Page 52 of The Duke of a Thousand Desires

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She feignedsleep for half an hour, collecting her thoughts, blissfully aware of the man in bed beside her. She listened to the pattern of his breathing, deep and relaxed. She thought of how magnificent it had felt to be ravished by his hard male body. Dare she remove the heavy arm that he had flung across her midsection? Or did she like her imprisonment? She could make out the shape of his strong jawline and one broad shoulder in the dark.

She had not lost herself at all. He had become part of her. He was indeed a splendid lover.

Was he awake?

Should she ask?

How was she to break this profound silence? Perhaps it was best to let him speak first.

Etiquette lessons offered a young lady advice on the appropriate response when presented to royalty or to an unknown person at a party. Such instructions did not include what to say to one’s husband after a breathtaking deflowerment.

“Oh. That was lovely, your grace. Shall we do it again?”

Or, “I feel as sticky as a bun -- at sixes and sevens. May I be excused from your presence to attend to my toilette? The room has turned chilly, hasn’t it? Would you cover me in kisses to warm me up?”

The sheets rustled at her side, releasing the combined scents of lavender and sex. A sigh escaped her as Simon climbed lithely from the bed. It took a mere glimpse at his naked body to restimulate her senses. She wished the night would never end and that they would resume their nuptials. Then she realized he was reaching for the bell cord. She dove under the coverlet in panic.

“You don’t mean to summon a servant while we are still -- in bed?” she asked in a muffled voice.

He returned to her side, unclad and evidently unconcerned what the staff would make of him. “Didn’t I see a man’s robe on the dressing screen?” she asked. “Is it there for display? How could I have thought for one moment that you were reserved?”

“It’s cold in here,” he said. He perched on the edge of the bed, his natural state so engrossing that the chill in the air could not counteract her blushes. “Would you like the fire stoked?”

She stared around in dismay. Where had the pillows gone? She was surprised Simon had not brought down the silk tester curtains during their third bout of lovemaking. He had sworn to handle her with gentleness, but the fact remained that he was a physical man and had proven himself as such.

She approved. She was a vigorous woman herself.

“You’re hiding under the covers,” he noted. “Not from me, I trust. Have I wounded you in any way?”

“Deeply,” she murmured. “I’ll never be the same, you great brute.” She hadn’t worked up enough nerve to meet his gaze, as intensely curious as she was about both the details of his body and emotional state. “I’m joking, Simon.”

His brow furrowed. “I caused you pain?”

“Not as much as I anticipated. It’s a natural act, after all.”

“There isn’t always pleasure for a woman.” He leaned over the mound of bedding that hid her, his voice stark with desire. “Is there a spot on your body that I’ve neglected to adore?”

She glanced up at his face. He looked sweetly anxious and yet forbidding. For an instant she thought of David, of how different she might feel had Simon not taken his place. But it was as if the duke had already erased him. She would never know another man. No one else could compare.

Without warning he lowered his head another inch and kissed her with lingering possession. She basked in his warmth. Her body went limp. He said, “Forgive my roughness. Are you recovered enough for me to hold you, knowing what it might lead to?”

“You are demanding,” she whispered, a frisson of anticipation sliding down her spine.

“You are sublime,” he said as he settled against her. “I feel as if I’ve conquered the world.”

She smiled, curling her knees into his side. “Not just a continent?”

“I want to give you a gift to celebrate our wedding. Gems, gowns, a golden coach.”

She wriggled to fit against the hard contours of his body. “A glass of water?”

“Rest while I bring it to you.”

“I really am in need of a wash, Simon.”

“I shall attend to that, too. There is nothing more I can do to give you comfort?”