Alpha Aiden had lain awake all night, hardly sleeping, but this time it was different, worse. Never had he made reckless decisions based on his emotions. His mind conflicted with uncertainties. Was making a proposal to a common thief reasonable and sane? The deal he had proposed to Amber Aisling weighed heavily on his mind all through the night. Was he driven by a desire to prove a point, to assert his dominance over this stubborn, wild, and strange woman?
No.
He pushed aside the doubts, telling himself that he wasn't one to back down. He had proposed the deal, and he would see it through; he wasn't going to look like a fool. Aiden needed this proposal to work. But he couldn't shake off the feeling that Amber Aisling was going to be more trouble than he had bargained for.
....
As he marched over to her chambers early the next morning, contract in hand, ready to discuss the details, he readied himself, putting on a serious expression. He pushed open the door, expecting his new adversary already dressed and ready for their discussion. He anticipated a verbal sparring match with the sharp-tongued Miss Aisling, with her wits and ill manners. Instead, he was met with an entirely different sight, completely taking him off guard; his eyes widened in amusement. She stood still in an awkward position, with a piece of bread lodged in her mouth and her hands awkwardly positioned at her back, struggling with the stubborn strings.
The pastry crumbled down, leaving a trail of crumbs on her chin, how quickly her freckled face turned red with embarrassment.
Aiden's gaze lingering on the humor of the moment.
Her hair was damp and the way her eyes sparkled with mischief. Her freckled face quickly turned red with embarrassment as her lips curled around the pastry. With coal-black hair as dark as the night, seemingly made of silk, her face was dotted with faint freckles on her cheekbones and the bridge of her nose. These added to her unassuming, innocent looks, alongside her bright, big, greenish-blue eyes that seemed ancient and almost alien, shining like gemstones under calm, sunlit waters. With her wet hair and no makeup, she looked unconventionally carefree and innocent.
Aiden couldn't deny her beauty, a quality he hoped their child would inherit, though he fervently wished it wouldn't also inherit her rough manners and thieving tendencies. She groaned, rolling her eyes, hastily securing her gown's strings before turning away. "Go away, you're ruining my morning," she snapped.
"No". His eyes drifting to the pastry still lodged in her mouth, "I must say you're not the most elegant eater I've seen. But I suppose that's part of your charm, isn't it, Miss Aisling?".
"You locked me up here with no food!", She snapped at him.
"You're not exactly trustworthy. I did arrange for breakfast to be brought to you this morning, and I can see you're really enjoying it", he pointed at the pastry.
"A sane person would knock before barging into a woman's bedroom, what if I was naked? I was still trying to get dressed when you barged in!"
He raised an eyebrow. "Knocking? I don't knock on doors in my own home." He paused, his face expressionless. "And as for walking in on you naked... well, given the terms of our agreement, discretion seems rather beside the point, when the sole purpose of our union is to procreate."
Her eyes widened. "You're a scoundrel and an ass."
His voice was low and smooth, taking on a mocking tone as he took a step closer to her. "Ah, you wound me," he said, reaching out, his fingers brushing against her chin, gently wiping away the crumbs. "I suppose I've earned that title," he said, his eyes locked on hers.
She pushed his hand away, walking to the bed to continue drying her wet hair. He strolled over to the table, pouring himself a cup of tea. "You're going to have to get used to my... familiarities," a hint of challenge in his voice as he perched on the table and took a sip from his cup, the duke's eyes never leaving hers. "After all, we're going to be spending a lot of time together when we're married."
Amber's eyes narrowed angrily at him. "That was my tea..."
"It's really good," he said, mischief in his eyes as he took another sip, savoring the taste, trying to vex her more. "I'm nice; I can share," he teased, his voice dripping with amusement, as he held out his cup.
She eyed the cup; her gaze fixed longingly on the steaming tea. "I'd never. I really hope it burns that nasty mouth of yours," she said, her voice laced with venom, trying to sound convincing despite her craving.
"Ouch," Aiden teased, smiling as he enjoyed another sip. His expression turned serious, and he put down the teacup, folding his arms. "We need to go over the terms of our agreement and make sure we're both on the same page," he said in a smooth, businesslike voice, his eyes narrowing slightly as he turned to face her. "I must say, I'm rather looking forward to seeing you play the part of my... wife," he added.
"Is that it?" She ignored his comment, pointing to the large brown folder on the table as she walked over to sit in the chair.
He nodded, picked up the folder, and handed it to her. "I made necessary adjustments this morning. You're to review it thoroughly before signing," his voice was serious. "In the meantime, I thought it would be helpful to go over some of the vital points of this contract," he said as she opened the folder, pulling out a few sheets of paper, her eyes scanning the contents. He continued, "Such as my expectations for your behavior while we're together," he added, his eyes locked on hers with a hint of warning.