“Do you feel better now?”
She nodded. “How did you know I needed to cry?”
“It was more that I knew I wanted to hold you.”
His words touched her heart. For all his bluster and complaining, he realized what no one else seemed to know: She needed to be held. And she was glad it was the duke who’d figured that out.
“I’ve heard it said that a kiss can make something that’s hurt feel better,” he said.
“I’ve heard it, too. Have you ever tried it?”
“No. Do you want to?”
“Yes,” she said softly.
He placed his hands on each side of her face and looked into her eyes as if to ask her if she was sure. She wound her arms around his neck. He bent his head, and his lips found hers and moved tenderly, sweetly, briefly over them before he raised his head and looked into her eyes once more. “Did it work?” he asked.
“I don’t think the kiss was long enough. Perhaps we should try it again.” She placed her lips on his, and the kiss started the same way as before—slow, soft, a lightly brushing of their lips together. The contact was delicate, feathery, and enticing.
The moments ticked by. The longer they kissed, the more kisses she wanted. She opened her mouth, and his tongue explored it with eager yet soothing strokes. His hands moved down her chest. He parted her robe, and his palm molded over the fullness of one breast, lightly squeezing and caressing. Her nipple stiffened beneath his gentle touch. Louisa moaned her approval and leaned into his hand, enjoying the exquisite feeling. Tremors and shivers tingled all the way down to her abdomen to gather and settle between her legs.
Louisa relaxed and let go of the tight control she’d always kept on the passion she felt for the duke. Without thinking, she shifted and adjusted her legs so that she straddled him. She heard his hissing intake of breath at her movements. He deepened their kiss as she settled her bottom on his lap.
The duke trembled, and she realized he was as affected by these wonderful cravings as she was. His arousal thrilled her almost as much as his touch.
While his mouth and tongue ravaged hers hungrily, her hands roved through his thick, luxurious hair. She pressed him closer, gaining confidence in what she was doing, reading the desire she knew he felt for her and she for him.
“Your nightdress is so thin, it’s almost like touching your bare skin,” he whispered into her mouth as he fondled her breast.
“I love the feel of your hands on me,” she answered.
He chuckled as his fingers searched for and found her nipple again, hidden beneath her cotton gown. At his caressing, it puckered and rose once more. Ripples of desire tightened across her breasts and sent pleasure sweeping down her body again to resettle into her most womanly part.
Their tongues swirled in each other’s mouths as he untied the ribbon at her throat and parted her gown. He shoved one side of her robe and gown off her shoulder and slid them down her arm. He lowered his head and caught her nipple in his warm mouth and sucked.
She gasped and her stomach tumbled with expectancy as the awareness sent chills of pleasure skipping along her spine. Her head fell back and her chest arched forward and she enjoyed the glorious sensations. His lips moved up to kiss her shoulder, the crook of her neck, and her chest before finally letting his mouth find and cover her breast again. His tongue circled her nipple, bathed it, and then gently drew it fully into his mouth. His lower body lifted and pressed into her with slow rhythmic movements.
Desire bloomed and blossomed inside her, and all her senses reeled in delight.
She gasped again with pleasure. “That feels so wonderful,” she said softly while wave after wave of heat radiated through her. “I don’t want you to stop.”
He chuckled once more and brought his lips back to hers. Their uneven breaths melted together once again before he mumbled, “That’s good because I don’t want to stop. Passion can make you feel that way, Louisa, but what we are doing is dangerous.”
“Then let me do something dangerous for once in my life.”
“If you insist on shedding Miss Prim and Proper tonight, I’m glad you decided to do it with me,” he said between kisses, “but I think you will hate me in the morning if we continue on the course we are heading.”
“I think I already hate you for making me want you continue what I know we shouldn’t be doing.”
He chuckled yet again, and she savored every feeling, every tender caress. The gliding movements of his hands on her breasts thrilled her. He reached over and covered her mouth in a brief but passionate kiss.
“It does not bother me that you will hate me, Louisa.” He kissed the hollow of her throat, teasing her skin with his tongue. “You already think me a beast. I don’t want you to hate yourself, but I promise you will enjoy this.”
“I will forgive myself in the morning and you, too, if you will continue to make me feel this way. I’ve never had these, these strange urges before.”
“They are called primal urges.”
“Yes, that’s it, and if you will think me a wanton beast tomorrow morning for wanting these feelings, so be it.”
