Rule's Bride by Kat Martin Read Free Book Online Page A

us.”
    For several seconds she made no move.
    Giving up a sigh, she eased back down in her chair.
    â€œYour father had faith in me,” Rule began. “He believed he was looking out for your future when he convinced you to marry me. Before my own father died, he asked something similar of me.”
    Her expression subtly altered and he knew he’d caught her interest.
    â€œMy father believed the Dewar family’s destiny lay in building an alliance between England and America. When your father approached me, I saw a way to fulfill my own father’s greatest wish.”
    â€œYou are saying it wasn’t merely greed.”
    He frowned. “I have money of my own, Violet. I admit I have made a great deal more due to my association with your father and the success of the company, but I wouldn’t have agreed if I hadn’t intended to uphold my part of the bargain.”
    â€œI’ve seen the quarterly reports. You’ve done a very good job with Griffin.”
    â€œThank you. The thing of it is, we are married. We have spoken vows in front of God and made promises to our fathers. I meant to come for you sooner and I should have. I can see that now. But the point is, we owe our families and we owe each other the chance to see if this will work.”
    And, of course, there was the provision in the wedding settlement that should the marriage not be consummated, he would lose his half of the business.
    She was shaking her head, stirring fine tendrils of flame-colored hair against her cheeks. Desire slipped through him. He forced himself not to think of her in his bed.
    â€œGive me a chance, Violet. Stay with me for the next thirty days and if, at the end of that time, you are still convinced it won’t work out between us, I’ll agree to the annulment.”
    But in order for that to happen, she would have to remain a virgin, as he was certain she was now. Rule was determined that would not be the case. Violet was his wife and he meant to have her—soon and often.
    He looked at her sitting there, her cheeks still a little flushed from his blatant perusal. Where women were concerned, he wasn’t a fool. He knew she felt at least some of the same attraction for him that he felt for her. He had a month to seduce her into accepting him.
    Rule was sure a month would be more than enough.
    â€œWill you do it? Will you stay long enough for us to get acquainted? I don’t think it’s too much to ask.”
    She took a deep breath, making her breasts rise tantalizingly, and he realized how fiercely he was aroused.
    â€œI have already given this a great deal of thought and my answer is no.”
    A thread of irritation filtered through him. He wasn’t used to being nay-sayed by a woman, and to think that thislittle slip of a girl— He amended that. Violet was no longer a child. In fact, he saw a lot of Howard Griffin in the implacable way she held her ground.
    It made him all the more determined. She was his, dammit. Whether she realized it or not.
    â€œI won’t agree to an annulment, Violet. Not unless you meet my terms. That means you will have to hire a lawyer. It will take months to settle the matter in court—to say nothing of the scandal it will cause our families. It’s 1860, Violet. Boston and London aren’t nearly as far apart as they once were.”
    Her pretty lips thinned. “You are that determined? How can that be when you had no intention of returning to Boston?”
    â€œI told you I planned to come—” Inspiration struck and he shot to his feet. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”
    Racing down the hall, he rushed into his study, drawing a swift look from Cousin Caroline, who sat reading in front of the fire. Searching through the top drawer of his desk, he drew out the ship’s passage to Boston he had purchased last week—though at the time, he wasn’t truly certain he would use it. Turning,