AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Nineteen
His hands were everywhere, even where they had no business. She could not bring herself to stop him. It felt too good and she felt starved for touch and affection. As his hands closed over her left breast, however, she forced herself to loosen her hold on his neck so she could look in his eyes—darkened with lust to midnight blue. His black hair was uncharacteristically untidy, a curl falling on his forehead between his eyes, shiny with sweat and arousal.
“What are we doing?” she whispered.
He breathed hard a few times, staring at her as if uncomprehending. Finally, the glazed look cleared a little and he shook his head. “You’re right, we should stop.” He went to push her away from him but she held on tight.
“I didn’t say I wanted to stop. I just want to know what we are doing.”
He cocked his head to the side, watching her as if she were a fascinating specimen and he a scientist. “Are you…asking me my intentions?”
She had to work hard to keep the blush from her cheeks and she wasn’t sure she was ultimately successful. “Well…yes. I suppose I am.” She looked away from him, biting her lip in embarrassment.
“Oh…” he looked extremely flustered, “Well…I don’t even know…I mean, would you be interested in marriage?”
Something leapt in her chest that felt a lot like happiness. “Would you be offering marriage?”
He swallowed, lowering his eyes as he thought about it. She loosened her arms from around his neck, ready to step back and leave. He tightened his hold around her waist.
“Wait!” he hissed impatiently. “Give me a minute to think.”
Letty relaxed, watching his face. She assumed that if he’d intended to marry, it would have been to another aristocrat—perhaps Lady Perrin, despite his earlier words. She was a nobody and he was a Duke. She did not even know how she presumed to demand this from him.
He looked up and smiled. “Would you want to marry me, Miss Strange?”
“Well…” she let go of his neck in order to be free to pace about the room, “I don’t know. This is all a bit sudden.” She reached up, clutching an imaginary string of pearls as she smiled at him.
He threw his head back and barked with laughter.
“I am going to take that for agreement, Miss Strange. But before we announce our engagement, we must have done with this business.”
The bubbling happiness didn’t disappear from her bosom but itwasslightly dampened. “You’re right. Well then, I shall go. There is much for me to do.” She turned for the door and reached for the knob when his voice stopped her.
“Miss Strange?”
She turned her head to look at him. He held up a finger. “One more kiss?”
She huffed with amusement but let go of the door knob to cross the room to him. She paused, meeting his gaze. They regarded each other for a while.
“You just want to put your hands on me again.”
He lifted both hands in surrender. “I shall respect whatever boundaries you wish to impose.”
She bit her lips so as not to laugh. “Fine. You may put your arms around my waist.”
Immediately, he pulled her to him and she couldn’t help but giggle. His eyes were on her mouth as he tucked her in, snug against him. “This mouth has been tempting me ever since first I saw you.” He whispered before reaching forward and taking her bottom lip between his teeth. She let out a gasp as he suckled upon it before he let it go in favor of devouring her mouth. Helplessly aroused, she snaked her arms around his broad shoulders and held on for dear life, knees gone weak.
His hands certainly did not stay at her waist but she couldn’t say she minded. She liked the feel of their warm strength with which he caressed her back, hands wandering all the way down to her bottom and then up to her shoulders. He cupped her neck, the better to position her for his plunder. His fingers flicked at her nipples, surprisingly sensitive through two layers of fabric. She felt them stiffen into pebble-like hardness, wanted him to squeeze harder, to touch them more. But she couldn’t ask and he did no more than that.
Suddenly she was free of his arms and had to swallow down her disappointment.
Damn you for an honorable man.
He was breathing just as hard as she was, his normally cool skin flushed a delightful rosy color, and his hair thrown every which way. She wanted to jump into his lap and beg him to take her but she was frozen.
“You should go.” He croaked before clearing his throat.
Her eyes slid downward to eye the tent in his breeches and he uttered a pained sound. Slowly she turned away from him and forced herself to walk to the door. Her hands were shaking for an entirely different reason than they had before but her heart was singing with joy. She had no idea how they could possibly resolve this without somebody getting hurt but it didn’t dampen her happiness at the moment.
