The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride

The servants stood frozen in place, struck dumb by the exchange, their minds wiped clean of their chores. Seth’s reaction was as if Cicely’s words held him at bay, his body refusing to move.

Cicely arched an eyebrow, retracting her hand to leisurely unscrew the lid of the ointment jar with her slender, pale fingers.

“Honestly, now’s the time I’d prefer you not to be obedient,” she muttered under her breath. “When you’re supposed to listen, you’re stubborn as a mule, and when you’re not, you freeze up like a damn statue.”

She squeezed a dollop of the pale yellow ointment onto her fingertip, reaching out to dab it on the cut at the corner of Seth’s mouth. The sting made him tilt his head slightly away.

Cicely looked down at him with an icy gaze, “What got into you earlier? Now you know how to dodge?”

Her mood was far from calm, her anger hardly subsided from the slap she’d delivered earlier. Even so, when she’d raised her hand to hit him, she’d consciously switched to her left, ensuring the blow landed on his unblemished right cheek, sparing the injury on his left.d2

“Cicely, I said I don’t need that stuff. Are you deaf, or just looking to defy me at every turn?” Seth turned his face away, rejecting her care.

Cicely’s grip tightened, the pain sharper, but she persisted in applying the ointment.

Pinned down on the couch by her, Seth could only tilt his head up, his eyes narrow slits of cold steel. “This is your last warning,” he growled. “Stop it and get off me, or forget ever setting foot in the Diaz mansion again.”

Cicely paused, her gaze dropping to meet his, contemplative.

“What are you plotting now?” Seth narrowed his eyes further. Her thought process was miles from ordinary; every time her eyes flickered, something off-kilter was bound to follow.

Cicely lifted her hand, twirling the ointment between her fingers, tilting her head with a half-smile, “I’m wondering, how did you threaten Danielle?”

Seth mulled it over for a second, reflecting on Danielle’s behavior that day, “Anyone’s smarter than you when it comes to knowing what’s worth it.”

“That just makes me more curious.” Cicely freed one hand, casually pulling open Seth’s pajama shirt.

suddenly, his hand snapping out to catch hers.

to your ears, but could you not chant it like

his chest. But then she frowned, looking down at Seth, “Could you

it was clear she wasn’t lying. His grip on her wrist slackened, and he glanced down to see the

a porcelain doll that couldn’t take a touch. Taking advantage of the moment, Cicely smeared a bit more ointment

imperceptibly. For years, no one had been allowed such intimacy with him. Yet, as always, Cicely had claimed

matter what he did, she

to blow on the spot she’d treated, intending to let the medicine dry so she could pull his shirt back down. God only knew her ears were burning like they were about to

before she could register anything else, she was yanked forward and toppled into the plush

face contorted with undisguised rage. “Cicely, you’re sixteen,

was still dazed from the fall. Regaining her senses, she leaned back, rubbing her wrist, and looked up with a lazy, sultry voice, “So, you’ve finally figured out I’m not a little

impatience and

“I haven’t finished with the

became menacing slits as he moved closer, stopping at a safe distance. “Is this your idea of affection, always opposing me? There’s a limit to self-indulgence, Cicely.

the obedient

decisions to make when faced with a

into

her lips, “Let me guess—was it tutoring? If she didn’t comply, was it all over? No more

face darkened. She had

nail on the head,” she said, her laughter low, “So that’s the kind of woman you men prefer? Someone who lets you walk around wounded just to stay

Danielle felt threatened enough not to touch you. But I must say, I’m not impressed with

without a fuss, and frankly, she wasn’t in the mood to drag it out. Squeezing the entire tube of ointment into her palm, she

up. And don’t think I’ve forgotten about you promising to tutor Danielle, or how you’re gritting your teeth through the pain just to keep that promise. That’s still hanging in the air

only to the extent of your current distance with Danielle. If either of you steps over the

been truly smitten or had a whirlwind romance. If a decent

think this threat sounds

into a smile. “Do you think this is a