Geek Girls Don't Date Dukes (31 page)

nothing he could give her, no provisions could he make

to ensure her happiness and well- being. Their encounter

had been a mistake. They had no future together, and he

must convince her of that.

But when he turned and saw her there, pale- blue

gown seeming to make her skin glow in the lamplight,

all his carefully chosen words dissipated.

“Tell me the truth, Avery. Have you been following me?”

She’d set her fan on the narrow window ledge and

had her hands on the curve of her hips. His pulse quick-

ened as her décolletage heaved with emotion.

“I have.”

She lost some of her irritation at his honest confes-

sion. “Why?”

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He took a step closer to her, drawn despite himself.

“Because there are evil men about, and you are an innocent.”

She barked a laugh, tilting her head back in mirth.

With that graceful column so exposed, he was sorely

tempted to taste her lovely skin. He did not.

“I’m about as far from innocent as you can get, dude.

I can take care of myself.”

He shook his head. “You mistake my meaning. There

are threats that you are unaware of.” Unable to resist

her anymore, he wrapped his arms around her waist and

pulled her to him. “I would see that you come to no

harm.”

Her arms wound around his neck. “Why do you care

so much?”

His kiss was the only answer he could give.

All his reasoning why they should not lie together

burnt up in the heat of that kiss. She pressed herself

eagerly to him, opening her mouth to receive him. He

groaned as he tasted the wet recesses of her, reveling

in the feeling of her hands wandering the planes of his

shoulders and back.

His erection pressed full against her belly, hardening

him further. The décolletage of her gown seemed to call

to him, begging for his attention. Who was he to ignore

such a summons? He pressed fiery kisses along her throat,

in the sweet space between shoulder and collarbone,

finally to rest his lips atop the swell of her left breast.

“Avery,” she whispered in a throaty voice. “I want

you too, but you have to promise we’ll talk afterward.”

“Of course.” He’d have promised her the moon in

that moment. Though he was not proud of his too- hasty

answer, it seemed to please her.

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Leah divested him of his trousers, eyes alighting when

she spied his erection. Her attention only served to

harden him further.

“You’ve missed me too, haven’t you?”

She didn’t give him a chance to respond before she

took him into her mouth. Her hot, wet mouth closed

around his length and his knees buckled. Gripping the wall

to steady himself, he threaded his free hand into her hair.

She took him deeply, throat working around the

sensitive tip of him. He never looked away. He couldn’t.

The sight of her beatific face as she moved her hand and

lips in concert was the most sensual thing he’d ever seen.

“Leah,” he whispered, “you must stop.”

At his words, she ran her tongue up the underside of

his shaft. A drop of crystalline fluid appeared at the tip.

Avery gritted his teeth to stop the flood of pleasure that

threatened to sweep him away.

He must regain control of this. Of her.

Gripping both her hands in one of his, he laid her back

into the sweet- smelling straw. She pulled against his grip,

but he tightened his hold. The way she smiled, writhing

and twisting against him was proof of her approval.

He kissed her deeply, mastering her mouth with

sweeps of his tongue. With his free hand, he lifted the

fine satin of her skirt. Silk stockings covered her legs, but he knew the fine fabric could not match the beautiful

flesh between her legs for softness.

She moaned her passion into his mouth when his

hand parted her wet folds. Her thighs fell open, and he

settled between them eagerly.

“Avery.” She’d torn her mouth from his, gripping the

length of his hair in both hands. “Please, please take me.”

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He couldn’t. Not yet.

Releasing her hands, he rose on his knees and lifted

her hips to his face.

“Oh God!”

Her cry was muffled by the yards of satin and lace that

covered his head. Her taste was as incredible as it had

been those weeks ago. He spread her petals wide, licking

and sucking every part of her most precious flesh.

Her movements quickened, becoming frantic.

“Avery, please!” Her high, thin plea broke through to

him, and he relented.

Entering the well of her body with two fingers, his lips

closed on her fluttering, swollen bud.

She screamed.

He held on as the spasms wracked her, coming

slower and slower until she stilled. He unearthed

himself from her skirts and smiled down at his beautiful,

dazed- eyed angel.

“More,” she whispered, holding her arms up to him.

He needed no second invitation.

Falling atop her, he kissed her mouth with all the

fervor he’d shown to her tender flesh only moments

before. She quickly matched his intensity, gripping his

shoulders and moaning as he probed at her entrance.

“Are you ready?”

“God, yes,” she cried.

He plunged into her, high and hard. They cried out

together as her warm sheath welcomed him home. Avery

trembled as he held his upper body aloft, hips moving

instinctively.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispered as he thrust.

“Leah, oh, Leah.”

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Her name was a litany, a prayer that was necessary

to his continued life. Her throaty cries quickened his

movements as he strained for that peak, for the both

of them.

He grew harder within her as her channel grew

wetter, more swollen around his length.

She buried her face in his shoulder as her pelvis moved

to meet his own.

It felt so wondrous, so completely incredible, he

wanted it to go on forever.

But then he reached between them to fondle her

swollen button. Her explosion took him along with her.

They came together, her body wringing every last

drop from his. He shook with the effort of holding

himself upright. He must not crush her, but he wanted to

remain there, sheathed in her warmth forever.

