily complained. It was remarkable how that sounded like an accusation. In fact, it was indeed an accusation. Cole straightened in his chair. “I should expect you to know why?”“Because you think I trapped you?” she scoffed.His eyes narrowed. “You did trap me, but what I have failed to understand is how you managed to do so.Gritting her teeth, Emily leaned forward. His eyes were narrowed. “If I recall correctly. It was my brothers who forced your hand, and not me.”“Oh please, do stop hiding behind your brothers back and own up to what you have done. You did entice me with the prospect of lips that haven't been kissed before, all the while bidding your time for when your brothers or anyone for that matter would find us. How long did you have to keep me entertained before they arrived? Twenty minutes, thirty minutes? At least tell me I lasted long enough for them
THAT NIGHT Emily wore the most seductive gown Cole had ever had the misfortune to see on her person. In a flash, he was on his feet. Not because society would demand it. But because he found himself staring at her in awe and astonishment as she accepted a chair from the footman, sat down and placed her napkin on her lap. Barely sparing him any glance.It was all for the best, Cole thought as he let his eyes roam off her face. Giving them access to roam freely on her body, resting on the smooth curve of her neck and then the rounded top of her breast.Gad! Cole thought. Wasn't that a little too exposed? Following their hot argument, they had maintained their separate distance; they had barely seen each other until now. Cole hoped she had forgiven him. Because he felt bad as it is. And that kiss at his study, he was yet to figure out what it meant.Glancing down at his food, Cole wondered if he should be eating her or his
Her hair was drawn back from her face, exposing her high cheekbone. It must be the work of her lady's maid. Cole mused. Considering how short it was, it must have taken a lot of time, and pins to thrust it up in that updo. Cole frowned in the next second as something occurred to him.Now that he thought of it, he had never seen Emily with any lady's maid. Not here, nor at Durham, when he had picked her up from her brothers' manor after their marriage.If he was to recount back to that time, she hadn't travelled with any too. Which was strange? Women he knew wouldn't even think to do anything by themselves, let alone travel by themselves. What was even strange was how he was only noticing it now? He prided himself on being observant, but he had to admit this one had slipped past him. Of course, he could excuse his behaviour by saying he had been blinded by his anger at the time and had not given a fig or two about whom she travelled with
Cole landed awkwardly, falling face flat on the horse's back. His face hurt at the collision, and he could feel the stallion moving beneath him, too fast for him to control. The wind hurled at his hair, raising it to its highest point.On top of the horse, in that fearsome speed, he slowly raised his head up but was soon forced to close his eyes as the harsh wind burned his eyes. However, on second thought the boy quickly snapped his eyes open again as he realized there was no rider on the horse. And his father who had been riding the stallion was nowhere in sight.The young lad's heart beat at what that meant, and he wanted to look back to confirm if his father was behind him or if something else had happened to him, but at the speed, they were galloping he knew he could risk falling off the horse as he wasn't in a comfortable position—yet. So he grabbed hold of the horse's mane and struggled forward.With hi
Dear Readers, Thank you for taking this journey with me. If you enjoyed Not Your Average Countess and would love to read another of my work you can try Four Weeks And A Baby. It's a modern-day romance with amazing characters. Here is a little Excerpt and book summary. ******** To get his hands on his family's wine company which his sister wants to indefinitely displace him from. Leonardo pulls the biggest trick ever coming home with a fake fiance to prove to his family he was finally becoming the responsible man they wanted him to be. But there was one tiny flaw in his little put together plan, he was starting to fall for his fake fiance, a petite blond with a certain real boyfriend who poses as a nuisance for him. Can Leonardo sway her head with other man lurking in the background? And what happens when there is a baby in the mix? “Remember, we must always act like we're in a relationship. Now I know this might be hard for you, but do this fo
Hoping to right his wrongs, Cole swung on top of his horse and reared the animal left, cursing himself for teaching her how to ride astride. He couldn't see her back, Emily had gained a measurable distance ahead of him and seems intent on keeping it. As he urged his stallion faster and faster, Cole looked around him, deciding which way to follow as it was clear he wouldn't meet up with her if they followed the same path.He will have to get to her in another way. If he continued in this path, he would lose sight of her.Swinging his horse around, Cole took another route. A shorter one. This time barely seeing the trees as he passed them in a flash. Looking ahead with firm determination.Several minutes later he appeared a good distance away from Tonfield hall and saw her fleeting form dart into the house. A flash of her yellow gown and that was all. Cole increased his pace, urging his bay stallion into a wicked gallop that soon brought him a stone t
