The Next Duke

Four

"No locks will be issued on any door, Lillian," the butler said. "His lordship's orders."

It was the following morning, Lillian had cancelled the trip to Stace Park and told her students to visit the University's library to create a family tree of the Rockholme ancestry. 

A peeved Lillian and a bewildered Matilda had put her bedroom to rights. Putting clothes away in the closet and the school supplies in the house library. Another library was remodeled to serve as the classroom and study hall. The drawing room or living room as Joseph had admonished was there to house guests not study sessions. 

She had found him on her bed lying next to her the following morning. His bare chest and sculpt physique was the reason why she woke up after realizing she wasn't alone in bed. She knew where she was and she was supposed to be alone. Her hand was placed on top of a broad chest and her fingers were next to his nipple. When she realized that, she gave it a good twist waking up the grumpy man next to her.

"What the bloody fuck!" he roared. He pushed her hand away and rolled on top of her. He glared down at her, his eyes were angry and he looked ready to hurt her. He held her hands on either side of her head and imprisoned her between his legs just in case she tried anything more damaging.

"What are you doing in my room? This is the reason why I demand locks in the bedroom." she shouted back. She must have had a little too much of a Herculean strength that she was able push him off her and managed to stand on her knees and he followed suit. She placed her hand on his chest again since he was too close to her face and she had to tilt her head back up. 

The butler and Matilda rushed into the messy bedroom and when they found the pair on the bed, the two gawkers had the audacity to blush as they saw Lillian dressed in an over sized man's shirt next to a shirtless Marquess. They were both kneeling on the bed face to face and Lillian's hand was still on his nipple. She wasn't twisting it anymore. In fact she was caressing it to alleviate the pain. And his nipple wasn't the only thing that was reacting to her touch.

"You might want to let go me, now." Joseph said hoarsely. 

Lillian followed her hand and turned red. She immediately let go of his nipple and jumped off the bed. She landed on the floor next to the set of shoes she had put aside. "No locks," Joseph said as he got off the bed and went to his room using the same passage.

Now Lillian finished cleaning her room and was disgruntled as she saw several pairs of gowns and shoes that will kill her feet in ten minutes. She had to wonder, though where had it all come from. She glanced at her watch and realized the butler wasn't going to budge. No locks, it had been that way since the house was made.

"Then move me to another room," she demanded.

"Your clothes will not fit in the closet, and besides, wouldn't it be too much for you to have two rooms? You are just a hired researcher. You are not a peer." Joseph said as he joined her for breakfast.

She narrowed her eyes at him and grumbled, "Whose bright idea was it to fill my closet?" her appetite gone. She decided to just leave him, he had the audacity to sit across from her has he read the papers. 

He looked at her, there was a mean look in his eyes. "You're not allowed to leave the table. Your plate is still full and I am here."

"Why do I have to endure your glorious presence during my breakfast?" she ground out.

"Many women have complained that they do not see my face the morning after. You should consider yourself lucky you're living with me," he said trying to seduce the obstinate woman.

She gave him a you've-got-to-be-kidding-me-look and remained quiet until they both finished breakfast.

For the rest of the week, Lillian avoided Joseph like the black plague. She wanted him gone from her presence. He was in her way every step of the way. At leas this time he had the grace to stay away from her bedroom although she knew he was there at times since she blocked the closet door many times with the bedside table and each morning she would find it next to her bed, in the same place where she took it.