Page 69 of When the Duke Met His Match

Theophilus ran a hand up the back of her neck to tangle in her hair, gripping her with desperation. She bit back a pleased sound, not willing to seem too overcome by him, even if that was exactly how she felt.

Odette gripped the front of his linen shirt to anchor herself, drawing out every ounce of his love for her. Her eyes were closed tightly, concentrated on the way his body felt against hers.

As if a switch had been triggered, he put his hands beneath the back of her thighs and hoisted her up, to which she concealed a squeal into the crook of his neck. She was pressed against the door, invigorated by how his hands gripped her waist, exploring every inch of her body.

His lips latched against the pale skin of her neck, painting his messy kisses there, moving lower until he found the soft junction of her collarbones. He lapped his tongue against the spot, causing her to tilt her head back and let go of a breathy moan.

In tandem, his fingers traveled the length of her body, stopping to squeeze her backside. She gasped, soaking in the undivided attention she craved ever since they first became one.

Theophilus returned his mouth to hers and reached for the drawstrings that held her dress together. He pulled at them, seemingly not caring how they came undone but rather how quickly he could achieve it.

Once the front loosened and moved away from her chest, his hands cupped her, eager to feel her breasts again. Each brush of his palms against her sensitive skin caused her back to arch, pushing her closer to his touch. The rush of pleasure made her lips part, silently begging for more of his affection.

To her surprise, Theophilus tore his mouth away from hers to pepper sweet kisses down her chest and closer to her navel. He dropped to a knee before her, hoisting the train of her dress out of his way.

Odette bit back a strained moan the moment his fingers pressed into her thighs and the soft flesh of his tongue connected with her flower. Her eyes fluttered shut, in awe from the sheer bliss that washed over her.

She pressed against the door, searching for anything to grasp while he began his slow and deliberate ministrations. The persistent repetition of his careful strokes made her jaw drop, gasping for breath.

She dropped a hand against his hair, lacing her fingers within his dark tresses. When he flicked his tongue against her sensitive nub in a way that made her toes curl, she gripped his locks tighter, earning a deep groan from his throat.

The vibration traveled through her keening body, only adding to the sheer experience of it.

“Theophilus…” she whispered, unsure of how much more she could take before she would inevitably falter.

His name felt like a chant on her lips as she repeated it again and again, biting down on her lower lip to keep from shouting loud enough for the other patrons to hear.

The coil in her belly tightened, tense from the relentless tongue he used to his advantage. She felt as he pushed her closer to the edge, prepared and willing for the release that felt close enough for her to touch.

She was sure no other man possibly possessed the same ability he did, for he brought her such passionate pleasure that it seemed otherworldly as if he had been blessed with the talent to find each one of her triggers.

Just as the pleasure mounted beyond belief, the loss of his mouth against her needy core made her frown. She gazed down at him, only to be hoisted into the air once more and brought over to the bed.

She landed against the quilts and saw just how dark his gaze had become, his eyes blown wide with undying lust. He pushed her dress up once more, hastily kissing her thigh as he moved up, caging her body against the mattress.

He reached for her dress, quick to edge it down her body. Impatient and unwilling to delay another moment, she also grabbed his trousers' drawstring, and he quickly understood.

Theophilus unfastened them while she desperately worked at all the buttons on his clothes. His linen shirt was tossed aside, along with the underclothes. Soon enough, he kicked his trousers aside, matching in nakedness.

With his body above hers, he found her lips and took the bottom one between his teeth. Odette shivered at the feeling, too preoccupied to notice as he lined himself up and carefully slid inside, connecting their bodies in the most ethereal way imaginable.

The breath caught in her throat, her head tipped back to soak in the incredible explosion of sensations courting through her body. Body curled toward him, she grappled for his arms with the hope of securing herself.

As he found purchase inside her, he swallowed his groans and tipped his head to pepper soft kisses against her forehead.

Overwhelmingly full, she struggled to breathe through the intensity of it all, immersed in the way his body framed hers, surrounding her with his warmth.

Odette’s mind scrambled the moment Theophilus withdrew his hips and slowly created a rhythm that made her ache with desire. After having a taste of that bliss, she became greedy for more, digging her fingers into his skin with each deliberate stroke.

Hypnotized by his movements, she couldn’t think about anything other than him and the way he made her body bend at his will, ravenous for more. She began to wonder how he could build her until she couldn’t take it any longer, leaving her hungry for more of him.

He increased his pace, with one hand gripping her waist and the other reaching for her hand to intertwine their fingers. She gazed at him through bleary eyes, nearly blinded with pleasure and completely shrouded by bliss.

Tensing around him from the relentlessness of his hips, he uttered a groan against her skin.

A sense of delight washed over her, aware that he could be rendered just as useless from the allure and sensations her own body provided. Even if the cushioning of her around him weakened his resolve, it did nothing to brunt the continuous movements of his hips.

Hands traveled as they wished, unable to keep track through the haziness of it all. They were a tangle of limbs and racing hearts, chasing after the same relief while pushing the other closer to that rewarding state.