He leaned in slowly, his eyes pinned on hers as he descended. He made no effort to hide either his intention or the tension coiled inside him. He allowed her to see in his eyes that insatiable need that she woke in him. If that wouldn’t scare her, then Gerald knew that he could do more.
He finally reached her lips. Not even a breath of air could pass between them, even if they were not touching, not yet. Arabella looked up, her beautiful neck craned so she could look upon his face, and that left her sensitive, delicate skin vulnerable, enticing.
He closed the little distance left between them. He told his mind and ordered his body to take this as slowly as possible. Though the rest of him remained rigid with restraint, his lips decided to declare independence and express what Gerald truly felt.
The moment his lips passed over her own, any semblance of propriety was now void. Even that little feather touch, one look at her lustful eyes, and his control was almost shattered. His fingers went into the black silk of her hair, and that feel spurred him more.
He leaned, and the kiss deepened. He demanded once more access, just to feel that velvety tongue of hers, taste her taste. One swipe of his tongue over hers, one skillful flick, and he couldn’t stop himself. He devoured her, his mouth slanted over hers, his tongue tangling with hers in a frantic rhythm. He broke the kiss, breathing heavily.
“Tell me to stop, Arabella. For Heaven’s sake, tell me to stay away.”
Instead of answering, Arabella rose on her toes and fisted the fabric of his shirt, her body flush against his. She said nothing, but she didn’t need to.
“Your Grace, you truly are the mistress of the house.” He smirked.
He dipped his head and took her lips again. He then swept her up in his arms. Arabella broke the kiss to squeal in surprise, but he captured her lips again as he lowered himself down on the comfortable sofa with her over his lap.
He abandoned her lips only to nibble on her jaw, and then further down to her neck, biting and licking, kissing with open-mouth kisses, and simply breathing over her skin.
Arabella was so captivated by his attention that she couldn’t control her body. She fell back, only to be captured by his other hand. He slowly made his way down her neck, and when he reached her collarbone, he found the great obstacle of clothes.
As he grazed over her collarbone with his lips, he wouldn’t allow her silk nightgown to obstruct him from seeing what his imagination had been forming ever since he first saw her. Gerald dipped lower and caught the ribbon that held the nightgown with his teeth. He looked up only to find Arabella studying him, stunned and fascinated at the same time. And he pulled the ribbon.
The nightgown fell open, revealing the top of her breasts, making his mouth water, his body starved. His fingers found her shoulders, and he pushed the gentle fabric off, baring her to him. Arabella inhaled sharply and held her breath.
“Breathe for me, Arabella,” he murmured as he moved slowly over her breast.
Arabella let out the breath that she didn’t know she was holding.
“Very good,” he praised.
Her composure was short-lived. As those words left his mouth, Arabella lost her breath completely. Gerald paused when he realized that his Duchess enjoyed hearing him talk to her with that tone. Perhaps he should reward her more. The tip of his tongue reached a taut nipple and flicked.
“Gerald!”
Her reaction was almost violent as she lost complete command of her body. Her one hand flew up to her mouth to silence the moan that slipped out. Gerald was not ready to allow this to happen. If Arabella wanted to scream his name, he should be able to hear it. Softly, she moved and took her hand away from her mouth.
“I want to hear you say my name,” he said, teasing with his tongue once more.
He saw her bite down on her lip hard, disobeying him. He was going to allow it because she looked devastatingly beautiful like this. After all, he could find other ways to make her scream out loud.
He turned his attention to her breasts, and now he used his lips to capture that ready peak between them. And still, Arabella kept her mouth stubbornly closed, even as her hand went into his hair. If she was trying to push him away, she was failing completely because she pulled him closer.
Gerald didn’t need any more encouragement. He took her nipple into his mouth, sucking softly till finally he heard what he craved.
“Gerald!”
“Like this, it’s perfect, Arabella. You’re doing such a good job for me.”
She whimpered and shook on his lap, making him instantly realize how much he wanted her, how he craved her and desired her. But he had made a promise to himself to slowly introduce her to what desire truly was.
One hand tightening behind her back, anchoring on her waist to support her, he kept going, leaning to her other freed breast, waiting, wanting. He cupped it with his free hand, feeling the weight that filled his palm with her soft, seductive flesh.
Arabella shifted slightly in his lap, and the small movement drew a low breath from him.
“Don’t move, Arabella,” he ordered, barely containing himself.
She instantly stopped squirming on his lap. Gerald smirked over her skin. He decided that such good behavior needed some kind of reward.
