The Duke's Defiant Bride (Brides of Mayfair Book 4) Read online

  That was a risk she was willing to take, because she wanted him so desperately.

  “Make love to me,” she said. “For tonight, make me your woman. I want to be only that, until sunrise.”

  He gave that sensual grin again, the one that made Juliet mad with desire for him.

  “You’re in luck, madam,” Carver replied. “You see, I’m very good at following orders.”

  She regarded him playfully. “You haven’t even begun planning your objective. Which battlement will you take first?”

  “Unfortunately for you, that is top secret. But don’t worry, I’ll get to them all.” He feathered hot kisses across her jawline. “As soon as I breach the first line of defence, I expect the others will follow suit.”

  “Perhaps I have a few tricks up my sleeve, Captain,” she pointed out.

  “I’m counting on it. It will only make my offensive attack more interesting, for both of us.”

  “I can hardly wait to see what you come up with,” Juliet said, wryly.

  Carver slowly pulled back from her, staring down with those penetrating eyes. Then, temptingly, he slid the gown down off her, all the way to the ground. Soon, she stood only in the fine linen chemise, drawers and stockings Esperanza had lent her.

  No man had ever undressed Juliet before. No man had ever touched her like this, feathering his hands across her breasts until she gasped for breath. Carver brushed his rough thumbs across her erect nipples and Juliet thought she might die of pleasure. Her body and soul were at his mercy now, and that was exactly how she wanted it to be.

  He dipped his hands lower to touch her naked thighs, then caressed between them. Juliet closed her eyes and bit her lip as heat began to build deep inside her. This was a forbidden hunger she had never allowed herself to truly feel before. And it was a hunger only for him.

  “I want you, Carver. I want you to make me yours.”

  His eyes blazed as he slipped his shirt over his head and pulled off his boots and trousers. “You will be mine, Juliet. You were mine from the first time I saw you on that battlefield.”

  “And that is why I was so angry with you. I knew you had power over me. But just for tonight, I give it to you, willingly.”

  “And I will take it willingly,” he answered, then seared her with a bruising kiss. He readied her with his hand, pushing her legs wide. He rolled onto her and positioned himself.

  Juliet gasped as she felt his thick, hard, manhood press against her most tender place. She curled her palms around his muscular shoulders and reached her mouth up toward his. She wanted Carver to be kissing her when he entered her.

  His mouth claimed hers as his body did the same.

  A shock of pain distracted her, but was quickly overshadowed by pleasure. It felt so good to be filled by him. She looked up into his heated gaze and relished the thought that they were now joined, as one.

  Carver grimaced as his thrusts became harder. Juliet took this as a sensuous challenge. She smiled wickedly as she moved her hips to meet his.

  Part of her couldn’t believe the unimaginable passion between them, and yet she knew there was more to come. His muscular arm curled behind her, and he grasped her hip with his hand.

  Juliet’s neck arched backward as the intense onslaught of pleasure overtook every inch of her body. She cried out as her body shook with wave after wave of primal response.

  Carver groaned as he thrust deep and hard within her, as his climax mated with her own. He buried his face in her neck and she felt him panting there. The cooling breeze of the night was refreshing around them.

  He moved to disengage himself, but Juliet held him close. “No,” she said. “I want to stay like this for a moment.”

  Carver kissed her, softly. He would have liked to stay there forever, but he knew that was only a fantasy. The war was waiting for them. And the war would not let them escape their duties so easily.

  “Here, now,” Carver said. He rolled off her and pulled the blanket over them, cradling her on his side in front of him. “Go to sleep. You’re safe in my arms tonight, Juliet.”

  As Juliet felt a heavy drowsiness overtake her, she closed her eyes and settled into the warmth of her lover’s arms.

  * * *

  Major Etienne Ganot, of the 5th Imperial Hussars, sank to his knees and wretched the meagre contents of his stomach into the grass.

  What he had just witnessed made him ill.

