Lydia Dare - A Certain Wolfish Charm

"You know that's not what I meant. How will I be different from any of the thousands of women you've been exposed with in the society rags?"

"Thousands is exaggerating just a bit, Lily."

"Not by much." She was finally able to yank her hand from his and stand. She stood in front of him and put her hands on her hips. "

Why

are you marrying me, Simon?"

Simon leaned forward and grasped her hips, pulling her to stand between his spread knees. She tried to take a step back. "No pulling away," he said, looking into her eyes.

"

Why

, Simon?" she insisted.

"Because I want to protect unsuspecting yard

furniture around the world from your wrath. You can simply abuse mine, and the rest of the world will be safe." He pulled her closer, his hands snaking around her thighs to clasp just below her bottom.

"Oh, you…" she groaned. She'd never wanted to hit anyone so much in her life.

"All right," he sighed. His hot breath stole right through her dress, he was that close. It touched her belly like a gentle rub. "One: you're ruined. And it's my fault. So, there's a bit of obligation there."

Lily felt tears choke her and tried to push them back.

He must have noticed because he said, "Wait," and held up one finger. "That's not all."

Lily sniffed and swallowed hard.

"Two: you're Oliver's caretaker, almost a mother to him, and he's going to live with me. So, having you live with me, too, will serve a dual purpose."

Lily had never heard such a poor excuse for marriage. She clasped his wrists in hers and tried to pry his hands from the back of her thighs. He didn't budge. The man had really strong arms, which infuriated her.

"Three: there's the fact I

really

want to bed you," he said quietly as he looked up at her again. He trailed slow kisses across her belly, his hands sliding up to grip her bottom through her dress.

Lily gasped and immediately felt a flip in her belly.

Don't let him distract you, Lily

. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Well, of course you want to sleep with me. You want to sleep with everyone."

"Not any more. I haven't even thought about another woman since you walked through my door."

***

Simon knew how dangerous it was to bare his soul to the woman, but he could sense she needed a bit of reassurance. Despite the fact that he truly did want to marry her, he also wanted her to be happy and feel secure in the situation. As safe as she could be with someone of his ilk.

"You haven't thought about anyone else?" she croaked. He almost had to grin at her discomfiture.

"How could I when you're right here, taunting me with your charms all day?" He gathered her skirts and put his hands below them, grasping the back of her thighs, pulling her closer to where he still sat on the bench.

"I don't taunt you."

"Oh, yes, you do." The woman had no idea how sensual she was. He would just have to show her. "And you don't even intend to do it, which makes me want you even more."

"Simon, I'm almost twenty-four years old. No one has ever wanted me."

"I want you," he said, removing one hand from her skirts to clasp her own and bring it to press the front of his trousers. Her fingertips skittered across the fabric, testing the feel of him. He bit back a groan.

"That's…?" she asked, a question in her voice.

"That is how much I want you." And much, much more, he thought. "I want to be with you." He punctuated the sentence with a kiss to her belly. "I want to be on top of you." His hand slid beneath the legs of her drawers to knead her bottom. "And I want to be inside you."

The scent of her arousal caught his nose, and Simon felt like he could devour her in that moment.

She broke him from his concentration when she shook his shoulder. "Simon," she nudged. "Simon," she whispered vehemently. "Someone is coming."

"No. That comes later, love."

"Simon," she nearly shrieked, pushing his arms from beneath her dress. Or trying to. She wasn't very successful. Thank God, she was such a little thing, he thought, or she could win by sheer strength of will.

"Simon," his mother's voice rang out from the edge of the garden. "I think I told you to stop treating Miss Rutledge like a harlot."

Simon finally raised his head and looked up at Lily. "Oh, God," he groaned, knocking his forehead gently against her belly in frustration. She smiled down at him and laid one hand on the top of his head.

"Simon," his mother called again.

"What do you want, Mother?" he barked.

"Why, to protect Miss Rutledge's virtue, of course. It's amazing she has any left with you chasing her skirts all day." The duchess motioned to Lily. "Come along, dear. We'll leave the big, bad wolf to sort out his own misery."

Lily extricated herself from his arms and followed his mother down the garden path. What else could possibly go wrong?

***

Alice Westfield linked her arm with her future daughter-in-law's and towed her back toward the manor house. Simon would need some time to recover from his current state, which meant she could get a few uninterrupted minutes alone with Lily Rutledge. Minutes that were sorely needed.

Never, in all her years, had anyone ever considered Alice a fool, and it was in poor form that Simon did so now. He'd obviously compromised the poor girl, which was why he'd sent William on his quest for a special license. It was the honorable thing to do, after all. But did he really think he could keep her from realizing this? Alice wasn't a fool, but Simon, apparently, was.

Lily seemed to care for Simon, which was a relief, especially considering his differences. Considering the sort of women he generally associated with, Alice had been frightened the man wouldn't ever settle down. He had a duty to his title after all, and Alice rather thought Lily would fill the role as his duchess quite nicely.

If Simon was to have a successful marriage, he couldn't keep one of the most important parts of himself a secret from his wife. Doing so was the fastest way to doom their relationship. She wished for the millionth time that Jonathan was still alive. He'd given their sons such excellent direction, and Simon obviously was in need of it now.

She sighed as they neared the back terrace. Men were stubborn enough creatures, but Lycans were very nearly impossible.

"Alice," Lily's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Are you all right?"

Alice smiled at the girl. She was a sweet thing. She was certainly capable of learning the truth about Simon without running into the woods screaming like a bedlamite. At least Alice thought so. It would be best to make sure. "Indeed. I was simply thinking about you, dear."

"Me?"

"Of course, you. Very soon, you'll be my daughterin-law, and if anyone understands the difficulty of dealing with a Westfield man, it's me. I was married to one and raised three."

Lily smiled as they climbed the steps to the terrace. "Is it more difficult than raising a York man, I wonder?"

"I believe it is much the same, dear." Alice couldn't help from smiling back. Oliver York was his father's son in every way. Not only did he look like Daniel, but he'd inherited his father's other abilities as well. She had known that instantly when she laid eyes on him the day before. With his impressive size and irritability, Oliver reminded her at once of Simon, Will, and Ben when they were his age.

It was amazing Lily had done so well with the lad all by herself. That was another reason Alice thought Lily could handle the truth about Simon. No matter how difficult Oliver had become the night before, Lily's love for the child had never wavered.

She led Lily to a set of table and chairs in the far corner of the terrace. From that position, she could see the grounds and know when Simon was near. Not that she could keep him from overhearing them. She'd learned early in her marriage that Jonathan could hear any word spoken even three or four rooms away. At the moment, she didn't mind. Simon should hear what was on her mind.