Emily woke up the next morning with a little flutter in her stomach as she remembered the events of last night and how her husband had been so gentle with her, holding her in such a way that had cleared all her doubts, and had her believing he must have some deep feelings for her.At the point, she had wanted nothing more than to scream out she loved him, but at the last minute held herself back because she wanted it to be a surprise. She wanted it to be the first thing she would say to him in the morning, but as she turned to the side of the bed to do as she had planned in her mind, she discovered he was gone.Though aware he was going to Derbyshire, she still felt a trifle hurt he hadn't woken her up to tell her he was leaving. But as her eyes skidded to the vanity table, and she saw the single rose. Though no note was attached to it, it spoke volumes to her. He was trying to say something to her without words Just like that day he had given her a rose af
At their departure, Cole turned properly to his wife and held her chin, lifting her face. “What's all this about? Tell me, Emily,” he murmured and then held his breath, waiting, hoping she would say something, anything that she didn't want him to go. Or she would miss him, but he should have known not to expect much because she only shook her head and held the label of his coat tighter sniffling. Cole sighed.“Emily,” he murmured, his voice gentle and soft, trying to prompt her into talking to him, but to his surprise, she raised her head and looked up at him through shiny emerald eyes.“Don't ask,” She swiped her nose. “At least not today, please.” Her lower lips trembled, and she hugged his body, burying her head on his chest. “I just want you to hold me.”Cole was lost for words. He looked down at Emily and felt his heart tug. He knew she was still troubled about something and would want nothing more than to know what it was at l
Present Day.“Come, milady, we must get you ready in time.”Still hovering near the hearth where the maids had left her, Emily stared at the two chambermaids who had come to help her with her bath at the request of her husband and wondered why he would even bother. She hasn't had a lady's maid in a long while and had been bathing on her own, and he knew that. So why send up chambermaids to aid her. Why now?Lowering her lashes Emily affected a small smile and followed them to the tub, letting them fuss over her dispensing with her items.“Did he say why he — er — sent you people,” She mumbled as she lowered herself in the hot tub, sighing briefly as she felt the hot caress of the water.One maid went for her back, taking a cloth to wipe it clean while the other fussed with her hair.“He didn't say milady though I heard he went into town and ...” The girl trailed off and
It had been there before, this feeling, but she hadn't been able to see it like this. But now that she knew it was, it was as though with every passing moment it came knocking on her door, overpowering her. She felt this ridiculous need to blurt out her love for him. To say she loved him and hear the same from him, even when she knew that was impossible.Her husband might have taken her into his confidence, but there was nothing about the man that screamed his love. Sure, he was gentle and careful with her. He loved her company greatly, but did he love her? Will he ever love her? No, he must! He has to. Emily bit her lips, stopping the trembling in time.“Emily?”She raised her face, almost widening her eyes as she remembered he could still see her face as his eyes were yet to be tied. She lowered her face almost immediately. Her heart beating.“What's wrong?” The words floated in the air between them, concern
At once, he wrapped his hand around her, gently lifting her off the ground until her feet were dangling from his body and one arm came crushing her to his hard masculine body as he let her feet touch to the ground againAngling his head for a better kiss he kissed her thoroughly in a way that made Emily's breath catch in her throat, and she forgot everything and everyone except this man and what he was doing to her, the wonderful flutter in her stomach threatening to explode.Their harsh breath was out in the air. His hand moving over her body in a very accustomed way. Moving past the small of her back in a frenzied manner to her buttocks when it reached the back of her thigh, he hoisted her into his arms and dropped a kiss in the corner of her mouth. Moaning.Still not releasing her lips, he blindly fumbled his way around, revelling in the glory of her lips.Walking a little more in that state he lifted his h
The following weeks that camewerespent beautifully. From riding early in the morning to spending time in the garden and playing billiard of which Emily always won. She suspected Cole had something to do with it. He was awfully losing a lot. Pushing the wrong balls. It had to be that or nothing else.Meanwhile, Coleon the other handwas irrevocably and utterly happy. Never had he felt anything like this before. He was enjoying her company immensely. And at one point had told his workmen to take a day or two off, and that was after he had already asked them not to work in
IMMEDIATELY Cole left, Emily shot out of the bed and wore her night rail. She bit her lips and stared at the bed where they had made love last night. Blushed as she remembered how she had writhed under Cole, demanding him in every way possible. She remembered something else too as she moved closer to the bed. What he had said last night and even this morning. “You are mine.” Emily mouthed, savouring the words. Her brows furrowed as she wondered what it meant.Dare she hope?Climbing back to the bed, Emily wondered why she was embarrassed when she was getting everything she ever wanted. She didn't mind seeing Cole naked. No, she didn't think she minded seeing that broad chest, that well-toned stomach which flexed as he took in a deep breath and those powerful muscular thighs. No, she didn't think she minded. Her problem was with herself. How she couldn't keep her eyes away from him. Emily had a mind to tell him to take her again that morning bu