Much Ado About Kissing (Howertys #4)

Chapter 2: Strike A Deal

Marcus stared at the open doorway his wife had just disappeared through. Rain might complain he didn't show any emotions, but beneath the surface, a storm raged. An annulment? Hell would have to freeze over before he would agree to such a preposterous request! To be granted an annulment, a man had to stand up in front of his peers and admit impotence; an inability to consummate the marriage. While they had never consummated their marriage, he had no intention for the world to believe him impotent. Rumours would spread like wildfire and he'd be the laughingstock of the ton. Even if he cared little for the opinions of others, that was one thing his pride would not allow him to do.

The idea of Rain leaving him made his blood run cold. He knew their marriage was far from perfect. Barely a marriage at all, if he was honest. But to actually want to leave him? She must hate him even more than he thought. The idea of her with another man didn't sit well with him. He didn't particularly wish to examine the feelings the thought brought forth, but he suspected it was jealousy. He took another sip of his drink. No, it was definitely jealousy. If he was a better man, he would have allowed her the annulment and the chance of finding happiness with someone else. But he was not a better man. He was selfish, and he still wanted her, even after all this time. Despite all the bad blood between them—he didn't want to lose her.

That they currently lived under the same roof—a rarity during their nearly two years of marriage—afforded him the opportunity to do something about it. What, exactly, that was, he wasn't sure. Romance and courtship wasn't exactly his forte. He still wasn't exactly sure how he had charmed her enough to get her to marry him in the first place, and it would be even harder now, considering she hated his guts.

Recently, an important list of former and current spies had been stolen from the War Office and it had yet to be recovered. The suspicion was that the agent who had stolen it planned to sell it to the French. It could prove dangerous for anyone whose name was on the list, as there were people out there who might want revenge. Marcus's name was on that list. He hadn't been a spy, but he'd been a code breaker during the war; cracking the codes used in dispatches and letters sent by the enemy. With no way of knowing when—or if—the list would be made public or given to the wrong person, he had moved back home, to his wife's great dismay.

Usually when she was in town, he would vacate Winterbourne House and take up residence at his set at the Albany. But he wanted to be close to Rain to ensure her safety. So he'd told her his set needed refurbishment. Whether or not she believed him, he wasn't sure, but she'd begrudgingly accepted his presence in his own house. At least their closer proximity meant he had a chance to convince his wife not to push for the annulment. He just wasn't sure how.

What he needed was a plan. A course of action. Step one... Making sure they stayed in the same room for more than a few minutes at a time. Then he would... What? He didn't have the slightest idea how to go about charming a woman, least of all one who would rather toss him to the wolves than be near him. No. He smiled wryly. Rain loved animals. She wouldn't throw him to the wolves lest they choke on one of his bones; she would mince him and feed him to starving mongrels in the streets.

He hadn't realised he was moving until he found himself standing outside the door to Rain's chambers. What should he say? Would she listen? The possibility of her slamming the door in his face was a definite possibility. The door suddenly opened, interrupting his chain of thought as he faced his wife. She jumped back, obviously startled to find him loitering outside her chambers.

"I beg your pardon," he said, willing his racing heart to calm down. Being near her always affected him. It had always been like that, ever since he first laid eyes on her.

"You surprised me." She brushed back a lock of her dark hair, bringing back memories of how soft it had been to his touch the few times he had kissed her during their courtship. Like dark silk. "Did you want something?"