“It has been a long time, but yes, I have not forgiven him for several of the offenses that he has laid at my door and that of others who were innocent of his crimes.”
She squeezed her fingers around his.“I am here for you if you need to talk.”
“Talking is not what I want to do with you.”
Knox cursed his bold tongue, especially when the air shifted and grew heavy inside the coach.He waited for the explosion, the slap on the face for his indelicate suggestion, but instead, she leaned closer to him from the other side of the coach.“The day I climbed into your coach, I really wanted to climb on top of you.”
He froze, his lungs suddenly freezing all the air he had.“Astara…”
She shook her head and started to pull back.“You do not have to say anything.I know that the vast difference in our circumstances may prevent you from?—”
He reached out and grasped the back of her head, dragging her to him and kissing her with all the passion building inside of him, a raging inferno of need that only she could satisfy.
* * *
Astara sighed in her contentment.Was this really happening?Could it be that the duke wanted her as much as she’d been desperate for him?
She had never told him the truth, that she hadn’t chosen his carriage by accident.She had known very well who was inside, and she had been waiting anxiously for the chance to gain an introduction.She’d prayed that he was not as crude as some of the other men in society with whom her path had crossed on the street, but observing his behavior when she was fortunate enough to be in the same vicinity as him, a silent observer from afar, he did not strike her as the same sort of ill-mannered scoundrel who believed they were above reproach just because of the benefit of a title.
He had always been different, and the day she’d nearly fallen into his lap had been one of the most memorable days she’d had in her entire life.Not only had he been just as charming and witty as she’d imagined he might be, but he had helped her gain access to the Watch, and promised to assist her in locating her true family.She could not think of a more honorable man to bestow the gift of her innocence.
She boldly allowed her hand to travel downward to where his hard shaft was straining against his trousers.Although she had not been tried, she had been inside plenty of bawdy houses, some of the women she’d befriended having snuck her inside in the evening when the cold outside had been more than her simple flat could heat.The talks that had been shared among her peers had prepared her for everything she might need to know, at least when it came to a man and his anatomy.
When Knox broke the kiss and hissed between his teeth, he growled, “You seem rather experienced in the field of seduction.”
“Experienced to a point,” she agreed.When he looked at her, heat flashing in his gaze, but also an unspoken query, she added, “I want this as much as you.I promise there will be no regrets and no hesitation.”
He seemed to comprehend what she was trying to say, as he reached out and cupped her cheek with infinite gentleness.“I am always considerate of my lovers, regardless of their expertise.You have nothing to fear from me.”
Astara nodded.“I know.”
The carriage pulled to a halt at that moment, as if waiting for her final acquiescence.After the door opened, Knox climbed down, but instead of allowing Astara to do the same, he reached inside the coach and lifted her around the waist then swung her to the ground.She laughed, a bit breathless, and he kissed her soundly right in the middle of the darkened street, heedless if they might be observed from curious passersby.
Then he did the unthinkable and lifted her into his arms, as if he were a groom carrying his bride over the threshold.Although the gesture was completely absurd, Astara could not help but laugh in delight because of it.She had never felt so free or uninhibited from her usual, staid existence.
The door opened as they drew close and the footman said nothing, his expression remaining as solemn and respectful as ever as Knox carried her across the foyer and directly up the stairs.She recalled him saying that his servants were discreet, and no one batted an eyelash.The maid they passed on the stairs merely kept her focus fixed ahead and did not dare to glance in their direction.
Once they reached the master suite and Knox took her inside and kicked the door shut, further thought of servants left her mind.However, as Knox set her on her feet and reached for her, she reached out her hand.Glancing about the room, she said softly, “I am not sure I feel that comfortable engaging in bed sport where you have entertained previous mistresses.”
He slowly shook his head.“I have never once entertained in this room.This was my private sanctuary.No one was ever allowed in here but the maids to clean.”He cupped her cheek in his palm.“You are the first.”
That was all she needed to hear; she threw her arms around his neck.No further words were needed as she allowed the passion that had been simmering between them since the moment they’d met to burst forth and consume her.She never imagined she would give herself so fully and effortlessly to a man like Knox, a member of the peerage who would likely toss her aside the next morning, but she knew he was not so callous.She could trust him explicitly.With all the various people she had met during her time in London, that much she could believe.He did not lie.He had no need to do so.
Clothes were swiftly removed and tossed aside, leaving a trail of material across the floor as they made their way to the bed dominating the center of the room.Astara felt no maidenly reservation as he laid her down and began to remove her stockings with his teeth.She arched her back and gripped the edge of the coverlet, her core pulsing with restless energy.
Once she was fully exposed, Astara gasped when he nuzzled close to the apex of her thighs.Oral pleasure was another hushed whisper she’d heard about at various brothels and she wondered if she would finally understand the concept at long last.
When his tongue flicked across the seam of her sex, she released a gasp of surprise as sparks of ecstasy shot through her.As he continued to tease and torment her, she realized that it was nothing like what she’d heard before.It was so muchbetterto experience firsthand.
Something began to coil inside of her and she knew it was the beginning of the “little death,” the feminine response to such delightful friction.When she allowed the sensation to finally flow, she held her breath as the glorious tide washed over her, pulling her under those amazing waves.
She was still floating on the surface when Knox crawled up her body.His hard manhood nudged at her entrance.“It sounded like you enjoyed that,” he murmured huskily.
“Oh, yes,” she sighed in heavenly contentment.She dared to wrap her legs around his hips.“Now show me what other accomplishments you have.”
He chuckled lightly and then slowly began to slide into her.At first, there was resistance, but Astara told herself to stay relaxed, to not fight the inevitable breech of her maidenhead.She wanted this union, and nothing could keep her from seeing it to its grand conclusion.
When Knox gave a single thrust and seated himself fully, she gasped at the sudden, stinging sensation.He paused, as if to give her body time to adjust to the intrusion, and then the most wondrous thing happened.He began to move.At first, she thought he was retreating from her, so she dug her nails into his back and he returned to her.After that, she realized it was the rhythm of the joining.She had not realized this is what all her friends had meant when they’d giggled about the man’s “sword” pumping into them.But now she understood it all.