His world, in that moment, was perfect.

A nearby whinny caused them both to laugh, but it

broke the spell of the moment. Reluctantly, Avery rolled

to the side and gathered a panting Leah against his chest.

She pressed sweet kisses against his chest. “You’re

pretty damn good at this.”

He laughed. “You are exceptionally skilled as well,”

he said, toying with a blonde curl. “An admirable trait

for the woman I love.”

The admission surprised him, but once the words

were uttered, he was glad for their release. He did love

Leah Ramsey. She was altogether too headstrong and

impetuous for her own good, but she was also selfless,

caring, and compassionate.

His love could not change their circumstances, but

that did not negate its value.

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“Oh, Avery,” she whispered, and brought his mouth

down to hers.

Their lips had met for the briefest of seconds when the

creak of a door sounded.

“Miss Ramsey?” a young maid’s voice called. “Are

you here?”

“Hi, Muriel,” Leah called in a shockingly calm

voice as she smoothed down her skirts. Avery picked

straw from her hair as she continued, “Sorry, I was just

playing with some kittens I found in here. Go ahead,

I’ll be right up.”

“Are you sure, miss?”

Avery swept Leah into his arms for one last kiss. With

a regretful sigh, she pulled free of his arms.

“Here I am.” She left the stable with Muriel, not

looking back in his direction.

Once he’d dressed, he picked up her discarded lace fan

and tucked it into his coat pocket.

He’d tumbled her in a stable. What a common, lowly

beggar he was. But try as he might, he could not regret

what had passed between them. He could only resolve to

abstain from future lapses.

But that conviction, as he left the empty stable behind,

was shaky at best.

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Twenty- Five

Leah peered out her bedroom window as

unobtrusively as she could. Even though her bedroom

overlooked the stables, she never saw Avery leave. He’d

probably followed her out, high- handed, ridiculous,

sexy bastard.

Muriel picked pieces of straw out of Leah’s skirts,

her scolding comments about young ladies who play

with kittens in ball gowns going right over Leah’s head.

She was too sodden with afterglow to give a crap about

ruining an expensive dress.

Avery loved her. The confession had come in a

roundabout way, sure, but he’d said it all the same. In

a fog, Leah lifted her arms over her head at Muriel’s

command. While enveloped in the column of her beau-

tiful dress, a sudden thought struck her.

She hadn’t told him that she loved him too.

Well, shit.

He had to know that, right? She hadn’t had a chance

to say the words, but he had to have gotten the gist of

her feelings by the way she jumped him like a bullfrog in

heat.
Wait. Do bullfrogs go into heat?

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Muriel’s yawn startled Leah as her nightgown settled

around her.

“I’m sorry, Muriel. I didn’t mean to keep you up so

late. Go ahead to bed, okay?” Her swift hug must have

startled the maid, because she jumped.

“If you have all you require, then I shall see you in

the morning.” Muriel pulled away with a tired smile and

headed for the bedroom door.

Leah sank onto the edge of her fluffy, comfortable bed.

Muriel probably had to get up at o’dark thirty, just

like Leah had during her brief stint as a maid. It had to be

after two in the morning. While Leah had been wound

up in Avery, the poor girl had been stuck waiting for her,

probably wishing she could just go to bed.

When had she become such a self- absorbed bitch?

After Kevin, she’d thought she learned what it felt like to

be used. She’d never thought she might be thoughtlessly

using people herself.

Lady Chesterfield and Muriel would both be getting a

sincere apology tomorrow, she promised inwardly as she

sank into the covers.

And Avery would get his return declaration of love as

soon as she saw him again.

She smiled as she drifted off to sleep.

i

Her eyes opened only a brief second later. Sunlight

streamed through the window, making her soft peach

bedroom glow. She stretched luxuriously, relishing the

tenderness of her thighs.

“Avery.” She couldn’t help but say his name aloud.

The sound made her feel warm, safe, and loved. What a

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man she’d found, and she hadn’t had to slay any dragons

to do it.

A soft knock on the door drew her into a sitting position.

“Come in.”

Muriel appeared with a tray.

“Good morning, miss. I’ve your chocolate here.”

Leah grinned. “Great. Bring it over.”

Muriel cocked her head curiously as Leah held her

hands out for the tray. “You want the tray in bed with

you, miss?”

“Hand it here.” Leah set the tray on the foot of the

bed and scooted over. “Now here. Sit with me.”

“Oh, miss, I couldn’t.” Muriel shook her head, but

an embarrassed smile was beginning to spread across her

face. Leah patted the spot next to her.

“Come on, I don’t bite unless you ask.”

Muriel giggled and settled on the edge of the bed next

to Leah.

Picking up the cup of chocolate, Leah smiled at the

maid. “See? I’m not so scary.” She took a deep whiff of

the chocolate in the cup. It smelled like heaven, but she

passed it over to the maid anyway.

“Here.”

Alarm crossed Muriel’s face as she took the cup. “But

it’s yours, miss. Is it not to your liking? Shall I have the

cook make a fresh cup for you?”

Leah grabbed Muriel’s arm to prevent the maid from

running to the kitchens and overhauling them to produce

the most perfect cup of hot chocolate the world had ever

seen. “It’s fine, you goof. But I want you to have it.”