  Juliet—the woman he loved—rutting with the English Captain, Carver Adams.

  Etienne wiped his mouth and tried not to succumb to another wave of nausea.

  Though he was still weak from blood loss and lack of appetite, he had managed to escape the British surgical tent in the middle of the night. He’d overheard the nurse, Susanna, talking about Captain Adams taking Juliet away…something about Villarosa.

  Perhaps they hadn’t expected the wounded French officer to be much of a threat in his condition. And perhaps another man wouldn’t have been. But Etienne was obsessed with finding Juliet and saving her from her captors before something terrible happened to her.

  However, the cold, hard truth had just hit him like a punch to the gut.

  Juliet had given herself willingly to the blond English captain, betraying Etienne and the life he had always planned for them.

  He had been following the English band of soldiers as they traveled through the mountains toward Villarosa, carefully keeping his distance, but close enough to keep tabs on them.

  With his weakened physical state, a rescue attempt on his own would be futile. Etienne would have to wait until they reached Villarosa. There were French operatives stationed there who could assist him, if need be. Even though Lady Blade was set to be traded back to the French for one of their own officers, Etienne knew such a development could be far more dangerous than Juliet realized.

  Even amongst some of the French ranks, there was ill feeling toward the famous female spy. Colonel Arnaud himself had warned Etienne about Juliet falling into English hands. As a woman who was half-French and half-English, there had always been some doubt regarding her true allegiance.

  He had just seen for himself that Lady Blade had fallen under the English captain’s control. If the French forces got wind of that, Juliet could be hung for treason.

  He couldn’t let that happen.

  Even if she had betrayed him just now, his feelings for her could not be extinguished. He had to try to bring Juliet to her senses. He couldn’t stand by and watch the woman he loved hang on the end of a rope.

  Etienne’s only option was to press onward to Villarosa and arrive before Juliet and the English soldiers did. Then, he would find a way to get her out before all hell broke loose.

  For there was a surprise waiting for the English at the strategically important town of Villarosa. And if Etienne wasn’t careful, it could get them all killed, including him and Lady Blade.

  Chapter 14

  Carver woke just before the break of dawn, instantly aware of his surroundings—the sounds of birds flitting through the nearby vegetation, chirping as they searched for food.

  In his arms, a beautiful woman lay curled beside him.

  However, she was not just any woman. This was Lady Blade who had shared his makeshift bed, enjoying a night of lovemaking under the stars. Of course, neither of them had slept very much. They didn’t need sleep. They only needed each other.

  Even as he kissed and caressed her, as he brought her to the brink of pleasure again and again, Carver knew what a dangerous game he played. Juliet Reed was a beautiful, passionate woman, but she was also a seasoned spy. The old soldier in him knew this could be a ruse—a seduction designed only as distraction. But the man within him felt a connection he couldn’t deny.

  They had bared more than their bodies to each other during the night. With each stroke of skin and moan of pleasure, they had met as equals.

  As Carver watched the sky begin to lighten, he marveled that the world—his world, at any rate—had irrevocably changed
. Yet the morning light showed it to be bleakly the same.

  This was still Lady Blade, the notorious and deadly French spy. And he was still a captain in the British army, whose duty it was to transport her to his superiors at Villarosa.

  For the first time in this hellish war, Carver balked at the mission before him. How could he take her to Villarosa, hand her over to the British army, and walk away from her forever?

  How could he not?

  Last night, as he and Juliet explored each other’s bodies, it had been easy to push away the thought of his duty. But now, in the cold light of morning, it loomed on the horizon like an unexpected enemy regiment.

  He wondered if she felt the same.

  As if hearing his thoughts, Juliet stretched and looked up at him with those unfathomable blue eyes. She said nothing, but reached a hand up to stroke the side of his face. To his surprise, she clasped his hand and pressed her lips to it.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  Carver raised a brow. “Romantic words on a morning such as this.”

