He looked up from his glass to stare into her eyes. His gaze burned a hole in her very soul. It was such a male look. Strong, intense, with a hidden message that she could not fully understand.
“You would really leave us?” he asked as he shifted on the couch to slide closer.
Ann gulped and nodded slowly. “I think it is for the best, Your Grace.”
He reached over and took her hand, folding it between both of his large hands. An energy traveled up her arm, making her entire body tingle. The man stared at her for a long moment then smiled that special smile of his.
“You will be missed, Young Ann,” he said with a soft smile. “I have come to enjoy your presence in my house.”
Her heart raced at the compliment as her cheeks grew warm with embarrassment.
“I do believe,” he said as he continued to stare at her and gently caressed her hand, “that because you have given your notice. You no longer work for me. Is that correct?”
Ann frowned as she tried to understand where this was leading. Why was he taking it so well? Did he really not care if she left? He had said otherwise, but perhaps he was merely being kind. The thought made her heart ache.
“I asked,” he said “if it was correct that you are no longer a member of my household staff. That you don’t work for me.”
Taking a deep breath, she nodded. A loss of everything filled her.
“Good.”
Her heart sank. “Why? Your Grace. Why is it good?”
His smile grew as he said, “Because, now I can do this without feeling guilty.” Then, he leaned forward and took her lips with his.
A momentary shock was replaced with an overwhelming thrill. Her body melted into him. She had no control. This was the man she loved. She couldn’t not respond. Without thought, her arms shifted to wrap around his neck and pull him closer.
Yes, she thought as his lips caressed her.
A burning passion began to flow into her. Filling her with need and strange new emotions. Everything about the man drove her to distraction. The manly aroma of sandalwood and leather. The feel of his strong shoulders. The way his lips took command of her. Everything was pushed out of her mind. Everything but this man.
Slowly, his hand drifted up from her waist to cup her breast. Without thought, she moaned deep in her throat. It felt so perfect. So right. Renewing her kiss, she silently begged for more.
He pulled the belt to open her robe, then once again cupped her breast over her thin shift. His thumb brushed against her nipple as he drifted kisses down her neck.
“God,” she exclaimed as she threw her head back in abandonment.
The Duke paused for a moment as he looked deep into her eyes. He is asking if he should continue, she realized as a sinking feeling filled her. How could she say yes? She would leave him tomorrow. Yet, how could she say no? This was her once in a lifetime opportunity to know true happiness. Even if it were but a night.
All she could do was nod. Her voice had left her. Reason had left her. But she would deal with those problems tomorrow. For now, she had this man and he was hers.
The Duke smiled, then stood up and turned to leave her.
Her heart jumped. What? Why?
He reached the door and pulled a chair to shove under the knob, then turned back and smiled at her.
He didn’t want to be discovered, she realized. Was it her honor he hoped to protect or his own?
A thousand thoughts flashed through her. Perhaps she had chosen incorrectly.
No, she wanted this, she reminded herself. She had wanted this since the night he had rescued her and she would not allow it to disappear.
“Please,” she said as she reached out to pull him down next to her.
He smiled that smirk of his before leaning forward and pushing her cotton shift aside to take a nipple in his mouth.
Ann’s eyes rolled back as she held his head to her breast. No sooner than she thought she could go no further, then she felt his hand pulling up her nightgown to rest on her thigh.
Yes, please, she thought. She needed his touch. Needed it more than she had ever needed anything in her life.
As if reading her mind, his hand drifted upward, caressing the inside of her legs until his finger touched her very core. Oh, the heaven of him caressing her, taking her higher. Pushing her to new and wondrous feelings.
“God, Yes, Your Grace,” she said as she once again took his lips while he continued to caress her.
“Brock,” he said as he pulled back and stared at her, driving home the point. “Never, Your Grace, at a moment like this. Brock.”
Ann swallowed hard, then his finger entered her and she was lost. Her world shifted as she became faint and filled with a dozen worries.
What of him? Oh, that felt so wonderful. Yes, there. Was she enough? Oh, yes, just like that. What should she be doing for him? Why had no one ever told her?
The thought sent a sense of laughter through her. Because no one ever thought a Duke would be kissing her in his mother’s parlor. Heaven knew she had never dreamed such a powerful, handsome man would be at her breast while he caressed her very core.
A wave of need washed over her. It was as if her fingers and hands knew what to do without being told. She needed him. Now. Here.
Her hands went to the buttons of his pants. Separating his clothes until she could find him and take him in her hand.
“Oh, Ann,” he growled as he threw his head back while thrusting into her hand.
The man was so large, and she was inexperienced. But it didn’t matter. She needed this man inside of her. Now. Every instinct told her to hurry.
“I need you,” she whispered as she pulled him towards her.
He smiled, that special smile of his. The one he got when the world was going his way.
“Your wish is my command,” he whispered as he dropped to his knees and maneuvered between her knees.
Her heart race as her body demanded him. Every part of her soul knew this was what she needed. It would be but for one night, but she would be able to go through life having known what it meant to be with such a man.
