Seducing the Ruthless Rogue (30 page)

“Not at all.
 
In fact, I will join you,” the man said and led the other two out the door.
 
Mack was the last one to leave the room.
 
He glared at Cassie before slamming the door shut.

“Oh, this is too much,” the Prince said, clapping his hands together.

“Your Highness, perhaps you would be more comfortable with the other guests, in the ballroom,” Mikala urged.

“And miss seeing the mighty Stuart McKenzie felled like a giant oak?
 
I think not.”

“They cannot force me into anything I do not want,” Cassie said, beginning to pace the room.
 
“I will not marry that…that…”

“Scoundrel, rake, rogue,” the Prince supplied.

“Yes, Your Highness, all of those.
 
Thank you,” she curtsied before she continued pacing.
 
“He is overbearing, demanding, and irritating.
 
I will not allow him or my father to dictate my future.”

The door opened and two very solemn men re-entered the room.
 
A third, Cassie’s father, also returned, but he did not look as imposing as the other two.
 
In fact, if Cassie looked hard enough, she could see that smirk once more.
 
Cassie felt Mikala’s arm around her once more, holding her tightly.

“It has been settled, Cassie.
 
You and McKenzie will be married in three week’s time.
 
That will allow time for the banns to be read.”

“Nonsense,” the Prince said.

“Thank you, Your Highness, at least someone is seeing reason.
 
I will not marry that man.”

“Since this is all very sudden, we can apply to the archbishop for a special license.
 
Mack and Miss Graham can be married before the week is out.
 
Feel free to drop my name.”

“What?” Cassie’s head snapped around to ogle the Prince Regent as if he were mad.
 
“I thought you were on my side, Your Highness.”

“You were caught in a situation of sorts, my dear.
 
These types of things must be dealt with before talk spreads.”

“Who will talk, Your Highness?
 
There are only the six of us present.”
 
Cassie looked horrified when she saw the twinkle in the prince’s eye.
 
“You wouldn’t, Your Highness.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, my dear.
 
Mack, this one is going to lead you on a merry chase.”
 
The Prince chuckled.
 
“Now, I believe I will return to the dancing.”
 
He winked at Cassie.

“Bloody damn owl,” Cassie muttered.

“What was that?” the Prince queried, a scowl on his face.

“I saw an owl this afternoon before the sun had set.” The man roared with laughter.
 
“Your Highness, I do not see how that is in the least funny.”

“Oh, my dear girl, I don’t know if it is funnier that you bring it up, or that you believe in such silly superstition with scientists as parents.”

“I have to blame someone or something, and
he
,” she pointed a finger at Mack, “argues back, whereas an owl cannot.”
 
At that moment, the hoot of an owl could be heard faintly in the room.
 
“I want a gun, now!”

“I must return to the ball,” Prinny said, still chuckling.
 
“You are quite an original, Miss Graham.
 
Don’t ever change.”
 
The Prince paused at the door and looked back into the room.
 
“By the way, I expect to be named as godfather to your first child.”

“You can’t be serious?” Cassie asked the royal, completely befuddled by this announcement.

“Oh, I am completely serious,” he said before leaving the room.

“He is going to go and announce this to the entire group, isn’t he?”
 
Anger roiled through Cassie’s blood.
 
“His Highness is going to go in there,” she pointed towards the ballroom, “and tell the group at large that we were caught in an intimate situation, and now we will be married.
 
Do you know how much I hate you, right now, Director McKenzie?
 
Why couldn’t you have just left me alone?
 
And you!” She turned on her father.
 
“I have always been there for you, why have you chosen to turn on me like this?
 
What did I do that was so wrong?”

“Gentlemen, could you leave us alone?” Mikala asked the men.
 
Hawkescliffe left willingly, knowing that his wife could calm the other woman down.
 
Her father looked hurt and unsure for the first time since opening the study door.
 
Mack looked like a man about to explode, but he did as requested.
 
There would be time enough for arguments later.

“Mikala, nothing you can say will convince me to marry him.”

“I don’t have to convince you.
 
It is going to happen regardless of your wishes.”

“You don’t understand.
 
I have dreams that I want to fulfill.
 
I enjoy not having to answer to anyone, being independent.”

“You have no one to answer to?
 
What about your father?”

“Papa never questions me.
 
I only tell Chang where I will be so that he doesn’t worry overly much.
 
He is a bit of a mother hen.
 
Otherwise, I come and go as I please.
 
I need no one’s permission to live the life I lead.”

“I’m afraid that is going to change for you,” Mikala said.

“How can you have any idea what is about to change for me?” Cassie stood and began pacing once more.

“A few years ago, I found myself in a similar situation.”

Cassie rounded on the other woman.
 
“Oh, ho, what is this?
 
Let’s have a good laugh at Cassie’s expense?
 
I very much doubt that you, a duchess, have lived through something like this.”

“Stop it,” Mikala ordered.
 
“I am done listening to you berate yourself.
 
If you want to continue on, then go right ahead, but you can do it somewhere else.
 
You see, Cassie, not all of us started out being in love.
 
Nor did we all have the perfect relationship, especially Hawke and me.
 
