Deceived 29

Chapter 29

***

Blair stared intently at Edmund for a moment before nodding and stepping inside. Even then, she seemed conscious of entering a space inhabited solely by a man, her footsteps so cautious it made him smile. He found himself wanting to see how long she could keep up that prim and proper act.

Edmund led her straight into the sitting room. He then took a seat opposite Blair at the coffee table. He handed her the contract he'd shown her at Regent Bank once more.

"You should probably look it over before signing."

"Yes."

The key clause to note in the nearly ten-page contract was simple.

For one year after marriage, fulfill the duties of a nominal couple with mutual respect.

Edmund would bear full responsibility for any financial losses incurred due to the annulment of the engagement with Isaac Doman.

Upon termination of the agreement, compensation would be paid to Blair, but Edmund would not interfere in any way with her residence, status, or use of property.

All clauses were premised on neither party committing acts of betrayal against the other.

Blair narrowed her eyes as she carefully scanned the text.

"Shouldn't the exact amount of compensation payable to me be specified?"

"Has Miss Twyford decided where she will be and what she will be doing one year from now?"

"No. That hasn't been decided yet."

"Then that section must remain vague. If you're concerned, I can specify it like this."

Edmund turned the document toward him and added a sentence with a practiced flourish of his fountain pen. Blair examined the amended clause.

It now included the condition: 'Upon termination of the agreement, funds sufficient to secure Blair a safe residence and livelihood based in Borsa (minimum 200,000 flans) shall be provided.'

Blair's eyes widened at the considerable sum. Two hundred thousand flans was an amount that could shake the Twyford family finances in one fell swoop, and it was a fortune her father had never touched in his lifetime.

"Are you satisfied?"

"Yes... though I'm not sure Lord Liberte will be."

"I wouldn't have started this if it weren't beneficial to me."

Blair stared at him, wondering how he could remain so utterly composed, then lowered her gaze. Facing a contract of a lifetime, her thoughts were clearly racing. Edmund wouldn't allow the silence to linger.

"Since we've come this far, I'll ask one last thing."

Blair lifted her eyes from the papers she'd dropped. Edmund continued, looking into her round eyes.

"If you leave now, I'll make it as if nothing happened. But if you sign the contract and take one more step inside, this becomes our secret alone."

"......"

"Are you prepared?"

In that instant, Edmund didn't miss the slight quickening of Blair's breath. The woman, who had been quietly catching her breath, stifled even her voice as if doing so would prevent him from noticing, then answered in a clear voice.

"Of course. My resolve won't waver."

Seizing the moment, she picked up the pen and wrote her name in the signature field. Then, with a look of triumph spreading across her face, she looked up at him.

"Is this the end of the contract?"

"Almost. The important part starts now."

The contract was finalized, but the gaze sweeping over Blair still held a lingering intent to probe.

"I'm curious."

Edmund pushed the signed contract to one side of the table and rose from his chair. He walked over to the display cabinet, poured brandy into a glass, and quietly observed Blair reflected in the cabinet glass.

"How prepared Miss Twyford is."

Edmund turned back, raised his glass, and took a light sip. More than the brandy flowing down his throat, the woman's sparkling gaze made him feel a little more heated.

"I'd like to see just how far she's prepared..."

That single sentence instantly transformed the air in the room.

"Can you show me?"

Leaning casually against the sideboard, Edmund slowly surveyed Blair from the crown of her head to the tips of her toes. His gaze deliberately lingered as it drifted down. She sat with her knees drawn up, shifting slightly as if uncomfortable.

Blair couldn't possibly be unaware. She knew what he expected of her—a woman who had been about to marry Isaac, and now had to pretend to be Edmund's wife.

The agreement was sealed; she had already signed. Blair Twyford had no need to prove herself. She could refuse his request and walk away right now. Any woman who wasn't stupid would know that.

'How will she react?'

Edmund traced the rim of the glass his lips had touched with his fingertip, locking eyes with her. Blair's chest rose and fell sharply as she struggled to respond. Her pale cheeks flushed peach as she bit her lip for a long moment. This woman, utterly unyielding, still tried to hide herself beneath the wide-brimmed velvet hat.

Edmund made no move to break her hesitation. He wanted to watch her moment of indecision linger. The longer the silence stretched, the heavier the weight of her own decision would become.

"Yes, I'll show you."

A resolute light flashed in Blair's hazel eyes as she answered in a trembling voice.

"If it is what you so desire."

The woman added, raising her hand to remove her velvet hat. She slipped off her silk gloves, one by one, as smooth as her unusually pale skin. As her concealed fingers emerged, the engagement ring on her ring finger glinted faintly. Blair even removed the jewel that had imprisoned her and placed it on the table.

Every movement was unnaturally slow. As if each gesture answered his question in its place.

Edmund did not interrupt that pace. He was even satisfied by it, wishing it could linger just a little longer if possible. That had been his clear sentiment until Blair pushed back her chair, stood, and walked straight toward him.

Watching her with a gaze stripped of all humor, Edmund finally realized. There was not a shred of hesitation in the woman's steps as she closed the distance between them.

Blair, who had come close enough for her breath to be felt, blinked slowly. She stared up at Edmund, frozen with his glass still raised, then reached out both hands to grasp his face.

That was the moment his steadfast equilibrium collapsed.

Seizing her straight neck, Edmund pulled Blair close and kissed her. He parted her lips and plunged inside in one swift motion. He turned his jaw, tangling their breaths, tasting her saliva. He devoured her like someone who had skipped meals for days, finally tearing into a lusciously ripe fruit.

The woman who had approached him boldly was instantly lost in the tangled breaths, unable to regain her senses. Her intermittent gasps were thick with bewilderment. Held in his arms, she had only touched his cheek with her fingertips, unsure what to do. Now, she cautiously moved her hands to wrap them around his neck. Even while doing this, her guarded attitude amused him, and Edmund slid his fingers through her hair. He deepened their union, sucking her breath away as if to swallow it whole.

"Ugh..."

Her startled reaction came belatedly. He paid no heed to that subtle resistance. His hand caressed her smooth hair, then slid down the curve of her spine. He thrust his tongue, almost forcing it in, and pulled her writhing body closer.

Without either initiating it, their breathing grew ragged. The intervals between their escaping breaths shortened. He pressed his lower body against hers, fearing she might escape as she arched her back, and kissed her with abandon. The warmth radiating from her felt incredibly cozy and soft; he didn't want to lose even a shred of it.

"Ah..."

A breathless moan, indistinguishable as resistance or invitation, flowed out like honey. The kiss was so sweet it blurred the line between them. His mind was consumed solely by the sensation that he couldn't let this warmth and response slip away.

Edmund was so utterly driven by instinct he'd forgotten what he'd even been trying to prove to Blair.