He groaned into her skin, animalistic and raw. Like her words pained him yet made him wild. He bit down on her shoulder, and her breath broke on a low moan. His teeth skated up her neck, tingling prickles of awareness rippling over her skin.
She arched into him, every part of her needing to be closer to every part of him. Oh, and what a heady thrum that closeness created. Heated skin against heated skin. The soft abrasion of his chest hair against her sensitive nipples. The blissful pressure where he was notched at her core. She swiveled her hips, frantic to get him to sink inside her. But he held back.
“Ash,” she whimpered. “I said hard and fast.” She dropped her hands to his hips, dug her fingertips into the flesh of his arse, and tried to pull him into her. But the brigand denied her. She flashed her teeth and growled at him. If he wasn’t inside her in the next breath she was going to expire.
He chuckled and slowly lowered her back to the mattress. “What an impatient little vixen you are. You won’t let me savor this at all, will you?”
“Next time, Duke. Right now, I want you to fuck me, because my body isdyingwith want for you.” This harlot thing came quite naturally to her. Maribeth would be proud.
He stepped back and pulled her roughly to the edge of the mattress, pulling the breath straight from her. She bounced against the plush surface and stared up at his dark, devilish grin. Oh, shereallyliked this side of him. She wondered what he would be like if he truly let go; no more walls, no more restraint, no more denying himself.
Would she be fortunate enough to see that man?
His fingers slid down her folds, soft and torturous. The glint in his midnight gaze spoke of a man who knew how to please a woman, and her body practically vibrated with anticipation.
Ash’s gaze fell to where he skimmed over her, silent words shaping his lips. Prayers? Blasphemes? She didn’t know. And then, strong, sure fingers sank deep inside her, and she no longer cared. A low, broken sob ripped from her, her back bowing off the mattress. More. She needed more.
But once again, he denied her. The wicked scoundrel of a man. He held her there, fingers inside her unmoving, the heel of his palm pressed against where she throbbed.
His gaze flicked up to hers. “Exquisite.” His voice was nothing but a deep timbre, tangible in how it touched every inch of her skin.
He slowly pumped his fingers in and out of her, the heel of his palm doing wicked things to the apex of her thighs that had her legs twitching, streaks of pleasure sweeping through her with each thrust. Her hands fisted the bedcovers, her thighs squeezing his hips painfully tight. Just as painfully tight as the pleasure coiling inside her.
He leaned over her, and his slick, heated skin on hers sent her to the edge. An edge she was dangerously close to spilling over.
“Ash,” she breathed. “I’m too close. In me. Now,” she gasped out. “Or as a wise duke once said, this will be over before it begins.”
He shook his head, and a sinful smile slid across his lips.
Oh heavens, that smile wrecked her. Because that smile was all confident, powerful Duke.
He lowered until his lips brushed over hers, not kissing, just wet lips dragging over wet lips. Her breath hitched, and he pulled a soft cry from her, swallowed it. She wasn’t sure if her heart or her core was going to explode first.
“Oh, Lissy,” he murmured against her lips, the dark insinuation in his tone prickling over her skin. His hand thrust harder into her. “Do you truly think I would only allow you to come just once?”
And then his fingers curled, repeatedly stroking over a spot deep inside her while his thumb slipped over her clitoris. Her breath stuttered, and she flew to the edge, every muscle in her body pulling tight. One last press of his thumb and pleasure broke over her. Her core went up in flames, her body shaking, back arching as a broken cry ripped from her. Her hands shot to his hair, needing to hold on to something, to anchor her as feeling overwhelmed her. She ground desperately against his hand, chasing every last lick of pleasure.
Lungs heaving, she sank into the mattress and stared in awe at Ash. Her body trembled, small convulsions wracking her frame while her pleasure ebbed and faded. She had never experienced a pleasure so intense… That had been…
“That was incredible, Duke,” she managed between ragged breaths. Indescribable. Extraordinary. Otherworldly. “I look forward to the next one.”
His face split into a grin.
28
Ash
Thiswoman.Shewasextraordinary.
He couldn’t unsee her reveling in the pleasure he’d brought her with his touch—her head tilted back, eyes shut as she cried her release. He had been embarrassingly close to coming at the sight. He may have fantasized about this very thing; but reality? Nothing could ever compare. To this. To her.
He massaged her thighs in the same rhythm he massaged his cock into her, the slickness from her orgasm easing his way. He groaned low from the depths of his chest, and he slid all the way home. His heart faltered before picking back up again. Home.
And he knew in this moment, this was everything that was missing from his life. The intimacy he craved, had longed for. Here it was. She took each piece of him and put him back together. Repairing all his damaged places. With belonging, with happiness, with felicity. With Felicity.
She stared at him, heavy lidded, her amber gaze like dark liquor lit on fire. He slowly slid out and drove back in. He groaned at the glorious sensation of being completely enveloped by her. She held him tight, wet, and pulsing, and it wasperfection. He slid his hands to her arse and lifted her, bringing her even closer, sinking even deeper. His entire body vibrated, his lungs pumping out breaths that were shaky, rough, jagged.
“Are you well?” he asked through clenched teeth. He didn’t want this to ever end, but he knew it was going to be pitifully short. She felt too much like heaven.
