Page 86 of Winning Her Duke

They both groaned in happiness.

“I wanted to do that so many times this evening, and the past few days since we’ve returned to London.”

“Just kissing?” she asked, doing an adequate job of playing coy.

“Shall I show you the other things I thought of doing to you?”

Her heart pounded as he placed a kiss near her throat. His lips burning the skin that had chilled in the night air. She wanted his lips everywhere.

“Yes, Jeremy. Show me every single one.”

*

“I fear I’m becoming used to you coming to my room each night,” he said as he kissed her and slid off the cloak she wore over her thin night rail. He stripped her in his usual efficient manner before leading her to a bench.

Once there, he opened his trousers enough to pull his hardened length away from the fabric. She straddled him, taking him inside of her in one easy glide causing them to moan in relief.

She rocked against him in their stolen moment.

Despite the happiness she felt when joined with him, she felt something else now. The cool chill of reality caused a shiver.

This was all they would ever have. Stolen moments. She was merely his lover. And while she believed he was faithful, and thought her a friend, what would become of her when this affair ended?

But the only other option was marriage.

She’d never wanted that. Or at least she hadn’t thought so.

She’d refused his proposal made for the sake of her honor that morning after she’d given him her virtue.

When she’d first arrived in London for her come out years ago, she’d thought of marriage a great deal. She’d imagined every man she met playing the role of her doting husband. The proud father to her passel of children. But as time went by, she’d realized they never planned to marry her.

Perhaps she’d grown jaded after her first season—no, she was certain she had—she painted every man with the same brush. Rake, rogue, scoundrel.

It had been easier to protect herself. She’d once wanted a love match like her parents had, but had given up on that dream.

She should be happy with this. What they had now, whatever it might be called. It was more than just sex. They were good friends who shared physical pleasure whenever possible.

Except it had grown to be more than that. At least for her.

She was in love with Jeremy. She did her best to hide her feelings from him, but in their intimate moments it became nearly impossible to keep them in check. She so badly wanted to say the words and hear him say them in return.

I love you.

But this was planned to end. Most likely at the end of the Season.

She would return to Elmhurst with many fond memories of her time with him, and he would stay there in London doing whatever he’d done before she came along and disrupted his life.

She would miss him terribly. Maybe even severely. But they couldn’t carry on after the Season ended. To do so would just make it more difficult for the both of them.

“I’ll miss you,” she admitted quietly against his skin, hoping he hadn’t heard her confession.

“I wish we could…” he said, but she kissed him before he could finish that wish.

She wished as well. And perhaps they wished for the same thing.

He’d told her how his parents despised one another and left him alone. Of course, it made sense that he wouldn’t want to end up in the similar situation of an unhappy marriage.

He’d been neglected and unloved simply because his parents couldn’t stand to be near each other. The innocent victim of his parents’ hatred.