The Duke's Revenge (3 page)

‘
Nay, go away!’ she cried
out. Nay....

She opened her eyes, her body shaking.

What had she just witness? A premonition of
her future?

Then she felt a strong, male presence behind
her. Her heart beat faster and louder--its drumming sound
intensified in her own ears.

She turned.

There, the very image
shocked her, sending her knees weak. He stood there, looking down
at her.
And why did he look so familiar to
her?
Then slowly she realized where she
had seen him.

Maximilian stared at the young woman
standing beside his bed. He fisted his hands so tight that his
knuckles turned white.

He wanted to throttle her. He wanted to kill
her. He wanted to do so many things to her that he didn’t know
where to start. All he could do at that moment was to stand there
and stare at her.

Aye, she was beautiful with her damn
heart-shaped face and generous lips.

His eyes roamed her, starting from her
small, black slippers up toward the hem of her pale, grey skirt to
her slim waist, up toward her breasts, and to her midnight black
hair. Her dress was old, and it covered her body like a nun,
showing only her hands that were clinching stiffly on the sides of
her thin, discolored skirt. He shifted his gaze to her face--the
face that haunted him every day and night. He thought time would
make him forget, and now, after eighteen years there she was in his
bedroom, staring up at him as if she hadn’t a clue as to who he
was.

Ivy stared at that huge, angry man standing
so imposingly in the doorway. Saint Nicolas’s teeth, she hadn’t a
clue as to who he was. He stared at her as if striping her off all
her clothing, and she was naked in front of him, allowing his
critical eyes to examine her worth. She hated the way he was
looking at her. It made her stomach ache with a feeling she did not
understand. The color of his eyes, she saw, was a deep sky blue.
His flaxen hair dropped down at his forehead which made him look so
forbidding that she shuddered inside.

He paced toward her.

Her knees weaken. She gasped.

He halted inches from her, glaring down at
her from his great height.

She tilted her head back to stare up at him,
for the very sight of him fascinated her despite that anger,
loathsome look he was giving her. Her head barely reached up to his
massive chest.

He was strong—he was magnificent—he was the
man in her premonition.

She placed her shaky hands to her throat as
she gaped at him in wonder, in fascination, and in fear.

“
What in God’s damn hell
are you doing in here?”

His stare sliced her soul to pieces. So
sharp it was.

“
I...I...” was all she
managed to get out.

Max stared into her eyes. He realized that
they were a particular kind of violet that even the color of
lavender itself could not fit their description. They were clear
and profoundly emotional. In that flick of an instant, he knew he
could read her every thoughts through her eyes.

My God, she was enchanting.

That realization knocked the wind out of
him. She was not striking like most of his past mistresses were,
but soft as nature intended for her to be. Lord, he wanted to touch
her--but he wouldn’t for he hated her because she had destroyed his
life!

“
I said what the hell are
you doing here?” he questioned her in a low heated
voice.

“
I, I...was just looking
round...” she whispered. “I’m sorry, I weren’t supposed
to—”

“
My lady, my lady,” Donald
called and then stopped cold when he saw the angry duke in the
room. “Err, your grace,” he said uneasily.

Max turned to the butler. “You let her in?”
His tone was soft but chilly.

Ivy shivered again at the mere sound of his
voice.

“
I, your grace,
err—”

“
It’s not his fault. I
came wondering around myself. He has nothing to do with it.” Ivy
bravely spoke though her inside was trembling like mad.

“
What do you want around
here?”

Ivy blinked. “I...” She tried very hard to
find an excuse. She could not possibly tell this ogre that she was
just there reliving her childhood memories. However, she was safe
from that trouble when Mrs. Price came in.

“
M’ lady, I was so worry.
You must come with me,” the housekeeper said breathlessly. She took
Ivy’s hand without looking around the room to see who was present.
She was about to drag Ivy out when she saw the duke standing a mere
foot away, watching them. She gasped and bowed her head.

Max looked from his butler to his
housekeeper with their heads bow before him. “I see that you’ve
safe a little rabbit and have given it a home.”

Silent.

Mr. Ross and Mrs. Price looked at each
other. Then Mrs. Price said, her voice low and submissive, “It was
me, your grace.”

“
I want her out of my
estate by tomorrow morning,” he said calmly.

Ivy bravely looked to him. She winced inside
once she saw his imposing glare. “Do not worry, I will leave now,”
she said, looking from Donald to Mrs. Price and then quickly moved
toward the door.

“
A snowstorm is brewing,”
Max said.

She stopped.

“
If you want to commit
suicide, Madam, do not do it in
my
estate. I believe tomorrow the storm will die
down, it will be safe to travel then.”

She fisted her hands, and without saying
anything, she left.

The room turned uncomfortably silent.

Max stared at the closed door and then
turned his attention to the housekeeper. “Who is that girl?”

Mrs. Price blinked and then she said, “She
is Lady Ivy Michael, your grace, my niece used to work for her
family up until a few months ago. She is daughter of Lady Grace
Westwood and....”

The very mentioning of
‘
Grace Westwood’
caused Max’s heart to ache in his chest and his blood to run
hot with anger at the injustice.

“
Mrs. Price,” he
interrupted.

The housekeeper halted in mid sentence.

“
I do not expect to come
home to find you and Donald,” he glanced at the butler, “to turn my
home into a shelter for the orphan. However, I will overlook your
mistake this time, but if you both were to do something against my
order next time, I’m afraid I will have to be harsh. You may return
to your duties.”

Mrs. Price breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank
you, sir,” she said and left the room in a hurry.

Donald nodded at him, said, “Sir,” and left
too.