His strong hands lifted her and brought her to the edge of the settee as he positioned himself before her. The burning need in his eyes made her insides turn soft. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. It was as if the world had come together at this one point. This one now.
Slowly, he began to enter her. Just a little at first. Her eyes closed as she allowed herself to open for him. It was as if she were being invaded, filled with something strong and demanding.
He continued to slowly fill her until he reached her barrier. Suddenly his eyes opened wide in obvious surprise.
“Please,” she demanded as she wrapped her arms around his waist and tried to pull him towards her.
The Duke stared into her eyes then thrust through her barrier and filled her completely. Yes, this was the way the world should be, she thought as she pushed aside the sudden pain and replaced it with the sense of wellness and fulfillment that engulfed her.
He took her lips with his as he pulled back then thrust again. Ann was lost in a cloud of pure pleasure. Every fiber of her being was taking in this man before her.
Again, he thrust, and again. Each time pushing her higher. Each time sending a thrilling energy through her entire body until at last, she exploded around him.
Colored lights and buzzing sounds erupted about her as he thrust one last time before he grunted in release. Filling her with his essence.
“God, woman,” he mumbled as he collapsed onto her shoulder.
Ann wrapped her legs and arms around him. Refusing to let him go. Refusing to lose this wonderful feeling of wholeness.
Chapter Eighteen
A virgin. She had not warned him, the Duke thought. It had come as a surprise. The woman had lived alone for over a year and in a section of London not known for its adherence to propriety. Then, there had been her wanton willingness.
There had been no need to
seduce or convince. Young Ann had wanted it as much as himself. Everything had led him to the wrong assumption.
A guilty feeling washed over him. He should have taken more time. Made it even more special. The thought made him smile. It was hard to see how it could have ever been more special.
A sense of confusion filled the Duke of Bedford. What was it about this woman that was so enticing? It was as if she had cast a spell over him. Pulling him to feel things that he had never thought possible. What special powers did she possess that made him readjust his entire view of the world?
Was it her beauty? Surely, he was not that shallow to allow himself to be so affected by a pretty face. Her intelligence? Again, while obvious, surely that was not enough. Her grace and kindness. Or, even her courage. Perhaps. But again, it seemed not enough.
No. There was some hidden factor. Some unknown magic that pulled him to her.
He had come here tonight with no plans. No assumptions. Drawn to the woman just to be near her. And as a result, they came together in one of the most beautiful experiences of his life.
The soft moan in the back of her throat. The way her body went rigid when she exploded around him. All of it told him that she had enjoyed herself as much as he had. Relief washed over him at the knowledge that it had been special for her as well.
Reluctantly, he pulled back from her and stood up. She stared up at him as she bit her lip while pushing her nightgown down to cover herself. Obviously terrified at what had just happened and desperate to know what came next.
He smiled softly, then leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead.
“Don’t move,” he said as he left her to retrieve quilts and blankets from the chest in the corner. Her eyes followed him, obviously confused. He should have done this earlier. Made things easier for her. But he had lost all sense of control when it came to her.
Smiling at her over his shoulder, he laid out the blankets before the fireplace hearth, then pulled two cushions off the side chairs to place them at the head of the pallet he had created.
“Come,” he said as he held out a hand to her.
Her brow furrowed as she slowly rose from the settee, running her hands down over her shift. Even now, ever graceful. Standing before him, she raised an eyebrow.
It made him laugh. After all that had occurred between them. She still didn’t fully trust him.
The firelight behind her highlighted her exquisite form within her shift. Yes, he thought as he once again felt that burning need begin to build inside of him.
As he stared down into her eyes, he slowly gathered the shift and lifted it up over her head. Her cheeks grew pink as she stood before him fully naked. Her tongue swiped across her lips as she gazed up at him with a nervous expression.
God, the woman was perfect. High, firm breasts. A narrow waist and flat stomach. Hips that flared in a delicious curve. All of it pulling his gaze to the triangle at the apex of her long legs.
It was as if she had been designed to drive him mad.
Holding her gaze, he reached back and pulled his shirt up over his head then removed his pants to stand before her naked. Once again, she ran that delicious tongue over her lips as she slowly examined him.
“Come,” he said as he guided her to the pallet before the fire. She came willingly, shooting him a quick look of lust. He smiled internally as a warmth filled him. She still wanted him. She still felt the magic.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered as his hand slid down over her trim waist to caress her hip and delectable rear. The woman was soft and smooth like a nighttime breeze. The two of them stared deep into each other’s eyes as their hands caressed and learned. His heart raced as he began to feel the need build inside of him.
“Your G … Brock,” she began.
He brought his hand up to cup her breast and rub his thumb over her nipple. Ann moaned with pleasure as her eyes closed. The woman responded to him so perfectly. As if he was exactly what she needed in her life. It made him feel powerful and worth something.
“Brock,” she began again as she bit her lip and forced herself to concentrate. “About tomorrow …”
“Shush,” he said as he leaned down to kiss her on the forehead once again. “We will discuss tomorrow, tomorrow. Tonight, there is only us. Only our world.”
