Too Wicked to Want by Tammy Andresen

Author:Tammy Andresen
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

ANNABELLE LOOKED up into his dark eyes, safely tucked against him. “I thought you might. Tell me what.”

He reached a hand up cradling her neck. “Try not to panic.” Then he leaned down and spoke against her lips. “I’m going to offer for your hand.”

Her heart did jump. But somehow, against him, it wasn’t panic but excitement that throbbed through her. “You want to marry me? Why?”

“Hear me out.” He kissed her cheek. “I know you want your cottage and to do your research. I respect that. I need a male heir to do my duty to the title.”

She stilled, her hands suddenly feeling heavy. “My research?”

He kissed just under her ear. “I told you tonight. I planned to marry at the last possible moment, but you made some excellent points. So I thought we could help each other. You provide me with the child I need, and I’ll give you the freedom you desire under the safe umbrella of my name. We’ll both get what we want.”

She leaned back further, then looked into his eyes. “It’s an excellent offer. But you’re wrong about living apart from your wife and child. There’s no reason you can’t be part of their lives.” Not that she was advocating they live together. However she felt about him, she couldn’t commit herself to that life. Not after her father’s emotional abandonment.

His face hardened. “You don’t know me yet, Annie. I told you what he did. I’m also capable of that sort of violence. I feel it in my veins. Don’t you understand?”

She scrunched her brow. “Most men are. It’s the choices—” But she didn’t finish as he pushed her away, holding her at arm’s length.

“I told you what he did to me, but I didn’t tell you about the beatings that happened almost every week.” His face shuddered. “I keep to myself but when I was in school, I was prone to fits of temper. I fought with other boys all the time; I hurt a few of them, Annie. He’s inside me and I can’t take the chance that I’ll do to you and our child what he did to me and my mother.”

Annie swallowed and gave a nod. Perhaps she was being naïve, but she didn’t believe it. He was too kind underneath his rough exterior. “Can I ask you a question? Was your father prone to drinking spirits?”

He gave a stiff nod. “How did you know?”

“A guess.” She reached for his cheek. “Are you?”

He jerked his head back and forth. “I don’t like the loss of control.”

Annabelle nodded. She suspected as much and she’d guess that he did drink a fair bit in school. But now, he’d given it up. The scientist in her had observed his behavior from the first. He wasn’t a danger and she trusted him more than any other man she’d ever met at this point. Marriage wasn’t what she’d wanted for her future. But his offer was the best she was going to get. Not only did she feel safe with him but his proposal left room for her to meet her other lifelong goals.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.