Page 38 of The Duke and the Temporary Bride

“You begged for him!”

“This is what I asked for!”

Harder and harder he thrust. Faster and faster. He pulled his arm from underneath her and pushed her head forward, careful that she was not looking at him. He grabbed hold of her hips and roared as he continued to pound into her. She spasmed and convulsed. She writhed as she took him. She threw her head back and screamed at the top of her lungs as he punished her.

And then, Selina began to feel it. His legs trembled. His thrusts became more sporadic and random. His breath hitched, and she wondered what was going on.

Suddenly, he wrapped his arm around her neck again. He pulled her back and bit her neck. He buried himself inside her deeply, and she felt him climax—a sensation she could not have imagined until it happened, one that had her eyes growing wide in surprise and her smile growing even wider than that.

She moaned and wiggled her hips as he filled her with his seed, and then she ground herself against him so that he could not pull out.

It might have been awkward after that. It might have been tense. Strangely, it was neither of those things.

Benedict pulled out and turned his back on her as if ashamed. She stepped behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She could feel his heart racing, as was her own.

Silence fell over them, neither knowing what to say or do. That was until a thought came to mind, one which Selina could not help but voice, for she knew it would seal this moment as what they both knew it to be—right.

“I will tell you one thing,” she said as she kissed the back of his neck. “That certainly beats flute practice.”

Chapter Thirteen

“So… that was something,” Selina murmured after a long silence.

“It certainly was,” Benedict agreed.

“A shame you tossed my flute down the hall,” she ventured. “It is likely broken.”

“I hope it is.”

“Now I might have to find other ways of forcing you to speak with me. Heaven forbid.”

He chuckled softly. “I am sure you will think of something.”

“Perhaps I will have Harris move the pianoforte into this room tomorrow. Let’s see if you’ll toss it down the hall too.”

“I suppose that depends on how angry you make me.”

They lay on the floor in the spare room, wrapped in one another’s arms. The conversation was minimal at best, but agreeable and in no way awkward.

Selina’s head rested on Benedict’s bare chest. It was more comfortable than it should have been, and even the wooden floor beneath her hips was barely noticeable, as she was able to focus on his large arm under her waist. For one who was so violent and vicious when it came to lovemaking, he was surprisingly tender and gentle once it was over.

As to the silence that came after each effort she made at conversation? Selina had no idea what was going on inside Benedict’s head, far too concerned with her confused thoughts.

Well… that was unexpected. Or perhaps it was the most predictable thing of all time?

When Selina had decided to play the flute to annoy Benedict, she truly had not considered where it might lead. Yes, she had wanted to annoy him. And yes, she had wanted to anger him. But did she think that it would end in such passion that her legs still trembled nearly ten minutes later? Certainly not.

He is just so impossible to figure out.

On the one hand, he seemed to want nothing to do with her. On the other hand, whenever he dared to speak with her, to engage in any meaningful way, it was undeniable how simpatico they were. Even when they were fighting, there was a sense of agreement between them, as if they only did so because they knew each other that well.

But it couldn’t just be the fighting. And after what had just happened, there was no way they could go back to ignoring one another. A middle ground was needed. One that she fully expected her husband to stick to.

“Benedict…” She gently extricated herself from his arms. “I think we need to talk.”

She looked at him expectantly, but as was ever his way, he said nothing, staring at the ceiling as if she had not spoken. Was he going to pretend that this had not just happened? Was he content to go back to how things had been?

“What just happened…” She hesitated, again waiting for him to look at her. “I think we can both agree that it was unexpected.” She chuckled, but he did not return it. “Yet, at the same time, I think that it was also necessary.”

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