Eleanor and I deserved this time to follow our passions without recriminations or constraints. The moment we crossed the threshold, I was no longer the Duke of Smythington. I was simply Rex, a man who wanted to explore his desires with those he loved.
Chapter Twenty-One
Lady Eleanor, Duchess of Smythington
Flynn allowed my legs to drift down to the floor, my knees still weak from Rex’s seduction. The golden round motif of the curtains surrounding the bed was topnotch, every bit of décor throughout the suite exquisite. It was the perfect place for me to lose my inhibitions.
With a sultry grin, Flynn dipped his head, his mouth plying mine with more sensual kisses. His kisses were as familiar to me as they had been twenty-one years before, something I would never have imagined possible.
Nimble fingers pushed the kimono off my shoulders, cool air touching my back. The garment was still belted and fell to my hips. It took all my considerable willpower not to flinch as he tugged at the belt. The soft, velvety feel of his tongue against mine helped ground me.
The physical scars I still carried from my father’s many beatings were on my buttocks and upper thighs. Over the years, all but two had faded into thin strips, barely visible. During Rex’s exploration of my belly, I had mentioned the scars, and he had mistaken my admission for the marks from bearing my children. Those marks I wore with pride. His words of apology still tugged at my heartstrings.
I heard Rex enter the room, my guilt over kissing Flynn still haunting me. He had given me permission to follow my desiresfor our friend, yet it was still odd. Flynn released my mouth and turned to look at Rex, his arm still around my waist. He was an inferno of heat and desire.
“Once again, I seem to be the one with the least clothing on,” I said, very much aware of my semi-nudity.
With a grin, Rex unfastened his trousers and slipped them off, baring his body to my view. I had seen him naked on occasion, mostly when I tended him during an illness. Usually, we maintained a strict decorum. While shorter than Flynn, he was still much taller than me, his lean frame well defined. I flushed at the sight of his aroused cock pressed against his slender belly, my own core aching to take him inside me.
“I believe Flynn needs to remove his trousers.” Rex held out a hand, and I laid my palm in his, moving to his side. He guided me to sit beside him on the bed, the softness of the mattress drawing us hip to hip. Flynn stood before us, a confident grin on his generous mouth. His eyes a glassy green, my husband pressed soft kisses to my neck, heating my exposed skin. We kissed countless times yet every press of his mouth seemed like a new experience.
“I believe I do.” Flynn unbuttoned the material, the wool falling open to reveal his engorged cock. I angled my head to drink in the sight of his impressive figure. Where Rex was sinewy, Flynn was more muscled. Both lacked the paunch so many men of our station had from lack of physical activity. “The sight of you two on the bed is very tempting. I am not sure who I wish to seduce first.”
“We are in this together, thus I don’t think you need to choose.” Rex’s breathing was more ragged than before. “The entire purpose of this endeavor is to explore our baser sides.”
“Hear, hear.” My cheeks burned as I reiterated his statement.
Flynn shook his head at our teasing and knelt on the floor between us. With a sultry smile, he pulled Rex down for a kiss,their mouths dancing across each other. I licked my lips, my pussy thrumming a mad beat. The sight of them fired up my blood, and I slipped my hand around the silky smooth length of Rex’s cock. The velvety crown grew slick with desire as I began to tighten my fingers and move them up and down.
Rex broke the kiss, his lips swollen from the evening’s activities. Heavy lidded eyes met mine. Desire drew the skin over his cheekbones tight. He unfastened the belt on the kimono. “You don’t need this anymore.”
I licked my lips, my bottom lip fuller than usual. My apprehension returned. Once the material was completely gone, he was sure to see the rope-like scar that looped around my upper buttocks. There was nothing I could do about it, except lie, something I had done my entire life.
“Yes, I wish to see all of you,” Flynn agreed, his voice husky and raw in his aroused state. Unlike Rex, his chest and forearms were covered in dark hair.
The moment the garment fell away, he frowned, his fingertip tracing the scar. Rex was privy to the abuse, just not the extent of it. “What is this?”
Fear of discovery rode my shoulders, and I tried to calm my racing heart. The wounds had healed, but the shame stayed with me. “I fell from my pony into a bush when I was twelve. I hardly remember it being there.”
For a breathless moment, I thought he would question me further. He was very astute when I didn’t wish him to be. I stifled a hysterical laugh and reached out to pluck at a nipple, a surefire distraction. He jerked under my hand, his chest rising and falling with more speed.
“We all have scars of some sort, some more painful than others.” Flynn leaned in for a kiss, and I obliged his silent request. I cupped the back of his neck, drawing his mouth closer to mine. Was he speaking of his own internal scars left by Mary’sdeath? Since her passing, he’d sought me out to confide his grief when it became too much. He slipped his fingers up my thigh and found the engorged nub at my cleft and began to circle my cunny with languid strokes, a giving man with a kind heart. He lifted his head and offered me a soft smile. “You are slick with need, sweet Eleanor, but not slick enough for my purposes.”
“You have a greater purpose?” Rex’s voice carried a husky timbre that spoke of need coupled with amusement. The two were forever harassing each other, each trying to gain the upper hand in a game of one-upmanship.
