Page 62 of A Tale of Two Dukes

Catherine

Anticipation sizzles along my nerves as I study myself in the mirror. William deigns to tell me nothing of tonight, and yet, instead of facing it with horror, I find that I’m abuzz. Could be the mask lying on the bed is the reason.

No one will know who I am, allowing me to relax and enjoy the surprise in peace. With a soft sigh, I run my fingers over the elegant gown. Surely tonight isn’t a ball. William would warn me beforehand. Right?

It’s not a matter of dance I take umbrage with, seeing as I’m well equipped to be light on my feet. It’s more the idea of a crush, being hemmed in that causes my anxiety to spike. Mask or no, the very chance that someone from the Ton will see me, smell me, or know I’m once more among them sets my nerves to jumping.

“Easy, love,” he murmurs, slipping into the room. “You feel as though I’m prepared to take you to your execution rather than give you a taste of London delights.”

“Yes, Your- William, but you have yet to regale me as to what I’ll be tasting.”

“Is not a surprise worth waiting for? Come, I’ll be there by your side. No harm will befall you.” Bending low, he scoops up my sister’s necklace and fastens it, allowing the pendant to hang heavy between my breasts.

Absently, I run my fingers over the familiar piece as I send up a prayer for my family’s safety. It’s not right being so far from home, unable to send word, or even contact my sister. Pain at missing our easy comradery eats at me.

With a soft smile, William runs his hands up and down my arms, purring until I let go of the agony blossoming in my heart. “Will it put you at ease to have someone I know and trust look in on her?”

I shake my head, a laugh bubbling up. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to you being in my mind like this. Some thoughts should be my own, you know.”

His grip tightens as he pulls my back against his chest. “Nothing of you is your own, my little kitten.” He runs his tongue along the shell of my ear, sending an altogether different sensation zipping down my spine. “I own every inch, every thought, every sigh. You are mine and will do well to remember it.”

Emboldened, I turn in his grasp, giving him a smirk. “And if I forget?”

His soft growl makes my knees weak, driving out all thoughts of sadness and replacing it with need. “I’m sure I can make you remember.”

He grips the dress, pulling it up until my sex is revealed to him. Dropping to his knees, he forces my thighs apart, inhaling me for a moment before he slides his tongue along the delicate lips. A moan rips from my throat as I grip his hair, moving my hips to guide him to where I need his touch most.

But he pulls away, leaving me throbbing, aching, and consumed with thoughts of him and the pleasure he can provide. His lips twist into a devious smirk as he runs the back of his hand over his mouth, removing the glistening evidence of my arousal.

“I’m sure I can think of something. But we really must get you finished and ready to go.” Just like that, he pulls away, seemingly uninterested in my plight.

Not uninterested. I’m utilizing my right as an arse to get you primed for me, then leave you hanging on the cusp. If you’re my good little kitten, I might allow you a bit of cream later this evening.

His words are potent, sending arousal humming through my veins. This is a game he often likes to play, and I always end up the loser. Somehow, he can resist me, but I find I’m unable to resist him. In some ways, it’s infuriating, but in others, it’s just downright depressing.

Yet again, it shows me I’m far more obsessed with him than he is with me. It’s why he won’t marry me, giving me a respectable title. Before I can rein in my thoughts, William whirls around, his eyes blazing.

“Never think that ever again. You do not understand the depths of my obsession for you. You have no earthly idea how I would throw myself onto hot coals if it meant giving you the title of wife and duchess. You will never understand the madness that is my love and craving for you. When I pull away, it is with great difficulty. I only manage to give off an air of nonchalance because I’ve trained myself to do so.”

Holding me close, he opens up his side of the bond, blasting me with the intensity of his feelings. It steals my breath and buckles my knees. Though he holds me up, he never tempers his emotions, allowing them to wash over me.

I feel all of it. Lust, love, pain, regret, rage, all of it pours over me, filling me up until the emotions merge as one. Staring up into his emerald eyes, I cannot help but return the feelings back to him. Inside, I harbor such devotion, such need.

Try as I might to hold back to give him space, it’s there in me, this constant desire to be held, petted, and loved. Wrapping his arms around me, he holds me close, slowly siphoning off the magnitude of his feelings until we’re both back under control.

“Never say I don’t feel or care. You couldn’t be further from the truth. My desire to keep you as my mistress and not make you my wife has nothing to do with the depth of my affection and everything to do with my station as a duke.”

Unable to speak, I merely nod, allowing him to leave and finish preparing himself. Emotion, thick and heavy, clogs my throat as I make my way to the nearest chair. I have his love, and it will have to be enough.

* * *

There’s a snap in the air, an excitement that’s near palpable as we traverse the streets to an area I’ve never seen before. Then again, it’s not as if I’ve been out and about even before becoming William’s mistress. Being so sheltered had some advantages, but now it feels like I’m just at a deficit.

Not a deficit, love, he murmurs into my mind, his voice full of affection. It allows me to teach you things, show you things. I adore being your first in so many experiences. The carnal growl to his tone has heat licking up the sides of my neck.

Thankfully, with my mask firmly over my eyes, no one can quite tell the effect he’s having on me. Arousal flutters through my insides, causing slick to gather at the juncture of my thighs.

As hard as I try to resist him, my body falls victim to his charms, and now there’s a chance everyone will know. It only feeds the desire that runs through me like lightning, morphing it until I’m an inferno. Glancing over at William’s breeches, I note the tenting in the fabric. Somehow, it helps knowing it’s not just me who is affected.