Read The Devil's Good Intentions for Free Online

shoulder as he left the room.
    He had decided hastily that morning, while she was trying to talk him out of marriage, that it was in his best interest to tie her to him as quickly as possible. He really had her to thank for that speech of hers. Did she really think that he was like most men? He knew a good thing when he had it and knew when to let go and when to hold on for dear life. He had also decided that he would only tell her at the last minute that they were to be married that night. He was already on the defensive and didn’t want to give her more time than he absolutely had to, lest she devise a way to complicate things. No, a surprise attack was in his best interest.
    Again he was chuckling to himself as he headed back downstairs.
    ~
    Katherine knew when to pick her battles; this was one she would clearly not win. She needed clothing, thanks to her future husband, so therefore it would not serve her best interests to take the shears to the exquisite pieces she had strewn across the bed. She had never owned any dress so fine than what was laid before her. Even her under garments were beautiful. She had spent the majority of her time over the past two years wearing nothing but old tattered petticoats, now her over-bearing husband to be wanted to wrap her in a world of silk and lace.
    Knowing that the clock was ticking, she quickly wet a cloth and lathered it up with soap to give herself a quick wipe down. Choosing a misty pink ensemble that held delicate white roses woven into the material, the square bosom revealed too much cleavage for her taste but couldn’t be helped. Her under garments weren’t the traditional white cottons that she was accustomed to. He had chosen rustic pinks and yellows and gold silks. She wondered why he had not supplied her with a corset, but would not complain; truthfully she found them restricting and uncomfortable. Next she tried to pin up her hair, but failed miserably. She did not have enough pins to hold up her heavy chestnut mane so instead opted to brush and pin back her bangs, then allow her hair to remain down. She knew it was not proper for a lady to wear her hair in such a scandalous manner, but to hell with proprietary, the ton had shunned her when they caught their first whiff of financial set backs and for that she never wanted to associate with such vultures of society again. She was who she was and the rest be damned, including Lord Salvador.
    She tried relaying her anger to him again when she had woken, but he was back to his frustratingly calm self. She could have sworn she read amusement cross his features when she tried to lay into him. He was infuriating! Was there even a point to argue with him? She almost expected him to pat her on her head and say something like “yes dear…that’s nice now run along and play” or “I’m sorry I upset you kitten, allow me to make it up to you by attempting to look guilty”.
    She huffed at that last thought. Kitten, sweet Lord he knew how to press her buttons. Kittens are cute and cuddly, she however was not and resented that he thought of her as such whenever she was on the verge of wanting to scratch his eyes out.
    What the worst part was, when she initially awoke from her slumber, she felt his velvety voice wrap around her, making her skin tingle in response. She had eventually reminded herself that the velvety voice belonged to Lord Salvador, the man who had stolen her freedom from her, and then quickly had to hide her response to his handsome features before lashing out on him. The devil was a handsome man that could seduce her just with his voice; she had to be careful with this one. Men had always been easy for her to side step and ignore, but Lord Salvador was a presence of power that demanded recognition. What hurt was that if she had to be married, she wanted there to be love in her marriage, but Lord Salvador was a difficult man. She could try to make it work and was sure that once she was over the initial shock