"That was uncalled for." She spat, her eyes blazing with anger. She walked past him, went to the bed where she stood, and waited for him. Once he was in front of her, she said, "You didn't have to involve her in this."
"What? I did what you asked me to do," he defended. "In your words, I quote, 'Go ahead and ask one of the servants to assist you.'" He said, his voice unusually tiny. "That was exactly what I did. What's the problem?"
"First of all, don't ever mimic my voice. I am very sure that I don't sound like that."
"That's how you sound when you are angry." A small smile perched on his lips.
She ignored him and continued, "Secondly, if you want to involve someone else in your madness—"
"You mean our madness?" He interrupted her,
She ignored his interruption and continued, "Be wise enough to know who to choose."
"Yes, from the look of things, I chose the right person."
She paused her movement, "You did it on purpose, didn't you?"
Leofric's smile widened. "It was worth it, I must say."
"Damn you!" She removed his gorget, followed by his pauldrons and greaves.
"Thank you," He smiled. She was seething but remained quiet.
"Don't think I enjoy doing things like this," He broke the silence. "This is just the tip of the iceberg of what extent I will go to if you decide not to cooperate with me in this marriage."
"Don't use me as an excuse. You are a monster; just accept it." Finally, the breastplate was off. It was ridiculously heavy. Every piece of the armour was heavy. How did the big oaf manage to wear something almost as heavy as he?
"You are absolutely right, I am a monster, but that is all thanks to you." He collected the breastplate from her and placed it in the corner of the room. Without bothering her he managed to get rid of the remaining pieces. After he was done, he went back to the bed where she was still standing and looking at him.
"So, my dear wife. How did your day go today?" He asked, his voice light.
"Why do you want to know?" She asked,
"Ever heard of the word curiosity? Or is it a crime for a husband to know what his wife has been up to?" His question was followed by an eyebrow raised in a questioning look.
"No, never." She gently sat on the bed, eyes now fixed on the window.
"I heard you haven't left your room all day." He stated firmly.
"You heard right, Sir Leofric."
He sat on the edge of the bed. "I was hoping you would take a walk around the village. The villagers are dying to know you."
"Unfortunately, the feeling isn't mutual. I have no interest in knowing them."
Leofric gritted his teeth. He knew she was trying to upset him, and damn, she was doing a great job at it. "Is that the type of lady you are going to be your people?"
"What type of lady would you rather have me be, dear husband?" She asked mockingly, "Let me guess, you want me to parade myself as your wife and Lady of the castle."
"Is that too much to ask for?" Leofric's brows raised for more emphasis.
"Apparently, it is."
Deafening silence lingered in the room as the two stared at each other. Leofric looked away. "You really don't want this marriage?"
"Yes, I don't want the damn marriage." She replied.
"How about we make a deal?"
"What deal?"
"Give me an heir then we can consider your freedom."
"Can you throw more light on that?"
"What else is there to throw more light on? Give me a son then we can go our separate ways. It is as simple as that."
Isabella's eyes widened before it narrowed into slits, "So you are saying if I give you a son, you will dissolve this marriage?"
"Yes," Leofric replied firmly.
"How will I know you will keep your part of the deal?"
"You should know by now that I am a man of my word."
Isabella couldn't argue that point, but she was still skeptical about the deal. Why the sudden change of mind? He was so hell-bent on tying her down with the marriage. Why was he suddenly talking about giving her freedom? Was the man insane?
"You are not bluffing?" She asked suspiciously.
Leofric shook his head as his hand made its way to her leg, where he caressed gently. "I am not bluffing. I intend to keep my part of the agreement when the time comes."
Isabella reluctantly nodded, eyes focused on the window, deep in thought, not until she felt something crawling up her thighs. Shocked, she quickly slapped Leofric's hand away from her body, "What do you think you are doing?" She asked, throwing him an accusing look.
Smiling, Leofric said, "We might as well start trying for the baby now, don't you think so too?"
Isabella's jaw clenched in disapproval. She should have known the man was up to something. Agreeing to the deal meant no denying him intimacy because that would mean throwing away her chances of conceiving faster.
Seeing her calm composure, Leofric chuckled, I thought as much, sweetheart." He stood from the bed and discarded his tunic before joining her on the bed. "Do you need help removing your dress, woman?"
