The Duke's Masked Wife

Breakfast successfully came to an end without Edgar doing anything to get entertainment out of making Alessandra nervous.

Rose suggested that Edgar and Alessandra stay a bit longer for Alessandra to become acquainted with the home as she will be here many times in the future for parties and special occasions.

While everyone walked ahead to go their separate ways, Alessandra purposely walked slowly with Edgar to give him a warning before he could try doing anything else.

"I swear I am going to bite you if you don't stop," Alessandra gave him a warning.

"Really? Do it here," Edgar showed the perfect spot on his chest.

Alessandra narrowed her eyes not knowing what to make of Edgar's response. "Have you no shame?" She asked in the end.

"None."

"Right. I forgot who I was speaking to. There is absolutely no way your grandmother did not think we were fooling around under the table," said Alessandra.

"She's enjoying seeing us together to care about what we are doing. I think we added a few years to her life now that she has met my wife. What are you doing?" Edgar asked after he tried to touch Alessandra but she stepped back to get away from him.

"After the stunt you pulled a moment ago, why would I allow you to touch me? I am going to stay clear of you for the rest of our time here. I won't embarrass myself in front of your grandmother," Alessandra cautiously took a step back as Edgar took a step toward her.

"I don't think so," Edgar disagreed with him not being able to touch her. While she was embarrassed by him touching her leg, he found it to be entertaining. He was so used to reaching out to touch her that being told no was something he disliked hearing. "Alessandra, do not run away from me."

"No," Alessandra continued to walk away from him. There needed to be some distance between them after what he just did. "If that was to get back at me for last night, that was not fair. I did what I did when it was just the two of us. You are going to mess up my first time here."

"Mess up? My grandmother does not warm up to people easily but she has taken a liking to you already. You can stop trying to make her like you," said Edgar. There was nothing more Alessandra had to do to be liked.

"Honestly, it feels like she does not like me, she just likes the fact that you are now married. I want your grandmother to get to know me and care for me outside of being in your life. She won't be able to if I have to deal with you messing around with me. I will stay this far away from you," Alessandra waved her hand around mid-air to the arm's length distance she needed between them.

"I won't tease you again so come here," Edgar once again reached out for her.

"No," Alessandra stepped away. She quickly walked off to look for the garden Rose was telling her there were beautiful flowers she should see. Alessandra picked up her pace as she heard Edgar right behind her. "What is it with you touching me? Should I buy you a doll to satisfy your need to touch something?"

Knowing how to get her to stop walking away, Edgar said, "How unfair is that you got to touch me as you wanted last night-"

His sentence was cut off as Alessandra turned around and covered his mouth with her hand to silence him. Having her within his reach, Edgar wrapped one hand around her waist and pulled her right against him.

"I bet you're regretting what you did last night. Your husband is a petty man and I won't let you get off easily after what I felt last night. I won't apologize for taunting you under the table because that's just the beginning. You have to deal with what you caused."

"I already told you the first kiss was something that happened between me and a young boy. You cannot be upset about that when you have kissed and slept with many women. I am not upset about those things," Alessandra replied.

"It's not the kiss I am upset about. It's the way you got me riled up only to turn on your side and pretend like it is time for you to sleep. You have no idea how hard it was for me to calm down my thoughts Alessandra and I will make you feel the same way. Tell me, can I roam your body with my hands just as you did to me last night?" Edgar asked, then waited for how she would respond to this.

Alessandra opened her mouth to speak but then closed it as what she wanted to say would make her a hypocrite. She wanted to say he could not touch her but it was not fair after how far she had gone last night to tease him. He should be able to do that much to get back to her. "Only if you behave now. I will let you touch me as you please when we return," she replied.

Expecting that she would have been stubborn and not go along with him being able to touch her, Edgar was pleasantly surprised. "So as long as I don't kiss you, I can touch you all I want?" He questioned to see what was the limit. Edgar was unable to hide the smile making an appearance on his face.

"I get the feeling you and I are thinking about the same thing. I meant you are allowed to touch me just as I touched you last night. Nothing more than that, Edgar. I was appropriate with how I touched you last night. You cannot… You cannot," she gave up and rested her head against Edgar's shoulder to hide her blush. "Why must you do this to me, Edgar? How fun can this truly be for you?"

"Well, you are one of the few women to ever amused me and I am not referring to lovers. You are quite amusing with your reactions, Alessandra. You only have yourself to blame for me wanting to do it even more. Like now," he titled his head slightly and leaned down to place a kiss on her right shoulder.

"How you shudder from me simply doing this. I find it to be amusing-Fuck!" Edgar released Alessandra and touched his forehead after she somehow headbutted him. "I should have expected you would have hurt me. I'm telling you it is something you enjoy. Should I buy whips for you? Is my head bleeding?" He touched his forehead then looked at his hand and luckily found no blood.

Meanwhile, Alessandra was panicking because of how hard she had hit him. The kiss and his hair tickling her skin as he bent down had caused her to bump into him. At this rate, she would be the one to kill Edgar, not his enemies.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized, deeply concerned she might have seriously injured him. "Let me see. Don't move," she stated after Edgar completely released his hold on her and stepped away to deal with what she had done.

"I'm fine," Edgar continued to turn away from her to hide his face from her. 'Oh how the mouse now chases the cat,' he thought.

It was funny how a moment ago she was running away from him but now she was reaching out to check on him. All it took was far for him to almost lose his head.

How could she be angry with him for constantly teasing her when situations like this came to him so easily?

"I need to tap a little water on my face. There's a bathroom over there. Come with me," Edgar took her hand and led her to the bathroom.

'I've fallen into his trap,' Alessandra realized where this was going before they made it to the bathroom. 'Is he going to ask me to kiss the pain away?'

Alessandra had been in this situation at least three times now to know how this was going to end.

She quietly followed Edgar to the bathroom. Edgar let her enter first and then stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

Before he could be in complete control of this situation Alessandra said, "I will kiss the pain away for you."

She noticed how his eyes went wide a little before a grin settled on his lips.

"Trying to be one step ahead of me? Go on," he urged her. It had been long since she did it the first time.

Edgar was never eager when Alfred would try to blow on his wounds as a child to help heal them faster.

"I'm only doing this because you wouldn't let me see where I hit you. This time-no. Each time I have hit you accidentally it feels like it is all your fault," said Alessandra. If he would have given her the space she requested, he would not have gotten hit.

Still, she felt bad seeing that there was a red mark forming on his forehead.

"This is the last time I am doing this," Alessandra said as she touched his face.