Page 43 of Denying the Duke (Lords and Ladies in Love 3)

“I came to wish you a good night and speak about our return to London.”

She smiled and placed the book upside down on her lap. “I thought perhaps you would spend more time with your friends.”

He sat next to her, trying not to think about them on the bed, with her barely dressed. “They will be leaving early in the morning, so I doubt they will keep from their beds much longer.”

“Tell me about your relationship with them. I know you were all friends at Eton. Mr. Templeton told me that. But had you kept in touch with them once you purchased your colors?”

The light from the candelabra cast shadows on her and turned her skin to a golden glow. Her green eyes drew him in, giving him a sense of being able to see into her soul. She had been a pretty young girl who had turned into a stunning woman. And she was his.

Or should be.

“Hawk fought alongside me at Waterloo, but sold out once the smoke from the battle had cleared. Templeton and Cam had been in military service for a couple of years, but sold their colors, as well. Since I had nothing to come back to, I stayed in, but we did keep up with the occasional letters.”

She reached out and touched his forearm. “I’m sorry you felt you had nothing to come back to.”

Alex stiffened. “There is no need for sorrow.”

Patience withdrew her hand from his arm. Damn, he was always pushing her away. The last thing he needed was her delving into his military service. “I thought you and Cyrus had married, and my parents and I had never gotten along. It seemed the best thing to do was stay in service to the king.”

It was hard for him to concentrate on the conversation with her warm body next to his. He felt her heat and smelled her scent. She wore a high-necked night rail that he wanted to slide off her shoulders and kiss her skin turned golden by the candlelight. Her hair had been braided, the long rope draped over her shoulder to rest on her pert breast.

“You were going to speak about London?”

Was that breathlessness he heard in her voice? Could it be she was as aware of their nearness as he was? Slowly her palm skimmed his arm, and then she placed her hand in her lap. She shuddered a bit and licked her lips, and his cock gave a military salute.

…

Patience felt the same sense of restlessness from before when Alex had kissed her in front of the house and at the picnic. Her gown suddenly seemed scratchy against her skin. Her nipples had hardened and the place between her legs moistened.

She wished Alex didn’t look at her that way. His eyes glowed with a savage inner fire that warmed her even further, which made her want to toss the blankets aside and strip off her night rail. His breathing had increased right along with hers, his nostrils flaring like an animal sensing its prey. She did not have to be well schooled in the ways of men and women to know they were both feeling desire again.

Very strong desire.

But she needed to keep him away. She’d told him, and he’d agreed—reluctantly—to court her properly before they became man and wife in truth. No more bullying, even if the result was pleasure. She just hadn’t known how difficult it would be for her.

Alex cupped her face and lowered his mouth to hers. His fingers tangled in her hair, loosening her braid. Something in his manner soothed her at the same time it excited her. She felt wanted, desired, and protected all at the same time. He nibbled at her lips, and she opened to the welcoming assault with his tongue. A slight moan from her had him pulling her flat against his chest.

He released her mouth and kissed her eyes, her nose, and the soft skin under her jaw. With her eyes closed, her senses heightened, and she could see colors in her mind—warm, soft, and electrifying. His hand came around from her back to settle on her chest. Slowly, ever so slowly, he continued to offer soft kisses behind her ear while he inched his palm down until he cupped her breast, his thumb flicking her nipple and causing ripples in the place between her legs.

Patience’s head fell back with a moan. He quickly unfastened the buttons on her gown and drew her breast out. Ducking his head, he licked her nipple then ran his tongue around the pouting bud. He released her breast and tugged at the neckline of her night rail, as he whispered in her ear, “Sweetheart, take your gown off.”

She shook her head, knowing this was not a good idea. Why not, she couldn’t remember, though. Before she could form the words, he had unfastened more closings and drew the gown off her shoulders to puddle in her lap. His large warm hands on her back as he kneaded the muscles there brought forth another moan.

“God, I want you so much, Patience.” He took her hand and placed it on his crotch. “Do you feel that? That’s what you do to me.”

She gave the bulge in his breeches a squeeze and he blew out a deep breath through his teeth. His mouth plundered hers as he moved her back onto the mattress until he was lying on top of her. One hand teased her nipple while the other hand slowly brought the hem of her gown up. “Open your legs.”

Before those words registered, his warm palm covered her woman’s place, and he pushed a finger into her opening. She stiffened and sucked in a breath. He was doing it again, making her forget herself, and her vow to wait until she was truly ready to make love to him. “No.” She shoved at his chest, and he moved back, his eyes glazed.

She scooted back and drew the gown up to cover her breasts. “No. We agreed to wait.”

“Wait? For what? And no, we did not agree. You demanded and I just went along with it.” His voice was so raspy she hardly recognized it.

“Yes, Your Grace. Tell me, how does it feel to have demands made of you? How does it feel to have no control over anything in your life? Of your very life? How does it feel to be told that regardless of your wants and desires, they must be pushed aside to accommodate someone else’s wishes and desires? Well, I have control over my body, and I will not share it until I am ready.

“And I am not ready. I told you. I don’t want to be forced.” She heard the tears in her voice and tried very hard to control them, but one slipped out and slid down her cheek. She didn’t even know why she was crying. The tears just seemed to be there.

“Dear God, woman. I would never force you. I may have done some terrible things, but I have never forced my attentions on a woman in my entire life, and I certainly wouldn’t start with my own wife.”