Chapter 20 - 20: Granting Demand

Evan rushes to his bedroom. At the door, a maid informs him that Avery is sleeping. She is curled up in the duvet, and the bulky fabric disguises the shape of her body. Blonde curly hair spills across the pillow. Her curly eyelashes flicker and tremble. Her fair neck and delicate collar bone peek out from beneath the duvet. Evan feels desire pumping through his blood.

"She used to be like a soulless puppet," Evan thinks, "But now she's found one—God knows where she got it—and she seems determined to challenge, annoy, and humiliate him."

He wants nothing more than to conquer her. She m.o.a.ns and tosses in her sleep. Her face, buried deep in the pillow, turns toward him. Her cheeks are unusually red and she murmurs something. Evan leans down, and her boiling hot breath blows across his ear.

"Just let me go, let me leave," she m.o.a.ns.

He frowns. Does she even dream of leaving him? In the past, he couldn't get rid of her no matter how he tried, but now she looks for every possible opportunity to leave him. What did the hell happen? His curiosity about her is out of control.

He reaches out to touch her forehead and frowns harder. The skin feels scorching hot under his palm. He presses the bell and calls for Dr. Walter.

David takes a look at the thermometer, "She has a high fever," he confirms, "It's 39.2 degrees Celsius. Over-excitement from the drug and the cold bath may have caused it. I'll prescribe something for her."

David stands awkwardly after writing the prescription. Avery is sleeping with her hands in the quilt. He wants to check her pulse, but he needs to touch her hand for that. He's not sure how Evan will react to a request to touch his wife.

"I have to—"

"Go find me a nurse," Evan interrupts, "And make yourself scarce."

Evan wraps the blankets protectively around Avery as if to defend his territory. Avery is uncomfortable under the heat of the blankets and throws them off. David runs out of the room, afraid he'll accidentally see some part of her he's not supposed to see. Evan seems jealous enough to gouge his eyes out.

Evan sits on the bed and watches Avery sleep fitfully. Finally, Avery hums and struggles to open her eyes. She sees a familiar figure leaning over her.

"What are you doing here?" she asks.

"Are you feeling better? Does anything hurt?"

He reaches out and tries to brush her sweaty hair away from her face. Though she's quite sick, she adamantly turns her head away, avoiding his fingers.

"Yes," Avery complains, "It hurts wherever you touch me."

In spite of her illness, she's still as sharp as ever.

Evan grabs her jaw, "Can't you tell how ill you are?"

"Thanks to you."

If it wasn't for Evan, she never would have been exposed to the aphrodisiac and she wouldn't have had to take the cold bath. She buries her face in the pillow and tries to ignore her husband. But her stomach isn't as tough as her mouth, and it growls with hunger—she hasn't eaten all day.

"Are you hungry?" Evan asks.

"I'm not," Avery answers testily, "Would you please just leave me alone?"

"What a stubborn wildcat," Evan thinks. He's never been this tender with a woman before, but his concern seems to have no effect on Avery. Despite her fever, her attitude is icy. Evan rings for the servants and asks them to bring Avery food.

"I won't eat it. I just want to sleep," she protests, "You can show yourself out."

"You can go to sleep after you eat," he tells her.

He gestures for the servants to bring the food to his bed. Avery is too weak to feed herself, but no matter how the maids try to feed her, she refuses by turning her head away.

Evan's eyes darken, "Get out."

Avery and the maids freeze with shock. Terrified that Evan might fly into one of his rages, the maids run from the room. Evan rolls up his sleeves, revealing his muscled arms. He sits on the edge of the bed and grabs the spoon the maid dropped.

"I'll feed you."

Avery scoffs incredulously at him.

"Don't think I've gone soft," he says, "Grandmother disciplined you because of me."

Carefully, Evan fills the spoon with soup and raises it to Avery's mouth. She turns her face away in mute protest.

He grabs her chin, "I'll punish you if you don't obey me."

Evan stares at her and his eyes seem to change. Suddenly he grabs her face and kisses her. Avery squirms, but she can't get away; he'd held her tightly and she's still weak from the fever.

Damn it! Kissing her turns him on like nothing else. He wants to have s.e.x with her of course, but he wants so much more than that.

Avery feels his grasp on her tighten and she wonders if it's possible for him to break her arms. She can barely breathe, and she's almost choking with the intensity of his kiss. He pulls away just as she thinks she might faint. Both panting heavily.

Avery glares at Evan. "Why does he always kiss me like he's trying to kill me?" she thinks, "It's terrifying."

He drags his rough fingers across her rosy lips.

His voice is deep and hoarse, "I'll resume your punishment if you don't behave."

Avery curls her fingers into a fist. She wants to hit him, but she has no strength. She knows exactly what Evan means by punishment.

"Finish the soup and I'll give you one privilege," he bribes.

Avery's sickly face brightens with wonder. Has Evan suddenly lost his mind? Or has he gained a conscience? It seems too good to be true—he must be toying with her.

"Anything but a divorce," Evan adds.

"What if I want to go out whenever I want to?"

"No problem," Evan agrees.

"I hope you don't regret it."

"I never go back on my word," he promises.

He raises the spoon to her mouth and she allows him to feed her. She leans against the headboard, and Evan feeds her spoonful after spoonful. In the three years since they got married, they have never been so peaceful together.

Finally, she gently pushes the bowl away, "I'm tired. I want to go to sleep now, please."

Evan can't believe how agreeable she's being. He curbs the urge to smile and nods at her. He calls the servants to take the food away and leaves her to sleep.

Evan sits in his study and reflects on Avery. When Robert Tinder enters the room he's surprised to see Evan smiling.

"Sir, Miss Summer wants to see you," Robert announces.

"Send her in."

Robert steps aside and Leonie enters. She stares guiltily at her shoes like a child who has done something wrong. Her pitiful expression seems designed to arouse sympathy.

"Evan," she murmurs.

Robert assumes Evan wants to have a private conversation and he moves to close himself out of the room, but Evan stops him with an impatient gesture. Robert freezes beside the open door. Leonie grimaces with anxiety; she doesn't want the butler to hear what she has to say.

"Evan, I spoke up for Avery when Mrs. Howel was about to whip her. But Avery seems determined to upset your grandmother," she says, "You know how stubborn she is—she insists on agitating Mrs. Howel in spite of her age and poor health."

"Are you finished?" Evan asks coldly.

"What?"

"You can leave now," he says.

Leonie stares at him, shocked by his dismissiveness.