Free Secrets of Seduction by Nicole Jordan

realized. Having someone to love, to belong to,was vitally important to her, even more crucial than her desire to find the ideal mate.
    There was no question that Hawkhurst was a man she could love. Yet the reverse might not be true. He’d already had the love of his life and buried her. Skye knew instinctively that it would take a great deal to make him fall in love again. And he would never give her that chance if she forced him to wed her.
    “I will not marry you under such conditions, my lord,” she said firmly. “I want a husband who will love me.”
    “What you want is also beside the point,” he retorted.
    His insisting on marriage would upset all her careful evaluations. Skye felt a twinge of panic, but she tamped it down. She had gotten herself in this pickle, and she would have to get herself out.
    She managed a calm smile. Sweetness was almost always more effective than stubbornness and belligerence.
    “Your sentiment does you honor, my lord, but I cannot accept a proposal from you. I mean to remain in control of my own destiny.” Skye made a face and let her tone turn sincerely apologetic. “I confess that being the master of my fate is an irrational obsession of mine. But you see, I cannot marry you to satisfy some moral code of society’s.”
    A muscle hardened in the earl’s jaw, but he seemed to realize the futility of further argument. With a grim look, Hawkhurst rose from the bed and snatched up his dressing gown from the floor. Pulling the garment on, he yanked the sash closed, then stood staring at her.
    They were at an impasse, however, for she would not back down. Turning, he stalked to the door.
    “Do you still mean to make me leave this morning?” Skye called after him in a purposely meek voice.
    The look he shot her was withering before he strode out, shutting the door forcefully behind him.
    Skye bit her lip hard, uncertain whether her outright refusal to consider marriage had helped her cause or hurt it.
    She had meant her declaration about fate. She would never settle for a forced marriage if she could help it. And neither should Hawkhurst.
    He shouldn’t be compelled to marry her out of obligation. Nor, for that matter, should he have to wed the Olwen girl out of duty, as was his current plan. Everything Skye had learned about young Miss Olwen pointed to her being a milk pudding. Hawkhurst didn’t deserve such a cold fate. Being locked in a loveless marriage of convenience with so unequal a mate would only cause him pain. And regardless of whether he was destined to be
her
own mate, Skye wanted desperately to save him from more pain. Which meant somehow preventing his pursuit of the Olwen chit.…
    Skye went still as a sudden thought struck her. The possibility that she was with child might actually work in her favor. Surely Hawkhurst wouldn’t send her away until he knew if she was carrying his child. And until it was confirmed one way or the other, he wouldn’t be able to court Miss Olwen, either.
    A thoughtful frown turned down the corners of Skye’s mouth. Suggesting a waiting period was likely the best way to delay his courtship of his mentor’s niece. However,she needed to give the earl a little time for his anger to cool off before making her suggestion.
    In the meantime, Skye vowed, she was not leaving Hawkhurst Castle. In the French fairy tale, the beast had imprisoned the beauty. In this case, she would do the imprisoning—holding herself captive until Lord Hawkhurst agreed to let her spend time with him.
    And if he never agreed?
    Skye let out a shaky breath, knowing everything still depended on her powers of persuasion.
    But she was not giving up yet. Not by a long chalk.

The snorting, prancing
stallion was a handful—just the challenge he needed to work off his frustration, Hawk decided grimly. He often rode to conquer his demons, and this morning he was also gentling his newest equine purchase, who was young and fractious and dangerous even to his experienced