AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Instead of moving away from her, he sauntered nearer, his proximity doing things to her mind and body that she never thought were possible. She too was unwilling to see him go. Now, he was standing before her, both of them achingly aware of each other’s presence. He reached out to her, bringing the pad of his thumb to her lips. The motion was so sudden, so unexpected, so sinful that it made her very core explode with desire.
They could say whatever they wanted about the Duke of Mosebridge. They could call him the most vicious man in all of London, the most dangerous one as well, but that was not the man who was standing in front of her this very moment. There was something utterly mysterious and sensual about this man as if his every move, his every breath, his every word was laden with lascivious intent.
His thumb was not touching her lip any longer, but his fingers were caressing her cheek as he looked at her with that midnight gaze that threatened to be the undoing of them both. She knew that she should simply bid him good night and close the door. She knew it, yet she could not bring herself to do it. He was so close to her that she could smell the port on his breath. How she wished to drink it from his lips.
“I want you to know that I am here for you,” he whispered to her, reaching out with his other hand and brushing the hair over her right shoulder, exposing her delicate neck. His fingers glided down it, gently pressing on the spots where he seemed to know her tension dwelled. But the moment he caressed that exact same spot, she was relieved of that tension. All that was left instead was yearning desire.
In her mind, she had already surrendered to him, to this wicked man who had come to her in the middle of the night. She wanted to fight him, but that would mean that she would also need to fight herself.
“I will always keep you safe,” he told her as both his hands found her shoulders, turning her around and gently pushing her back into her chamber. Together, they walked inside then she heard the sound of the door closing behind them. “Bow your head…” he whispered, and all she could do was obey.
She didn’t want him to remove his hands from her. It felt too good. She was too weak. She acquiesced too easily. So, she just lowered her head downward, allowing his fingers to work the muscles of her neck as he massaged her gently. A million little goosebumps traveled up and down her body as he did so. The sensation was beyond description.
“Don’t fight this,” he whispered again, his lips grazing her earlobe as he spoke. “I know you want this as much as I do.”
There was no point in denying it. He was right. The sight of his bare hands working in the dirt made her heart flutter with desire. Now, those same hands and fingers were on her body, caressing it. His touch was more wanted than she herself wished to admit. Whether or nor she felt shame about it was irrelevant. What mattered was that she did not wish him to stop… ever.
His fingers continued to knead her soft flesh tenderly. She closed her eyes, exhaling loudly, allowing all the tension to ooze out of her body. The moment seemed to last forever. She never wished it to end.
“Give yourself to me, Amelia…” The sound of his voice was devilishly seductive, following by a kiss on her earlobe. It took her by surprise, and yet, she somehow expected it.
She moaned softly, her eyes still closed, still hiding her breasts with her arms as if she could conceal herself from his attention, from his hot breath. His tongue trailed an invisible line right behind her ear, a place she did not even know possessed so many nerve endings that it almost made her gasp loudly with pleasure. She was washed over by a mellow wave of delight, but the more she felt his tongue, the more that mellow sensation was replaced by something far more potent. Her thighs answered the call, exploding with warmth and longing.
“You trust me, don’t you?” His wicked tongue removed itself, only so he could whisper those words again.
She swallowed heavily, unable to respond. The only sounds that came from her were heavy pants and shallow breathing. She had no voice to give to her tumultuous thoughts. Everyone assured her that he was a dangerous man, that he treated women badly, and that he was not to be trusted. Yet, she did not dare tell him anything, lest she revealed far too much of what was happening deep inside of her right now. From the moment she had stepped foot in this house, she had become conflicted by what she had heard and what she was finding out about him. Now, she was even more so.
Without waiting for her response, he planted a soft kiss upon her neck. His fingers released her from their grip, and she mourned their departure. But soon enough, his hands enshrouded her, locking her in an embrace from behind. He pressed his hands over hers which were still hiding her breasts. The touch felt far too intimate, yet her hands seemed to have a mind of their own as they released the treasure they were concealing. Instantly, his hands cupped her breasts softly. They fit perfectly into the palms of his hands.
Amelia’s cheeks flushed immediately. She felt as if someone lit a fire between her thighs, and now the flames were spreading throughout her body. Pleasure peaked from her very depths. The fabric of her nightgown allowed for very little concealment, and her pebbled nipples almost pierced right through it. His fingers found them easily, rolling them softly.
She could still pull away. She could still bid him good night. She could end all this, but that was the last thing that she wanted. All she could do was surrender to his merciless touch as he gently tugged on her nipples, still planting soft, butterfly kisses along her neck. To her utter shame, she even tilted her head a little to the side, allowing him better access to her porcelain skin which he seized immediately.
Now, his entire mouth was on her, not just his lips. She could feel his mouth sucking, nibbling, his tongue licking so gently that it almost made her chuckle aloud. But she feared that would make him stop, so she resisted the temptation to do so.
“You are so beautiful…” His voice was husky, much deeper than usual. It made her moan softly in response. Desire surged through her veins as his hands kept her close to him. He continued to suck gently on the tender flesh of her neck then suddenly, he stopped.
Her eyes opened wide. She could not understand the interruption. Even his hands on his breasts stilled for a moment. Her entire body ached, in desperate need of his touch. It was as if he had awakened her body in a way it had never been awakened before, and now, it would never be able to go back to sleep again.
“I have been waiting so long to do this,” he murmured, breathing hot air down her neck, making all the little hairs on her body stand on end. Nothing could have prepared her for this onslaught of sensations that he had put her through with just a few touches and kisses. It was nothing short of astounding, devilishly delicious.
Then, his delicate fingers lowered themselves, and she exhaled loudly, released the breath she did not even know she had been holding. She knew what he was about to do. She knew it, and she wanted him to, despite the redness on her cheeks, despite the shame and embarrassment of her own promise that they would never be intimate like this.
His fingers knowingly stopped right around her waist, gripping at the thin fabric of her nightgown, slowly pulling it upward. Then, his fingers touched her bare stomach. Skin on skin. It was beyond pleasurable, beyond anything she could have imagined.
“Arthur…” she moaned his name, and the sound echoed in the room around her.
A single, most painstaking moment later, she realized that she was alone in her bedchamber, sitting upward in bed. She must have prompted herself up the moment she woke up from this dream, calling out his name loudly. Heaven help her.
She pressed her hand to her chest. Her heart was still beating violently, remembering every single moment of her dream, every single touch, every single kiss. Her cheeks still burned with desire. Her eyes immediately adjusted to the darkness that reigned inside the room. For a moment, she hoped that she would see him somewhere here, proof that it wasn’t just a dream.
But that was merely wishful thinking. Furthermore, it was dangerous, for she just realized that she didn’t know how much longer she would be able to fight this attraction she felt for the Duke of Mosebridge, her husband.
Frustration exploded inside of her, just like pleasure did just a few moments ago. Only, this time, it wasn’t a dream.
CHAPTER11
That morning, he managed to catch Amelia still in the dining room. She was wearing a lovely, lavender colored gown which accentuated her delicate features to perfection. She lifted her gaze to him, nodding in greeting. He sat down opposite her this time. Mrs. Collins had been thoughtful enough to already place the morning newspapers by his plate. Breakfasts were usually solitary moments for him, during which he got used to reading while eating in order to prepare for the day ahead.
