Free Mysty McPartland by The Rake's Substitute Bride

thing he wouldn’t put up with, dishonesty. He hoped and prayed she wouldn’t do anything so foolish. Letting out a heavy sigh, he considered the matter and after a few minutes decided that if he kept her occupied for the next few weeks she would keep out of trouble.
    Tomorrow, a ride in the park and a picnic. Somewhere quiet. The day after, a visit to the dressmakers. Other ideas came to him and he gave a satisfied sigh that he had everything planned to keep his wife out of mischief for the next week. Hopefully, by then she would have too many other things to think about besides helping those women in the brothels. And with any luck, he would be successful and would have already seduced her into his arms.
    A smile tugged at his lips just thinking about making love to her, he’d bet his last shilling that she would a lusty, giving lover. Just the thought about being naked in bed with her made the flesh between his thighs stand up and pulse with anticipation. He shook his head and grimaced in frustration, hell he doubted any other man had to seduce his wife so he could make love to her. It was probably the only reason he couldn’t stop thinking about it, much to his great annoyance.
    What was it about her he wondered, not for the first time, that made her so different to all the other women he’d bedded? Why did he have this unquenchable craving for her? Was it because she was the first woman to ever refuse him? No, he shook his head, there was just something about Sheldon that made him want to possess her mind, body and soul. To own her completely.
    He wanted to be the center of her universe, to know that no other man could measure up to him. He truly wanted to watch her body as it ripened with his seed and knowing that she was nurturing a part of him inside her. All these crazy emotions were so new to him that he was still trying to deal with them.
    Cowardly, though it was, he wished he could dismiss them or preferably pretend they didn’t exist. Well coward he wasn’t, so he was just going to have to face the fact that he just might be falling in love with his wife. He thought the admission would horrify him or make him feel weak and foolish, but in actual fact he felt neither of those things. Truth be told, he felt invincible and so damn happy.
    His only problem now was getting his wife to fall head over heels for him. Surely it couldn’t be too hard? After all, for most of his life he had women swooning over him. Declaring their undying love, oh he wasn’t so egotistical that he didn’t know most of the declarations were as false as the women themselves. It was his position in society, his money and his good looks that had the women falling at his feet.
    Sheldon though was unique, she didn’t give a fig for any of those things. In fact, she didn’t give a toss about him, or did she? He remembered the look of happiness on her face when he refused to end their marriage. Hope rose up in his chest and he knew that tonight he was going to start his seduction. Nothing too drastic mind you, he didn’t want her to build up her defenses. No, a light touch here, a warm breath against a particular sensitive part of her skin, perhaps a slide of his lips along the column of her neck. His mind made up he was feeling quite pleased with himself. “ If I’m going to have to suffer this love thing, well it’s only fair that Sheldon does as well,” he grumbled in annoyance.
    ****
    Sheldon eyed her husband warily as she stepped out from behind the screen. He was already lying in bed with his hands stacked behind his head. Unable to stop herself, her gaze lowered to his naked chest. Breathlessly she noticed his firm wide shoulders, thick arms, and the matt of dark hair that tapered downwards. His ribs defined, and the picture of him completely naked swirled around her head. How could she ever forget how magnificent this man looked in all his glory?
    She forced herself to turn around and with a trembling sigh gathered up the