  “Yes,” she replied.

  “I suppose I should say the same to you then. I daresay it was an unforgettable night.”

  She ran a palm over his chest and he instantly grew hard from her touch.

  “That’s not entirely why I am thanking you,” she continued. “I was thinking how odd it was, that even though I am your prisoner, what you’ve really done is set me free. You’ve changed me, Carver. I never thought to experience such freedom in a man’s arms, especially when that man is my enemy. But this war has a way of turning everything on its ear, doesn’t it?”

  He turned her hand over and kissed her palm in return. “It does.”

  “It will be time to go, soon,” she said. “We must return to our lives, and to our duty as soldiers.”

  “Must we?” He surprised himself as he uttered the words.

  She studied him for a moment. “Mustn’t we?”

  “That all depends on you, Juliet,” he said. “Suddenly, the thought of going back to that life seems hollow. Worse than that, it seems an unimaginable torture to be without you. According to Sergeant Hackett, we are already married. As my wife, you would have certain protections. General Edgerton would uphold them. Certainly, he and Wellington would want to speak with you regarding your experiences, but then you would return to the British camp with me, as my wife. We could find a priest to marry us, I suppose. You could travel with us for a time, as many officers’ wives do. Then you could go back to England and stay with my cousin, the Duke of Hawksmoor, until I return from the war. I work as his agent on the estate, but he would look after you in my stead. Say yes, Juliet. Be my wife.”

  * * *

  Juliet’s heart trembled, throwing her sensibilities dangerously off balance.

  “You can’t be serious,” she said.

  Carver pulled her into his arms. He kissed her deeply, saying more with that one action than words ever could. “I assure you, I am entirely serious, Juliet. I can’t lose you. Not now. I will fight for my king and country, but I won’t let them keep me from the woman I love.”

  Juliet looked into the eyes that haunted her dreams and felt her pulse beat faster at his words and his touch. For Carver spoke the truth. Being separated would be a torturous fate. But what was the alternative? Could she really risk it all to be Carver’s true wife?

  “You feel it too,” he continued. “I know you do. Why should we throw away a chance at happiness together, just because we fight for different countries? You’re half English, Juliet. That’s part of your heritage, too. Though at first I didn’t take Hackett seriously when he talked about a hand-fast marriage, I found myself wanting it to be true. You’re the woman I want at my side. If you declare yourself as my wife, General Edgerton will not turn you over to the French. You’ll be protected by my rank and reputation. And there’s something else—you may be carrying my child. I want a child with you, Juliet. I want a whole passel of them. This war won’t last forever. Are we going to let it cost us a happy life together? Say you’ll be my wife, and we can start fresh.”

  Juliet felt weak. It was a strange sensation, for she had fought in many battles and had never felt as frightened and confused as she did right now. It was true, she had never felt this way about a man before, had never known love could be like this.

  If only she hadn’t come across his scouting party that day! How could she have known that the handsome English officer would change her world forever?

  “How can I be your wife when I don’t know who I am anymore?” she demanded, angrily. “You’ve changed me. You’ve opened my eyes, and for that, I’ll never forgive you.”

  “You changed me too,” he answered. “That’s what people do, Juliet. A woman and a man meet, and their lives can change forever. They have children together, and those children change them, too. After so many years of battles, killing, and death, I want to embrace life—a life with you at my side. And deep down, I think you want that, too. The question is, are you brave enough to take a risk?”

  Juliet met his penetrating gaze. “When I was first taken as your prisoner, I thought I might try and seduce you in order to affect an escape. Little did I know that you would be the one to seduce me, or what was worse, that I wouldn’t want to escape from you. Everything I ever believed about myself has been obliterated by you. Lady Blade—the fearless French spy—no longer exists. The woman I am now is fearful of the future. I don’t fit in anywhere. I can’t play the proper wife to you, I wouldn’t know how. But I also can’t be the soldier I was, for you’ve awoken my heart and set it beating for you.”

