The Forbidden Duke (17 page)

“You are incomparable.” A faint smile lifted his lips. He knelt on the cushion near her feet. He clasped the ankle next to the back of the settee and pushed her leg up. Then he wrapped his hand around the other ankle, his thumb massaging her flesh. “Trust me to give you pleasure. Can you do that?”

She nodded, her body screaming for release. His hand glided up her calf, stroking her softly as he ascended her leg. Her breath came more quickly, and her pulse pounded in her ears. He flattened his palm against her inner thigh and pushed, exposing her most sensitive flesh.
 

Instinctively she tried to close her legs, but he held her firmly. “Trust me, Nora.”

He gripped her leg thus while his right hand moved between her thighs. His fingertips skimmed along her flesh. She bucked her hips, shocked at the intimate contact.

He held her fast and stroked her, eliciting the same sensation she’d felt when she’d pushed against him. But it was over and over again, building. His touch became firmer, his thumb finding a particularly sensitive spot that made her cry out. He leaned over and kissed her again, his mouth open and wet and so wonderful.

She kissed him back, desperate for something to keep her from exploding. His finger slipped inside of her then, and once more, her hips came up off the settee.

He ripped his mouth from hers, and their ragged breathing filled the room. His hand continued its delicious assault, provoking her into a mindless frenzy. Without intent, her hips rotated into his touch, seeking more.

His breath rushed against her ear. “I want to put my mouth on you. Will you let me?”

She tried to understand his words, but it was nearly impossible for now he was also kissing her neck, ravishing her flesh. She tipped her head back against the cushion and moaned.

“Nora, please.”

She clutched at his back, her fingers digging into his flesh and strove to answer. “Your mouth…where?”

His finger plunged into her, and light flashed again behind her eyes. “
Here
.”

Yes, God, yes, whatever he wanted.

She must’ve spoken out loud because he moved down her body, his mouth leaving a trail of wicked kisses in its wake. When his tongue licked her
there
, she made a ghastly sound. A sound she didn’t think a woman could make.

He didn’t take his time, nor was he gentle. As with her breasts, he devoured her, his lips and tongue coaxing her into an increasingly fervent state. She thrust up into him, seeking that sweet release she knew must be coming.

He suckled that sensitive spot as his finger stroked into her, and everything inside of her pulled taut. Time seemed to freeze as her body convulsed. Then the world simply exploded.

Chapter Eleven

T
itus felt her orgasm wash through her. Her muscles clenched, and moisture flooded his tongue. Her release, the totality of her abandon, was the sweetest thing he’d ever tasted.

His cock throbbed in his breeches. Menswear was simply not meant for lovemaking. He leaned back and watched her as he stroked her through the aftermath. She was, by far, the loveliest woman he’d ever beheld. And it wasn’t to do with the pale perfection of her breasts, or the gentle slope of her hip, or the rose hue of her lush lips. It was about her trust in him and her boldness in taking what she wanted.
 

He’d wanted to give her pleasure, and she’d taken it. Indeed, she’d grabbed it with both hands and met it in the most primal fashion. He was, in a word, enraptured.

But he would stop if she asked him to. He’d done what he’d intended. Far more, actually. He’d come here just to be in the same house as this woman who’d thoroughly enchanted him. He’d never imagined they would come together—and certainly not like this. Which wasn’t to say he hadn’t fantasized about it. He’d pictured her thus—naked and sprawled before him, her flesh pink from pleasure—far too many times to count.

She opened her eyes and gazed at him in wonder.

He forced himself to speak. “Nora, if you want me to stop, it must be now.”

She glanced down at the bulge in his breeches. “What about you?”

“This was never about me. It was about you.”

“Then I’m not finished.” She sat up and reached for the buttons of his fall. “
We’re
not finished.”

He clasped her hands, effectively stilling them. “Nora, if we continue, you will no longer be as you are. Do you understand?”

“I am already no longer as I was. And thank
God
for that. Thank God for you.” Her brow arched. “If you think I’m letting you leave now, you haven’t been paying attention.”

He enjoyed the slight narrowing of her eyes, the dark intent in her gaze. “You’re rather despotic, aren’t you?”

“Yes, if I must be. Titus…”

He watched her search for the words to say what she wanted and decided to rescue her. “If you insist.”
 

“I do.” She pushed his hand away and continued with his buttons until his breeches gapped open. Then she tugged at the garment. “Off.”

He stood and stripped his clothing away until he stood nude before her. He expected her gaze to affix on his hardened cock and wasn’t disappointed. He was surprised however, and perhaps shouldn’t have been, when she reached out and ran her fingertips along his length.

She sucked in a breath and continued to stare at him as a bead of moisture formed at the tip. She stroked him again and tentatively touched the drop. She glanced up at him. “What does it taste like?”

He tried not to laugh and failed. “I’m sure I don’t know.”

She nodded slowly as her gaze dropped once more. “Your flesh is much softer than I imagined.” She curled her fingers around him, instinctively knowing what to do to please him. At least, he assumed it was instinct.

“Nora, you are inexplicably expert at this.”

“Am I?” She continued caressing his shaft, and he couldn’t stop his hips from snapping forward. He’d been on the verge of orgasm when he’d pushed her over the edge, but had managed to keep a handle on himself. “There it is again,” she murmured. Then her head tipped forward, and her tongue darted out to catch the next drop that had beaded on the head.