I had loved him growing up, but it was a childish fantasy.
 
Then he came into the title and was on the search for the perfect duchess.
 
I was not that person.
 
I was not even titled.
 
My brother, his best friend, had inherited the title from an uncle on our mother’s side.”

“I don’t see what your point is.”

“Gabe and I were forced into a marriage.
 
We were caught in a situation, where he was really saving my life, but to others looking on it appeared to be something else entirely.
 
It was turbulent at the beginning.
 
I would be lying if I said we no longer had our rows.
 
But somehow, we found our love for each other, and we have made it work.
 
I don’t know what I would do without him, and he feels the same for me.
 
Love comes when you least expect it.”

“Let’s get one thing straight.
 
I
do not
, nor will I
ever
, love Stuart McKenzie.
 
He is overbearing, rude, and a tyrant.
 
I refuse to be trapped in a loveless marriage to a bastard like him.”

***

Mack had been standing on the other side of the door, patiently waiting to speak to his betrothed.
 
He wanted to talk her down from her anger, to try to explain that if perhaps she gave him a chance, he could talk to her father and Prinny.
 
Explain to the men that nothing had happened, and they could each go on with their lives.

Then he had heard her call him a bastard, and he had seen red.
 
So she didn’t want to marry him because of his birth.
 
She had somehow found out his sordid past, though it would be easy enough.
 
Mack had been hinting at it enough times, though she had seemed to remain clueless.
 
He still felt shocked that she would hold the nature of his birth against him in light of all the articles she wrote and the beliefs that she held.

Mack opened the door, and met the eyes of his future wife.
 
“Leave us, Mikala.”

“I don’t think…”

“I won’t harm a hair on her head,” he said so softly that Cassie had to strain to hear him.
 
He stopped Mikala on her way out, “Tell Gabe to be ready to make an announcement in a quarter of an hour.”

“Perhaps you should sleep on it.”

“I’ll show her just what sort of bastard I can be,” he growled and gently pushed his sister-in-law out the door before shutting it and locking it.

“You unlock that door,” Cassie ordered.
 
“Shut doors are what got us in this situation in the first place.”
 
He stalked her as he had earlier, but this time the look in his eyes held anger, perhaps a touch of betrayal, and maybe even hurt.
 
It almost had her wanting to take him in her arms and soothe him.
 
What are you thinking, Cassie?
 
You were just caught in a situation with him that is going to alter your life forever.

“So, you finally know the truth about me.”

“What?” she asked, backing up.

“You’ve found out that I’m a bastard,” his Scottish brogue was thick and she had to strain to understand him.

“I find you to be a bastard, yes.”

“Well, Cassiopeia Graham, you are going to have to bear the stigma right along with me for the rest of your life.
 
I had promised myself not to do that to a woman.
 
Not to force her to have to live with my heritage, but you’ve asked for it.
 
You will forever be tied to the ‘The Scottish Bastard’, and you
will
do as I say.
 
If I tell you to quit writing, you’ll stop.
 
If I tell you not to leave our house, you will stay put.
 
If I give you an order you will do it.
 
Do you ken?”

“No, I do not.
 
I’ll not give anything up for the likes of you. I’ll not give up my dreams and my livelihood.
 
You will have to lock me away in a prison before I follow any dictates you attempt to force upon me.”

“That is your choice, Cassie darlin’.”
 
Mack backed her into a corner, where she could not run without his catching her and bringing her right back.
 
“But I can guarantee you one thing, you will be mine.
 
You will be the wife of ‘The Scottish Bastard’ whether you like it or not.”
 

Cassie looked at him as if he had lost his mind.
 
What had happened to the teasing and playful Mack?
 
Even when he had told her to quit writing the articles before, it had not been with this degree of anger.
 
He had not even seemed to truly care if she quit or not.
 
It had been more of a suggestion that he felt the need to share with her.
 
He had seemed to be telling her that someone was willing to go to great lengths to stop her from writing those articles.
 
This man was quite different.
 
This man had a darkness inside him.
 

“Who are you?” Cassie asked on a whisper.

“Exactly who you think I am.
 
The bastard that has ruined your life.”
 
He swooped down and plundered her mouth.
 
This kiss was not tender and teasing like before.
 
Mack kissed her as if he were ravenous, and she were his life force.
 
He pulled her against him, crushing her in his hold.

A knock sounded on the door.
 
Cassie tried to push him away, but his arms were locked about her so tightly, she could not even catch her breath.
 
He continued to kiss her, not noticing that her struggles were becoming weak.
 
Mack barely noticed when she quit meeting the parries and thrusts of his tongue.

“Dammit, kiss me back,” he growled, looking at her.

“Can’t,” she whispered and her eyelids fluttered.

“Cassie?” He loosened his grip, just as he heard an impatient knock on the door.
 
Cassie took a deep breath and felt her lungs fully re-inflate after having been deprived momentarily of oxygen.
 
“Are you all right?”
 
Mack asked, concerned.

“Yes.”

“I never meant…
 
Cassie, it was not my intention…”
 
A loud knock broke into his words.

“I think you should let in whoever is at the door.”