Page 53 of The Duke Meets His Match

His gaze was hot, intense. “You’re going to drive me mad.”

“Then it’s only fair.”

Her fingers went to the fall of his trousers, and she worked the buttons. At last his cock sprang free. Long and hard, it took her breath away. “Oh, my,” she breathed. “I want to touch you.”

He was quick to divest himself of his boots and clothing, and he nearly jumped out of his skin when her fingers touched his shaft. Her eyes rose to his. “Am I hurting you?”

“God no,” he hissed.

“Show me.”

“Hold me harder. Stroke me. Up and down. Just like that.”

She was tentative at first, a soft brush of her fingers on the head of his cock. She loved the texture of him, the hardness of his shaft and the velvety softness of the tip. His voice was hoarse. “I should have known you’d be a quick learner.”

She shot him a seductive look. “Is that bad?”

“You have power.”

The thought was scintillating. He’d given her unimaginable pleasure with his mouth, and she wondered if she could do the same for him. Would he like it? Would it be as sinfully pleasurable for him as it was for her? Curious about the texture and taste of him, she lost her inhibitions.

She slipped to her knees and kissed his navel, his hip, and then ran the tip of her tongue over the engorged head.

“Chloe,” he hissed.

“It’s my turn.” Emboldened by his response, she licked him again. He tasted unique and delicious, and the ache grew between her legs. He’d shown her how to hold and stroke him, and she used her lips and hands the same way. She started at the tip, then took him as fully as she could in her mouth, and then worked back up the length and swirled her tongue across the head. His response was explosive, clearly showing how much he enjoyed it, and she became bolder. She loved the rush of his breath, his groans, and the way his fingers dug into her hair. And when her fingers grazed the heavy sac beneath his penis, he jerked and gasped.

“Stop, Chloe. I’ll spend.”

She raised her head to find him watching her. “I need you, Michael. I need to feel you inside me.”

He laid her on the soft carpet and joined her. The feel of skin against skin was magnificent. Her breasts tingled against his hair-roughened chest, and she writhed beneath him, eager to touch more of his body. His tongue tantalized the buds that had swollen to their fullest, and her head fell back at the delicious pleasure. Passion rose in her like the hottest fire, clouding her brain.

He entered her with one powerful thrust, and they both cried out. “I love the feel of you. So hot, so ready for me.”

Her body melted against his, and the world was filled with him. Soon their bodies were moving in exquisite harmony. The hot, sliding friction roused her to the peak of desire. He reached between their bodies to touch her there, the sweet spot between her legs that made her tremble. Love flowed through her like warm honey, and she soared higher and higher until her world shattered into pure pleasure. He thrust once more, then threw back his head, and at the last moment, he withdrew, and his hot seed arced across her belly. They collapsed against each other, each gasping for breath.

He rolled to the side and tucked her curves against him. “I’m a changed man.”

She leaned back to study his face and caught his grin. She reached out to touch the ruffled dark hair that clung to his damp brow. “Because you spoke of the past?” she teased.

He caught her hand and kissed her palm. “No. Because of you.”

Her heartbeat throbbed in her ears. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from his handsome profile. “I knew you could talk about the war.”

He studied her thoughtfully. “Chloe, I admit that I’m relieved I was able to speak about the battle without triggering an episode, but you must know it could happen again.”

“I didn’t expect you to be cured. The soldier I spoke with only said it improves over time and that he must keep speaking about the trauma until it is no longer shocking. Only then did his symptoms ease. There is hope for you, Michael.”

“Hope,” he echoed. “It’s a wonderful word and I shall try to remember it.” Leaning up on an elbow, he looked at her. “You couldn’t have known I was in my study poring over old war maps. Why did you come today?”

She bit her lip. “I kept thinking about your distress from the fireworks. If there was a chance I could help, then I had to try.”

“I’m grateful.” He brushed her forehead with a kiss. “I’ve treated you badly in the past, and I owe you a service for helping me. I want you to know that I’d never do anything to harm you.”

Harm? Time had changed much between them. She knew he would never reveal that she’d been a pickpocket. At least that secret was safe from her family and society. But there were other secrets from her past, secrets that no one knew, not even Michael. She’d always planned and hoped they would stay deeply buried in the recesses of her mind, but for the first time, she wanted to reveal everything. To share her burdens with another.

Was it possible?