chapter 29. Her offers
1585 Words
He lifted her hand again and gently placed his on her soft palm.
"Don't pout, darling. he said softly
"I knew that you come back to me when you decided to be realistic. I can be a very generous man, you'll want for nohing. you'll be treated like a queen, I promise you,"
Deliberately Ursula pulled her hand away.
" There are several thing I want to discuss with you, William," she said in a remote tone.
"There are conditions I want met; otherwise, I'm not interested in any sort of a relationship with you."
"Of course, he agreed dryly, his strong mouth curving into a cynical smile. "How much, my dear?
And do you want it in cash, stocks or jewels?"
Ignoring him, she said, "First, I want to keep my own house. I don't want to live with you. You can visit me, or I'll visit you if you prefer that, but I want a life apart from yours."
"That's not necessary," he snapped, his straight brows pulling together over suddenly thunderous
eyes.
"It's very necessary, she insisted evenly. "I don't delude myself that any relationship with you will be
permanent, and I don't want to find myself forced to live in a hotel because I've given up my own home.
And as I said, I'm not interested in living with you."
"Don't be so certain of that," he mocked. "Very well, I agree to that condition. You're always free to move in with me when you change your mind."
"Thank you. Second, William....here she turned to him and fixed him with an even stare, her green eyes clear and determined, her soft voice neverthe-
less threaded with steel so that he knew she meant every word .
"I will never, under any circumstances,
accept any money or expensive gifts from you. As you told Amanda Waring, I don't need your money.
I'l be your lover, but I'll never be your kept woman.
And finally, on the day you become engaged to your Elena, I'II walk away from you and never see you again. If you're an unfaithful husband, it won't be
with me,"
A dark blush of anger had swept over his features as she spoke, then he became motionless.
"Do you think my marriage would change the way you feel about me?" he demanded harshly. "You might feel
now that you could walk away from me, but once you' ve known my touch, once we've lain together, do you truly think that you could forget me?"
"I didn't say I would forget you," she said, her throat becoming thick with anguish. "I said I'd never see you again, and I mean it. I believe very strongly
in the marriage vows, I never looked at another man when I was married to Robert."
He shoved a hand roughly through his hair, 'disturbing the tidy wave and making it fall down over
his forehead. "And if I don't agree to these last two conditions? he wanted to know. He was obviously angry, his jaw tight, his lips compressed to a grim
line, but he was controlling it. His eyes were narrowed to piercing slits as he watched her.
"Then I won't go with you," she replied softly. "I want your word that you'll abide by those conditions, William."
"I can make you go with me," he threatened.almost soundlessly, his lips scarcely moving. "With one word from me, you can be taken away from
England without anyone knowing where you are or how you left. You can be secluded, forced to live as I
say you will live."
"Don't threaten me, William," she said, refusing to be frightened. "Yes, I know you can do all of those things, but you'll be defeating your own purpose if you ever resort to such tactics, for I won't be
bullied. You do want a willing woman in your arms, don't you?"
"You damnned little witch," he breathed, pulling her to him across the seat with a iron grip .on her wrist "Very well, I agree to your conditions....... if you think you have the willpower to enforce them
can probably refuse any gifts from me without being bothered by it, but when it comes to leaving me we'll see. You're in my blood, and I'm in yours, and
my marriage to Elena won't diminish the need I have to sate myself with your soft body, my dear. Nor do I.think you could leave me as easily as you've
planned, for haven't you come back to me now? Haven't you just offered yourself to me?"
"Only my body," she made clear. "You set those terms, William. You get only my body. he rest of me stays free."
"You've already admitted that you love me," he said roughly. "Or was that just a ploy to try to trap me into marriage."
Despite the pain in her wrist where he held her so tightly, she managed a nonchalant shrug. "What do
you know of love, William? Why talk about it? I'm willing to sleep with you; what more do you want ?"
Abruptly he tossed her wrist back into her lap
"Don't make me lose my temper," he warned. "I might hurt you, Ursula . I'm aching with the need to possess you, and my patience is thin. Until tomor-
row, my dear, walk softly."
From the look on his face, it was a warning to be taken seriously. She sat quietly beside him until the chauffeur stopped the limousine outside her house,
then she allowed him to help her out. He leaned down and gave instructions to the chautfeur to pick
up his luggage and return, then he and Ursula went up the walk. He took the key from her and unlocked the door, then opened it for her.
"Can you be ready in an hour?" he asked, glancing at his watch. Our flight leaves at noon"
"Yes, of oourse, but don't I need a booking?"
"You're taking Andros's seat, he replied "Asdros will be taking a later fight."
"Oh, dear, now he certalinly will be cross with me," she mocked as she crossed to the stairway
"He'll have to control his irritation," said William
"Go on I'll arrange for Samantha and the pups.,"
Just Samantha, she corrected. "I gave the pups away while we were in Cornwall."
"That should certainly make things easier," he said, grinning.
Ursula went up to her room and pulled her suitcases out again. All of this packing was becoming monotonous. Carefully she folded clothing and es-
sentials into her leather cases, matching her outfit with shoes and accessories. William sauntered in when she was only half-finished and stretched out on
the bed as if he had every right to be tihere,
Surveying her through half-closed eyes
You've lost weight," he said quietly. "I don't like it.What have you been doing to yourself?"
"I've been on a diet," she replied flippant
"Diet, hell!" He came off the bed and caught her arm, his other hand cupping her chin and turning
her face up to his. Black eyes went sharply over her features, noting the shadows under her eyes, his. defenseless quiver of her soft mouth. His hand quested boldly down her body, cupping her breasts and strolking ber belly and hips.
"You little fool!" he breathed sharply You're nothing but a shadow..You 've nearly made yourself ill! why haven t you
been eating?"
"I was't hungry, she explained. "It's nothing to act up about,"
"No? You're on the verge of collapse, Ursula,".
He put his arms about her and pulled her tightly to him, lowering his head to kiss her temples. "But I' ll take care of you now and make certain that you eat
enough. You'll need your strength, darling, for I'm a man with strong needs. If I were a gentleman, would allow you a few days to regain your strength,
but l'm afraid that I'm too selfish and too hungry for you to allow you that."
"I wouldn't want you to, she whispered against his chest, her arms moving slowly about him, feeling
with growing desire his strong, hard body pressing to her. She had missed him so badly! l need you, too, William!"
"I would take you now," he murmured, "but the car will be back soon and I really need more time
than that to satisfy these weeks of frustration. But tonight-just wait until tonight!
For a long moment she simply rested her head on
his broad chest; she was tired and depressed, and
glad to have his strength to rest upon. Though she
had made her decision, it was against her basic
nature to go against the morals of a litetime, and
Sadly she realized that her love for William had not
diminished despite her bitter pride. She would have to come to terms with that, just as she had accepted
that, while he wanted he her and probably never would. William had planned his life and he was not a man to allow anyone to upset his plans.
Only a few hours later, Ursula sat alone in the luxurious suite that William had reserved, staring
about as if dazed. After their flight had landed at Orly, William had bundled her through customs at top speed and into a taxi; after a mad ride through
the Paris traffic, he had deposited her in this hotel
and left immediately for his meeting She felt abandoned and desolate, and her nerves were beginningg to quiver as feeling returned to them.
- Writer
