Free Seducing the Single Lady by Maya Rodale Page B

wayward strand of hair out of her furious eyes.
    “What can I do, Susannah, to win you?”
    “ I am not something to be won! I am a girl to be loved.”
    With that, she wrenched out of his grasp and stormed away, slamming the heavy oak doors behind her.
    It was only later that he realized what else she had said. Once upon a time she’d bidden him to return and he hadn’t come to save her. He thought of that letter, long burnt and long forgotten. What heartache they all—Susannah, his father, himself—might have been spared if he had only listened to her then.
     

Chapter 7: Broken-Hearted Girl
     
    When Damien came to call again the day after their fight, Susannah could not deny how emotional he made her feel. There was lust—pure, scorching, molten lust. An outrageous craving to touch his bare skin, nibble his lower lip, or rock her hips in time with his as he thrust deeply into her…
    Yes, she felt lust. Then she remembered the wager , and she felt anger. Surely she was worth more than fifty pounds!
    Then she remembered that they had despised each other for most of their lives. One of them had even put an entire body of water and several nations between them. For nine years.
    But she also had to consider the perfect day he had planne d for her, rife with adventures, and how he grinned and held her hand through it all. She remembered the surge of contentment she experienced whilst lying in his arms after making love.
    To her surprise , he had shown he was everything she never thought he was—attentive, adventurous, loving. There were times when he hurt her or made her cry. She had sworn never to forgive him. But at the end of the day, all she wanted was to be in his embrace.
    Clearly, there was much to be emotional about and she was completely within her rights to be ever so slightly out of sorts. But when he appeared she was in turns angry and relieved, happy and sulky.
    “You. Again.”
    The words came out sullen and petulant even though she had spen t an entire day dissolved in tears because they had fought bitterly. And because she had fallen in love with him.
    She didn’t want to be without him and she was afraid that he’d walk away again.  She loved him. She did not want to be a brokenhearted girl.
    And by some miracle he was here even though she’d refused his proposal for the third or fourth or fifth time. Who was counting, so long as he asked once more? She was happy to see him. Relieved, frankly. All hope was not lost.
    Nevertheless the words that escaped her lips were “You. Again.” With all the boredom, sarcasm, disdain and contempt she didn’t know she could muster.
    “It is lovel y to see you again, Miss Grey.” Damien spoke courteously and this inflamed her temper.
    Miss Grey?! She had been Susannah to him! She’d been Percy to him!
    “This is my solicitor, Eastwick ,” Damien said, introducing the elder, somber gentleman accompanying him. They all took seats in the drawing room and she served them tea from the yellow china tea set. All the while her heart was buzzing. Whatever could this be about?
    She eyed Damien. He did not meet her eye. Coward.
    “What is this about, Lord Bedford?”
    It was Eastwick who answered. “His Lordship has called this meeting regarding a contract obliging the two of you to marry.”
    “I am familiar with it,” Susannah said coldly.
    “We have consulted the original document and find that, while there are no ‘escape clauses’ if you will, the language is such that it allows the Viscount Bedford to dissolve the contract if he should so choose,” Eastwick said. “Please, take a moment to review it.”
    With that, he handed her a sheaf of papers. She glanced at them and all the serious legal words swam meaninglessly before her eyes.
    “The Viscount Bedford? A specific one, or any one, in general?” she inquired.
    “Any one in general,” Eastwick answered.
    “This one in particular ,” Damien stated.
    Susannah sipped her tea and didn’t taste