Adam ran his hands through her hair, trying his best to pull out the grass tangled within it. Dynasty stayed silent, she felt, strangely relaxed. Content. Sated.
Her limbs felt weightless. Her body felt as if it were floating above the ground. Her eyes were half open, half closed. She was tired. Worn out.
"Come on princess. Do you think you can stay awake until we get back?" He asked her as he lead her to his horse, sitting her on top of it.
She mumbled a slurred ,'Uh huh.'
He hopped onto the horse behind her and guided the horse back toward the stable. She was settled comfortably against his chest, her heart beating leisurely in her chest. The stable boy walked over to them and waited patiently as Adam pulled her from the horse.
He placed a hand at her back and gently coaxed her forward. Her steps were slow and uneven. He pulled the door open and guided her through it, wrapping an arm around her waist as he lead her up the stairs. She leaned against him as they went, heading straight for her bedroom.
He walked her into it, swiftly pulling the bed's comforter down and depositing her onto the bed. He removed her slippers before swinging her feet onto the bed and slowly pulling the comforter across her body. Her hair fell like a halo across her pillow, her eyes staring up at him lazily.
"Get some sleep, princess." He said as he turned to leave. She reached out and grabbed at his coat tail, stopping him.
He turned toward her, giving her a curious smile. Her eyelids drooped sleepily. Her lips parted and for the first time she graced him with a smile. His eyes widened and his heart leapt. He thought her pretty before but with a smile on her face he had no words for her radiance.
"I don't hate you." She whispered as her eyes closed.
His smile faded away and his stomach churned. He should be happy. Yet all he felt was a growing sense of guilt. Good god, the girl really did have him wrapped her little finger. He scowled, raking a hand through his hair. He moved toward the door but stopped as he felt resistance, realizing that her hand was still gripping his coat. His expression softened and he wrenched her hand off of him. He kissed her fingers before gritting his teeth and exiting her room.
He walked down the stairs and headed straight for the library. He paced restlessly. His mind working a mile a minute. His heart was pounding, his head ached. It hurt. It physically hurt to know that this was all a game.
That he had come here, based on a bet. He ran a hand down his face angrily. He was angry at himself. He was angry because he had developed feelings for the stubborn little chit. He stopped pacing and sighed, leaning against the bookshelf behind him, knocking a book down. He reached for it, flipping the book around and scanning the page it fell open on.
She was no fool. She knew love for what it was. It was the single flutter of a sparrows heart beat. It was the beauty one saw when they gazed upon a weeping willow. It's arm reaching for a love lost.
She stared upon her love, her face contorted with the utmost pain as she cried. Her tears staining her cheeks. Who was he to toy with her heart? Who was he to teach her love only to make her skeptical of her new found knowledge?
He slammed the book shut and jammed it back onto the shelf. "Damn it." He muttered underneath his breath.
The library door suddenly opened and Mrs. Harrison walked in. In her hands was a novel. She paused as she spotted him, a smile forming across her face. "Hello, Mr. Hugh. How was the ride? That daughter of mine didn't do anything foolish did she?"
His heart slammed against the back of his rib cage. His mind replayed their 'ride' and he cleared his throat. "She was wonderful." He said as he cleared his throat again, averting his eyes from her gaze.
She nodded, smiling contentedly. "I'm glad. There's a dinner party at the Well's tonight and I thought it would be a splendid idea for you to escort Dynasty."
"I would love to escort her to the dinner party. It would be an honor."
She smiled at him, excitement dancing in her eyes. "Marvelous! I'll go and tell her the news! Where is she?"
"She retired early."
She tsked, "I don't know what I'm going to do with that child of mine." She said lovingly before nearly running from the room.
Adam resumed leaning against the bookshelf, his mind wondering a mile a minute.
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Dynasty stared at herself in her vanity mirror. Her new lavender dress suited her magnificently. She felt beautiful. She hadn't felt beautiful in a long time.
Half of her hair was in a top knot and the rest cascaded down her neck in curly spirals. She smiled at herself in the mirror. She ran her hands down the skirt of the dress. For the first time she was excited for a party.
"Come on darling. We don't want to be late." Her mother scolding from the door. She nodded as she slipped her feet into her shoes.
She wrapped her arm around her mother's and they headed for the stairs. Her eyes lit up as she spotted Adam standing at the bottom of the staircase. They moved down the stairs and their eyes met.
He smiled at her, his expression soft. He offered her his arm. She raised a brow in feigned surprise before wrapping her hand around his offered arm.
"You look lovely, princess." He said loud enough for her to hear.