Her brow furrowed for a moment until his finger found her core and she lost all memory of what she wanted to discuss.
He smiled to himself as he caressed her, his finger finding that special spot that pushed her over the edge and into oblivion.
A small squeal of pure pleasure escaped, her eyes flashed open in surprise when he continued to caress her until she reached out to wrap her arms around his shoulders and cling to him as if he was a rock in a raging stream. As if she let go, she would surely lose herself.
This time, when she exploded, she leaned forward to bite his shoulder. Obviously desperate to stop herself from screaming. God, the woman made a man feel special.
He watched her awareness return as she slowly came back to reality. Only when she had fully returned did he rise to his knees, then guide her to kneel before him, her delectable rear brushing against him.
Ann looked over her shoulder at him, confused and a little worried. But when he slowly entered her, all concern disappeared as her head dropped and she pushed back against him.
YES. This was what he wanted. Her warm velvet encompassing him. Pulling him deeper.
He took ahold of her hips and thrust, over and over. All sense of the world disappeared. There was only this woman before him and a burning need to fill her with himself. He groaned deeply in pure bliss with each thrust until he could restrain himself no longer and exploded into her with a massive push.
A wave of exhaustion and satisfaction filled him as he collapsed to the pallet, pulling her down to lay next to him. She buried her head in the crook of his shoulder and wiggled in close.
Smiling to himself, he pulled a blanket over them, kissed the top of her head, and sighed heavily. Oh, how his world had shifted. A troubling thought of the future without this woman tore at his insides. No, that could not be allowed, he realized. She had become too important.
But?
No, he thought with fierceness. No. She was his and he was hers. Tonight, had proven that.
Sighing again, he allowed his body to relax as he closed his eyes and let the darkness engulf him. God, it felt so right to have this woman next to him. Fitting against him as if she were a part of him. As if she had been designed to do so.
Taking another deep breath, he pulled her close and allowed himself to fall asleep with her in his arms.
.o0o.
A cold draft flowed across the floor to tickle him awake. Sighing, he opened an eye to discover the fire had gone out and the room had grown cold and the floor hard.
Turning, he reached for Ann only to discover her not there. A bolt of regret and a hint of anger flashed through him. He needed her there. In his arms.
Lifting up on his elbow, he cast his gaze over the room. The candle had also burnt itself out, yet a faint hint of gray peeked through the windows.
No Ann.
His heart jumped. Where was she and why had she left him? A sudden panic began to build until he pushed it back down.
The chair was gone from beneath the doorknob. She had left him in the night. Again, why? He despised surprises. Life was so much harder to manage with constant surprises. But nothing had ever shocked him this much.
The last he remembered was waking in the night to discover her sleeping in his arms. Her face relaxed and composed. As if she was where she belonged.
Yet, this morning, she was gone.
Well, that was not going to be allowed. He was a Duke, after all. Surely that should count for something. Besides, he had wanted to make love to her again one last time before sneaking out of the house and back to his bed before the servants were up. But she had taken the initiative and left him.
Grumbling under his breath, he t
hrew back the blankets of the pallet and quickly got dressed. As he did so, he mumbled to himself. This wasn’t what he wanted. It wasn’t right.
An anger began to build inside of him.
Had she returned to her own bed. Perhaps she had been afraid of being discovered. Yes, surely that was it, he realized.
Be careful, he told himself. Her honor and reputation must not be besmirched. She did not deserve to be embarrassed by him stomping through the house looking for her. The servants would be shocked and appalled.
No, he must find her, but without making her life even more difficult. It was going to be hard enough maneuvering through the next few days. Being judged by other people would just make it more difficult for her, he realized.
Looking over the parlor, his stomach fell. It appeared as nothing more than a lover’s nest. A room configured for two people to come together. No, that could not be allowed. He quickly folded the blankets and returned them to the chest. Placed the cushions back on their chairs. Then turned once more to inspect every aspect. Only when he was satisfied did he grab his cane and hat. Taking a deep breath to calm his racing heart. He snuck out of the parlor, looking both ways to make sure he was alone. Sighing heavily, he silently thanked the servants for still being abed.
He crept to the front door, opened it, then slammed it hard before yelling, “White,” at the top of his lungs.
He had to give the old man credit, he was quicker than he had anticipated as the servant hurried from the back still buttoning the top button of his shirt as he simultaneously slid into his coat.
“Your Grace?” the servant said with a deep frown.
“Really, White. I am surprised. The front door was unlocked.”
Mr. White’s face drained of all color before his forehead creased into a dozen furrows. The Duke felt a small wave of guilt at accusing the servant for failing in his duties. But Ann’s honor was more important. If the servant thought he had spent the night in the parlor with Ann in his arms, he would spread the word throughout half of London.
“I apologize, Your Grace, I thought for sure I had locked it after Miss Parker returned.”
A Duke's Desire (The Duke's Club Book 1) Page 12