She glared at him, but that didn't stop the goosebumps that coated her skin when her eyes roamed his torso. She remembered how strong and good his body felt against hers on their first night. Was it going to be the same or different as they were trying to conceive?
"Stand." His soft voice drew her out of her reverie and without giving it much thought she did as she was told. How was she supposed to object when the man looked at her with such a heated gaze? She turned her back to him and he quickly unzipped her dress. Before she could make any move, Leofric hands beat her to it as he slid the dress off her shoulder, allowing it to fall to the ground. She didn't know which one sent a shiver down her body, was it the cold air or the fact she was bare in front of the man? Her breath hitched in her throat when she felt the man's warm lips on her bare back.
"Turn around, my love." He ordered softly.
Object! Tell him you are not his love! A little voice in her head chimed and she agreed, but before she could do that, she had already turned. Why was she holding on to his neck? To throttle him. Yes, that had to be it, but why were her fingers sneaking into his thick hair? Something wasn't right. Her words of protest soon turned into loud moans when his warm lips wrapped around one of her hardened nipples. She didn't think it was fair the way her body betrayed her when it came to Leofric. Maybe with time, she would be able to resist those forbidden feelings he aroused within her.
Lost in her feelings and thoughts, she didn't notice she had been moved to the bed with Leofric on top, just like the previous night. Seeing how tensed she was, Leofric smiled, "All you have to do for me is relax, sweetheart. It will be just like the last one. I know you enjoyed it more than you let on." Before she could let out a barrage of protest, his lips covered hers in a deep kiss, forcing her protest back into her body.
Leofric slowly broke the kiss, giving them space to breathe. His lips curled into a proud smile as he watched her hazed look. He even caught her looking at his lips. He knew that look very well and was happy he could elicit it from Isabella.
"What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?" Isabella asked in a whispering tone. The look was too intense for her liking. She cleared her throat, "When are you going to start?" Her cheeks flushed when she realized what she had asked out loud.
"Start what?" Leofric asked, his face masked in innocence.
"Don't make me say it," She glared at him as she watched the man throw his head back and laugh.
"Fine. I will start…" He drawled, "When you relax."
"I am relaxed." She let out a shaky breath as her eyes once again, flickered to Leofric's lips. Goodness, they looked as they felt. Soft and plump and so kissable. She shook her head to get her mind together.
Leofric pecked her lips and then moved to her neck. Her small mewls of pleasure told him what he needed to know. When he was done torturing her neck, his warm lips trailed down her stomach, eliciting a new fire in her. She thought she would choke on her saliva when his lips went lower than they should.
She didn't wait to see where he was headed with his ministration as she gathered the little senses left in her head and said, "Are you not supposed to be having a bath?"
Leofric abruptly stopped and moved away from her. "Is there something you are trying to tell me?" He asked, and he tried to discreetly sniff his underarms. "Do I smell that bad?"
Upon realizing she created the wrong impression, she rushed to explain, "No, not at all, no smell at all. It's quite the opposite." She wanted to smack herself in the head for adding that last part. She thought it to be unnecessary.
Leofric chuckled as he relaxed into the bed. "So, what exactly is the problem?" Just as he dropped the question, his eyes narrowed into slits as he watched her pick up her dress from the floor. He blocked her path before she could even reach the door. "What do you think you are doing?"
She licked her lips in confusion as she searched her brain for a reasonable excuse. "To check on Judith. She wasn't feeling so well this afternoon."
"Really? Are we talking about the same handmaid who was barking orders at my servants on my way to my room?"
"Oh?" She looked at him like a deer caught in headlight
"Yes, Oh."
"Now, get back into that bed, dear wife."
"And if I refuse? What want to do to me is formidable." Her eyes trailed down to the bulge in his pants.
"Then you will bear the consequences of whatever happens after. Besides, it is important to add that the longer you delay this, the longer you delay your freedom. So do well to choose wisely." He raised a challenging brow at her.
Her eyes darted between his muscular chest and the bulge between his legs. She was no coward. Why was she trying to run away? She would focus all her energy on her hatred for the man; maybe that way, her body wouldn't betray her that much. The man was an infuriating bastard who didn't know when to draw lines to his madness. She slowly walked back to the bed with her husband following closely behind.