Page 28 of A Virgin for the Cruel Duke

“You like that, don’t you?” and oh he was smug, and it made her want all those unknown things even more as if she could bed the smugness right out of him. She wanted to tell him so but instead all that came out of her was “More!” and he took her at her word, redoubling his efforts with fingers and tongue until she thought she might lose her mind with it.

“I need, I need,” Elizabeth gasped, not knowing what it was she was begging for, only that she would do just about anything for it. “I know,” Stephen said, voice low, somehow commanding and gentle at the same time. “I know what you need, don’t worry.”

He left her breasts, now so sensitive the air itself felt like an echo of his touch, and began to kiss down over her stomach only to pause once more as he reached her mound of Venus. “May I?” he said, looking up at her, all trace of humor gone from his expression. Elizabeth had no idea what he was asking but it didn’t matter, anything to alleviate the unbearable desire in her and she would say yes.

“Please, Stephen,” she said. “Please.” Stephen, the duke,her husband, watched her for a moment, a small, victorious smile turning up the corner of his mouth. Then he parted her legs and settled between them, pressing a kiss to the inside of her thigh, just above where her stockings sat. This time his kisses trailed upwards, and confusion and shock warred within her, because surely he couldn’t be intending…

He was. He did. His tongue found its way inside of her and she did scream this time, hands clenching in the sheets as her whole body reacted to the feel of it. It was electric. It was like nothing else, except maybe the feel of his tongue stroking the inside of her mouth, only more so, and so many other things as well.

A string of blasphemies found its way out of her mouth as she twisted beneath his onslaught. It was so much, it was too much, and when he stopped to once again ask if she was alright and if she’d like him to continue she thought about killing him.

“Yes, for the love of God yes, don’t ever stop again!” Elizabeth cried out in near unhinged frustration, and the damnable man actually did laugh at her again before putting his mouth back where it belonged and putting it to proper use.

It was like a kind of madness, the pleasure taking possession of her body and driving all thought and self-preservation from her mind. Elizabeth bucked and twisted below him like a wild thing, crying out the most obscene things and guttural noises any proper lady ought to be ashamed of. But of course she wasn’t one, and perhaps he didn’t mind that, because her wildness seemed only to drive him on, refining and intensifying her pleasure.

The climax took her by surprise, heat and intense waves of an indescribable pleasure beginning where his mouth joined her sex and shooting all throughout her body before leaving her limp and exhausted. “I assume that is to Your Grace’s satisfaction?” Stephen said, and without opening her eyes Elizabeth knew he wore that expression of insufferable smugness again where he lay between her legs. Once again she found it truly hard to care and instead held her arms out for him. The bed shifted, then dipped, as he resettled himself beside her and took her in his arms, kissing her forehead as she nestled in against him in sleepy satisfaction.

“I did not know a body could do that,” she heard herself admitting, and the smile was evident in Stephen’s voice as he replied.

“There are all kinds of things a pair of bodies can do that you may find delightful, and all the time in the world for me to show them to you.”

Elizabeth let out a hum, soft and pleased and hopeful and felt herself begin to drift off. Distantly she was aware of Stephenmoving, perhaps even of him leaving the bed - then a door, and she was aware of a sense of loss, but sleep had caught her by that time and she let herself slip away into dreams.

CHAPTER 13

“Catch me if you can,” Elizabeth challenged over her shoulder, darting further into the garden. Her feet were bare, something she had not done for years and the grass was warm and soft underfoot as she ran. She was wearing a light white muslin, something she would normally have never dared wear outside and the ties were loose, leaving her breasts dangerously close to spilling out of the top.

She could hear him chasing her, his laughter carrying after her on the air as she ran towards the little garden he had taken her to, the fountains calling to her under the summer heat.

“I see you,” he called.

She had known he would enjoy the chase. He was the hunter and she the prey, and yet it did not make her feel powerless as she climbed onto the fountain and stood, letting the water drench her and plaster her dress against her skin. The soft blush of her naked flesh now showed through the wet muslin as though she were wearing nothing and her hair was wet and wild around hershoulders. She tossed her head back, relishing the cool water and waited for him to reach her.

She felt like a nymph of the fountain, like a magical being who was drawing him on towards her for her own desires.

Strong hands encircled her waits and drew her into his embrace, Stephen claiming her mouth as his rightful prize. They pressed against each other, her wet near-nakedness hungry for his body and longing to know the secrets he might teach her as his hands shifted, found her breasts and slid her dress further down her shoulders to free them to the air.

She arched into his grip, into his touch, her head falling back as he kissed his way down her throat. He was still holding her to him and he was so strong, so powerful and she yearned - sheyearned - she

Awoke with a start to Sally leaning over her and shaking her shoulder lightly. “Your Grace, you are still abed? It is near to breakfast!”

“Oh you have woken me!” Elizabeth blurted, then felt her face suffuse with a flush of embarrassment. She could not take it back now, but she wanted to desperately. It felt as though all thethingsthat Stephen had done with her, all thethingsshe had felt last night must be writ over the room, that Sally must know from her very face what they had done, and she could not bear it.

“Your Grace?” Sally frowned, concern on her sweet face. “Is everything all right?”

“All is well,” Elizabeth said quickly, wanting to bury her face in her pillows but not daring. “I am simply tired. It was a busy night and then I had a - dream.”

“A dream?”

“A nightmare,” Elizabeth said hastily. “I was being pursued by a - monster.”

“I am right glad I woke you then, Your Grace!” Sally said stoutly. “Now come and get dressed. Some new morning dresses have arrived today for you!”

“Please, Sally, just one of my old dresses thank you.” There was so much to think and feel about last night already that Elizabeth did not want to think what might happen should she go down to breakfast in one of the new dresses Stephen had bought for her. It would feel something like calling herself his and she wasn’t sure yet how she felt about that.

Sally made an expression of disapproval but didn’t argue, going and fetching a simple morning dress and helping Elizabeth to change and tidy herself after her busy evening and night. “Whatever happened to your gown, Your Grace? All the servants were abuzz about it this morning. It’s been sent to be cleaned but apparently it was such a sight that there are rumors flooding around that you were chased through the woods, or had to flee some terrible fellow after your modesty!”

Elizabeth laughed, well used to the way that servants could make a meal of gossip out of the smallest details of their employer’slives. “Darling Sally, nothing so sinister! I found a wounded bird in the forest, that’s all. I do hope it is all right this morning!”

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