  Juliet pulled away from Carver.

  “Which is why you know I can’t be your wife,” she added.

  His expression darkened. “You’re refusing me because you do admit you’re in love with me?”

  She fought to withstand the intensity of her emotions. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s just passion because we are trying to cling to life and find some pleasure in this terrible, bloody war. But passion alone cannot sustain a marriage. Right now, it’s making you blind to the fact that I would never be accepted as your wife, neither here amongst your men, nor back in England.”

  “That’s not true,” he countered. “Sergeant Hackett and the rest of my men have developed an admiration for you. Don’t use that as an excuse.”

  She took a deep breath and looked him square in the eye. “Either way, my answer is no. I cannot be your wife. Tomorrow, I’ll be traded back to the French and I’ll resume my old life as best I can. You will depart with your men and go back to your camp. Then, wherever this war takes us, we will always remember this time we shared together and be thankful for it, I hope.”

  Carver shook his head. “Why won’t you fight for what you really want?”

  “I don’t know what I want,” she retorted, hotly. “You’re asking me to give up everything I am for you! What if I do that and I discover that I can’t be the wife you want me to be? What then?”

  “Since we’re asking hypothetical questions, what if you are with child? How are you going to raise it while carrying out your duties as Lady Blade in the middle of a war? Has that thought occurred to you?”

  “Don’t use that possibility to try to control me,” she warned.

  “Someone has to,” he shot back.

  “Is that what you think?” she asked, incredulous. “That I need to be controlled? You should know by now that I’ll never let a man control me, Carver. Not even one that I love.”

  His mouth curved into a grim frown. “It seems, Lady Blade, that we are at an impasse.”

  He was right. There was no way out for her and Carver. At least he realized that, now.

  “We are indeed.”

  Somehow, the beauty and freedom of their passionate night together had been blown apart. But Juliet promised herself she would treasure the memories for all her days.

  “The sky is brightening, and the men will soon be up,” Carver said. “We must return to th
e farmhouse and make preparations to leave. But in the coming days and hours, I want you to remember one thing, Juliet. I’m not done fighting for you, or for us.”

  He helped her to dress, then shrugged into his own clothes.

  They walked quickly back toward the farmhouse and didn’t talk. Words seemed useless, now.

  Because words couldn’t stop time…and what was to come.

  Chapter 15

  “There she is, lads,” Carver said, closing his telescope and slipping it through the leather loop on his belt. “Villarosa.”

  “Why do they call it Villarosa?” Tanner asked.

  Carver answered. “Because the stone walls surrounding the town are covered in climbing roses.”

  “I look forward to seeing it,” Tanner remarked, but his tone changed when he remembered the purpose of their mission. Once they reached Villarosa, Lady Blade would be held there until she could be traded back to the French for a British officer. “I mean, if you like flowers,” Tanner added.

  Carver glanced at Juliet, but in front of his men, gave nothing away.

  “You’ll soon be free of this motely band, ma’am,” Hackett said to her. “I hope when ye get back to your own side, ye tell them ye were treated well—by us, at least.”

  “I will, Sergeant,” Juliet replied. “And I will also tell them about how you entertained me with colorful folk songs and stories about your life back home. I will try to recount the story about the goat who got into your Christmas ale, and got drunk from it.”

  The men began to chuckle, for this was but one of Sergeant Hackett’s amusing tales.

  He grinned. “Yes, poor Wally. Ye never saw a sadder sight than a drunken goat staggering about like a sailor on shore leave.”

  “While we would all love to hear more about the adventures of Wally, the drunken goat,” Carver said, “we have a mission to complete. General Edgerton is waiting for the delivery of Lady Blade. Let us not keep him waiting any longer than necessary.”

  The group set off toward the town in the distance. Juliet marveled at what a beautiful day it was. The sun was shining, a warm breeze touched her cheeks, and they were walking towards a village which was literally covered in roses.