Her cheeks colored and she lifted her chin, pretending his compliment didn't affect her. "Your sweet talk has improved."
He smirked at that. "Thank you. I do try."
They headed for the carriage. The ride was short and quiet. Though to Adam it felt as if they had been moving for ages. The silence was almost suffocating him. Out of all the women he had encountered, out of all the women he had shared a bed with why was it this one that he couldn't seem to get off his mind?
His frown returned just as the carriage stopped. They climbed out of it and were welcomed into their host's home. The dinning area was filled with guests. Many of them laughing merrily in happy conversation. Others gossiping in hushed tones.
Adam escorted both Dynasty and her mother around the room, saying all the right things, though inside guilt was eating at him. His eyes traveled around the room and he spotted Daniel. Relief washed over him. As Dynasty conversed with one of the guests he slipped away, heading for his best friend.
"Daniel." He said catching his attention.
Daniel smiled, waving him over. "Adam, how are you? Have you come to tell me you've lost?"
"We need to talk Daniel." His face was serious and Daniel's smile faltered.
"Of course, we'll go somewhere private."
They walked out of the dinning together, the room slowly echoing with chatter.
Dynasty listened to the woman before her talk and she suddenly felt boredom rise within the pit of her stomach. She had been excited only because she knew Adam would be near her. She sighed before excusing herself. She moved through the crowd, searching for Adam in the crowd. She spotted him just as he walked out of the room.
She pouted for a moment, realizing that he was leaving the room. Curiosity got the best of her and she slowly followed after him, moving through the crowd as swiftly as she could.
She moved out into the hall and paused, finding the hall empty. She frowned. Adam had seemingly disappeared. Just as she headed back she suddenly heard voices. She moved in the direction of the voices and paused. One voice in particular sounding very familiar.
"You're done?"
There was a short pause. "I can't continue. I feel like an ass."
"I get it. It was merely a friendly game. Does she know about the bet?"
"God, no."
"I take it she likes you know, huh?"
"I'm convinced she never truly disliked me."
"Still conceited aren't you?"
Dynasty paled at the sound of Adam's laughter, her feet dragging her toward the lounge.
"You know this was never a true challenge. I had already won right from the beginning."
"You kissed her that night didn't you?"
Silence followed that question and then a chuckle vibrated through the empty hall. She swallowed the lump in her throat.
"You had the poor chit wrapped around your fingers!"
The voice she recognized as Adam's sighed, "I woul-," his words trailed off as Dynasty stepped into the room. Her face flaming pink.
A bet? She had never felt so used...so tricked...so lied to in her entire life! She had given her virtue to this man! Regret hadn't even formed in her mind until now.
All eyes were on her. Her eyes stung with unshed tears but she lifted her chin high. "I knew I couldn't trust you. I want you out of my house immediately." With that she turned on her heel and walked stiffly out of the room.
Daniel paled, his eyes flying to Adam's.
Adam cursed before running after her, catching her just as she burst into tears.
He yanked her against him, wrapping his arms around her. She nearly gave in but shook off the feeling of comfort his arms promised. She pushed away from him. Tears shinning in her dark blue orbs.
"How dare you!" She gasped out. "Preach to me about believing in romance and all that nonsense when you...you were toying with me all along! You...you made me..." Her breath caught. Her stubborn façade disappearing behind the fragileness of who she truly was. "I started to..."
She cried into her hands before him. His heart dropped into the pit of his stomach and he reached for her. She slapped his hands away, her tears running down her pink cheeks. He didn't know what to say. What could he say?
Because she was right, he had tried to convince that love and romance were wondrous things, only to play with her fragile heart strings. "Princess..." He started but she cut him off.
"Stop calling me that!" She snapped through her tears. "You tore at my defenses, exposing me until I was bare only to break me!"
"It was never my intention to hurt you!"
"Have you taken leave of your senses?" She sobbed, her vision blurry. "You know what? You were right about me."
He stayed silent.
"I was courted by a duke during my first season. He was kind and gentle and I thought he was genuine. Until he told me he would never marry me, that he wanted me for a mistress because I wasn't pretty enough be his wife. I was so embarrassed. So hurt...I slapped him. But of course a scandal formed around my actions. Whenever I'm asked about it, I merely tell people he was boring and that I wanted him to leave me alone. I've never told anyone...," She clutched her chest. "All men are the same."
She turned on her heel and wiped at her eyes, sniffling. "I don't ever want to see you again."
*Oh...my goodness....it is getting REAL! Comment, like and share! Behind Dynasty's abrasiveness and stubbornness lay a fragile, heart broken girl. Wow...you never really know a person, huh?
Drop a thought!*