Max walked to the window and looked out
across his vast estate. Outside in the distance he saw dark clouds
gathering. In an instant, the sky split opened, lightning flashed,
and rain and snow started to pour heavily.

“
Ivy Michael,” he said
softly under his breath. It suited her, he thought with a
smile.

So the Lady Grace Westwood had a
daughter.

His blue eyes sparkled
with hatred, with anger, and with something else—something
notorious
and
evil
. At that moment,
his thirst for revenge had never been so great.

***

It was midnight, and Maximilian was sitting
in the darkness of the drawing room listening to the wind howling,
rain slashing against the castle wall, storm thundering in the
distant and the tick-tock of the clock ticking away.

All around him was darkness except for a
small candlelight beside him, casting a golden hue on him. As he
breathed, a cloud of smoky air expelled from his mouth. The room
was cold, but he did not feel cold. In fact, he felt quite warm at
the prospect of what he was about to do.

He had figured out his
next move--a move to avenge his brother’s death. It was a simple
plan, and he was sure Lady Fate had helped him in it.
She
had brought him
the
ultimate
weapon—a weapon that would help him fulfilled his revenge.
And that weapon was the girl, Ivy, his enemy’s daughter.

He knew Lady Grace
Westwood love money and the social scene. He knew she love to mix
herself with the nobility, the people that rule the ton, for
otherwise she would not have rejected his brother—a man without a
future—and married an earl. He knew also that she would want the
same for her daughter. She would find her daughter a husband, a
husband
with
money and title. That was her dream! And what better way to
fulfill his vengeance than to crush her dream?

Aye, he would ruin the woman’s daughter.

The clock chimed half past twelve.

He smiled and got up.

Slowly, he made his way up the stairs to the
first floor. There his attention was drawn to a guest room where
his target lay peacefully asleep.

He opened the door. Silently, he stepped
into the room and shut the door behind him.

He stood there, watching her sleep.

Her breathing was slow and rhythmic. He came
to sit beside her on the bed. Slowly, he lowered his face toward
hers. He could sense her peace in her sleep. He could smell her
innocent youth, which his own was forever lost. And the smell of
wild lavender--so fresh and so intoxicating that his blood throbbed
with pleasure.

He lowered his face toward her cheek and his
nose touched her skin. She was soft and smooth. Then he kissed her
cheek very gently.

She stirred and turned her face away.

He didn’t move, and as she stirred, his face
snuggled close to her dark hair.

My God, she smelt
beautiful.
He was sure he was drunk
because of her beautiful scent.

He moved the tendrils of her hair from her
face and neck. Under the moonlight he could see her features. He
shifted his gaze down her body. Her nightshirt was a flimsy
material and the neckline had dropped over one of her shoulders
nearer to him. Her breasts rise and fall as she breathed. He
couldn’t help himself and so he lightly touched the tip of her
breast with the back of his fingers.

She stirred and sighed delicately.

He smiled. He moved his fingers and undid
the string at the base of her neck, removing the material slowly,
pealing the cover to expose her bare flesh. He sat there staring at
her breast and then he brushed his fingers ever so slightly across
her nipple.

She sighed softly.

Her nipple rose and erected like a rose bud.
He smiled and kissed her nipple lightly, just on the tip with his
firm lips.

She sighed and turned her face to his
side.

He moved his face toward hers and started
kissing her gently so that he would not wake her.

Ivy sighed again.

Was she in a dream? The beautiful feelings,
did it really exist?

Her body felt warm all over. The tingling
sensations were running along her body. The heat, she could feel
the strong, powerful heat on top of her. She felt warm fingers
touching her breast. The beautiful sensations increased by a
hundred folds. She turned her head to the other side. Hot burning
sensations were building up fast in her midsection.

She groaned.

The beautiful feelings were still there,
getting stronger by the seconds. Instinctively, she squeezed her
thighs together but the hot throbbing of needs kept building up.
She shook her head and came fully awake.

She blinked to adjust her eyes to the
darkness.

“
You are awake.” She heard
a deep voice near her ear.

She must be dreaming, she thought.

She looked up at the man before her in
confusion. Suddenly, she widened her eyes and gasped. “No, please
let go!”

“
Let go?” He imprisoned
her with his body.

“
Please,” she cried,
pushing her hands against his massive chest.

He only held onto her tighter. He laughed,
his voice echoing near her ear. When he stopped laughing, he moved
his face toward her and kissed her hard on her lips, his tongue
urging her mouth to open.

She shook her head from side to side,
thrashed her feet, and hit his chest.

When he lifted his head back, he stared down
at her in the moonlight. His breath was snatched away when he saw
how beautiful she was as she stared up at him. He lowered his face
toward her and whispered, “You wish me to let you go?”

She nodded her head furiously.

“
And yet you come into my
house? Isn’t that an invitation, Ivy?” he asked softly.

“
Please,” she cried, “I
did not mean to sneak into your house, your grace. I...I just need
a place to stay for a while before I leave.”

“
Leave? Where to, may I
ask?” He moved his fingers to caress her cheek.

“
I will leave, is that not
what you want?” she said, staring up at him.

“
Aye, I wish you out of my
house, and I do intent to know what will become of you.” His
fingers moved lower to her throat.

“
I believe that is none of
your business.”

“
Ah, that is where you are
wrong, Ivy. It
is
my business. Now tell me, where do you intent to
go?”

“
To Bath.”

“
Bath, is it?” he said,
smiling down at her, and his fingers were still caressing her
skin.

Ivy’s body shook, and she tried to push him
away. He wouldn’t let her go, however, and his fingers were now
stroking her cleavage.