“Good God, Nora, you are going to kill me.”

“Hmmm, salty. More of…that comes out…later?”

“When I have an orgasm, yes. Like you did.”

“But this could make me with child.” She frowned. Her hand continued its slow but wondrous torture. “That would be a problem.”

Hell yes, it would. “There are precautions,” he said tightly. “Not infallible, but nothing is.”

“Then you shall employ them.” She tightened her grip, unwittingly sending him even closer to the edge. “Let us continue.”

“We have been this entire time. Have you no inkling what you’ve been doing to me?”

She arched that damned brow again. “I’m not a simpleton.”

“No, by God, you are not.”

He pushed her back on the settee and settled himself between her legs. “Please forgive me my gracelessness. I have absolutely no experience with virgins.”

“I think you have an inaccurate perspective as to how this encounter has progressed. If you haven’t noticed, I’m enjoying myself immensely. And I don’t expect that to change. You are far too considerate.” She pulled at his hips. “Please, Titus. Just do remember to take whatever precautions are necessary.”

Yes, he would need to keep his wits about him. The second his cock touched her, he feared he was lost. He guided himself inside her, unsure of what to expect. She was unfathomably tight. Her muscles gripped his shaft as he slid slowly into her slick passage.

He teased her clitoris, sensing her tense the farther he intruded. He coaxed her flesh, stirring her until he felt her relax. Then he pushed himself to the hilt.

He leaned forward and brushed his lips against her temple. “Are you uncomfortable?”

“No. This is…pleasant, actually. That feeling I had before, the sensation that I might rip in two… I fear it might be returning.”

Fear? “You didn’t like it?”

“Oh no, I
adored
it.”

Incomparable indeed.
 

He began to move, slowly at first. He didn’t want to hurt her. Soon, she was moving with him, her hips arcing up. The friction was beyond spectacular. He wasn’t going to last long but suspected that was for the best. If he could just bring her with him…

He found her clitoris again and worked her flesh until her movements became more emphatic. She thrust with him, the room filling with the sounds of their bodies coming together.

He drove faster, and his orgasm sped to its conclusion. “Come with me, Nora.” He vaguely realized she had no idea what he meant, but then it happened. She cried out, and her muscles constricted around him. His balls tightened, and he just barely managed to pull out before he spilled inside of her. Instead, he came on her belly, which was, as he’d feared, rather graceless.

Powerless to do anything but empty his seed, he stroked his shaft until he was complete. Satisfaction—bone-deep and toe-curling—pitched through him. But what a mess.

“See, I said you would need to forgive me.” He moved away from her and found his discarded cravat. Then he returned and wiped her flesh clean.

“Better there than in the other…place,” she said, showing a sense he found devastatingly attractive. Along with everything else about her.

He helped her sit up, then presented her with her night clothes. While she covered herself, he set about conducting his own toilet. His valet would cringe at the state of his clothing, but Titus didn’t care. This had been the best night he could recall in a ridiculously long time. Maybe in the entirety of his life.

“That was…astonishing.” Her declaration seemed to mirror his thoughts, sending a jolt of pleasure through him.

“Indeed.”

She stood from the settee and tied the sash around her night robe. “You are still a man of few words.”

He sat on the chair to pull on his stockings and boots. “I thought I spoke plenty.”

Her answering smile was devilish, and he knew in that moment that he’d never be able to look at her again without thinking of this encounter, of what they’d shared. No matter what happened, they were connected on a level he’d never experienced.

“You did, actually,” she said. “Quite shockingly. I do thank you for taking those…precautions. But mostly, I must thank you for allowing me to satisfy my curiosity.”

Hopefully it meant more to her than that. It had to him. “Is that what this was, an experiment?”

She lifted a shoulder. “Not that, but maybe a question for which I had no answer until now.”

He loved how her mind worked. “And what is the answer?”

“That I can trust myself to choose what I want. That maybe what I thought I wanted isn’t. You’ve given me much to think about. I guess I maybe don’t have the actual answer yet. Perhaps this is a conversation we can have another time.” She yawned, which seemed to punctuate her statement.

She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, surprising him. It was a sweet gesture. No one had done that except his stepmother. It made him feel…safe.

“Good night, Titus. Sleep well.” She went to the door and opened it, looking over her shoulder before she left. “I know I shall.”

He watched her go and fetched the whisky glasses from the shelf. He frowned and wondered if anyone would make note of the fact that there were two of them and try to puzzle who’d they’d belonged to. No one knew he was here, save the night footman who’d been dozing under the stairs when he’d arrived.

He tossed back the contents of both glasses and deposited them on the sideboard, then made his way from the house.

Outside, the predawn was dark, the city as quiet as it could ever be. He roused his coachman and directed him to drive home.

As he reclined in the interior, casting his head back against the squab, he marveled at how blissfully sated he felt. At the same time, a splinter of discomfort wedged into his brain. He hadn’t taken advantage of her, and yet he’d ruined her just the same. She could still marry, and probably would, but he’d taken that which she should’ve given to her husband.

A tiny voice in his head asked why that couldn’t be him.