Page 24 of My Ruthless Duke

“What did you mean? Why would you say that you were not friends with my papa? Are you so cross with my mama’s presence that you felt compelled to lie? Were you just trying to hurt me?”

Dorian’s eyes widened in surprise. “I have no desire to harm you.”

“Then why lie? You promised! That was our accord that there would be no lies between us. You must have had a close relationship with him. What other reason could you have possibly had to force yourself to marry me? Most of all when it is so abundantly obvious that you cannot stand to be near me!” Cordelia yelled; she could not stop her voice from rising. She could not stop the outpouring of all of the emotions that she had kept pent up since their wedding day.

“As typical, you misunderstand.” Dorian’s chin lifted. “Boredom born of lack of friendship or adequate companionship, nothing more.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Cordelia continued, closing in on his space. She could not live the rest of her life like this. She could not stay here, alone, hoping that her mother was all right. She could not and would not haunt these halls avoiding this man because he did not wish to speak to her.

“It means that I took pity on you,” Dorian answered.

“You promised not to lie.” Even though the lie felt like a slap in the face, the anger that he would dare to say such a thing to her in the first place overpowered that sensation. “How can you stand here, say these things to my face when I know, I know that–”

She was silenced when Dorian took her face in his hands. He pulled her toward him, her body practically slamming against his as he pressed his lips against hers. Whatever protests or angry words that might have left her were silenced when he groaned. The sound was like he had finally allowed himself the object of his desire that he had been denying. It was such a far cry from the chaste kiss they had shared on their wedding day.

No, this? This was something alive. This was a living flame that coursed through her and coiled in her core. Dorian’s hand slid around her face to cup the back of her neck while the other dropped to the small of her back, pulling her into his chest until every exhale met his inhale. She was not even wholly aware that they were moving until her back collided with the library wall. Her mind felt fogged over in the very best possible way. It took her a moment to realize that she, too, could move her hands. Softly, they trailed over the outsides of his arms, up over the caps of his strong shoulders, and indulgently trailed over the muscles there.

Some small, distant part of her brain urged her to push him away, to slap him, to tell him that this would not solve anything. It should likely alarm her just how easily that part of her brain was wholly and completely silenced.

Instead, she kissed him back. She learned the movements of his tongue and lips against his and mirrored them back into his own. The tingling sensation bubbling up in her gut was overwhelming, even as he pushed her up the wall, his hands dropping to her rear and thigh to coax her legs up and around his waist.

Cordelia broke the kiss the moment he settled between her legs, the friction of him against her core, unlike anything that she had ever felt before. It was wonderful and heady, and she wanted more. Her arm banded around his shoulders, keeping herself close as he kissed her again. She was acutely aware of the fact that he was pushing her skirts up over her legs, exposing them to the warm library air.

Every inch of stocking-covered skin that Dorian’s hand traced tightened and tingled. She had no idea what was coming next, but every time he touched her, she was putty in his hands. She was easily moved and shifted. Dorian’s lips dragged over the corner of her mouth, teeth closing so softly over the corner of her jaw, and then traveled lower. Her head fell back, offering him access—anything he wanted, anything so long as he kept touching her. For the first time in weeks, she felt alive. She felt like she was at home in her skin.

“I love how you taste,” he groaned against her skin, the heat of his breath sending shivers down her spine. “You are intoxicating… utterly irresistible.”

Then she was a being of a whole other plane of existence when his fingers brushed over her sex, smoothing the wetness over his fingers and her folds as he groaned again. Such a raw sound, proof that she had been right—it was not lack of desire that kept him away. It was something else. She knew not what it was, but it was something else. It did not matter, not yet. His teeth and lips closed over the skin of her neck as his fingers parted her, tracing the lines of her core and circling over the swollen bundle of nerves that had her hips bucking forward into his hand. Each movement was hungry, bordering on frantic, the sounds oftheir breathing and her soft moans practically swallowed by the abundant books around them.

More.

She got what she wished. Her back arching off the wall, her body had a mind of her own as she arched into every point of contact and Dorian slipped his fingers inside of her. A whole sensation in and of itself. What had she denied him this for? She could not remember. It felt like a punishment that she had been denied this at all. Her hands fisted into the fabric of his jacket, clinging to him because the rest of her felt boneless.

“That’s it,” Dorian growled, lips brushing her ear. “Let me hear you. I want to hear every sound you make.”

Her breath came in short, sharp bursts as his lips lavished attention over her neck and collarbone while his fingers thrust up into her, over and over again—but it was his thumb, pushing against that part of her that nearly made stars burst on the back of her eyelids. Words threatened to tumble from her lips, but she did not dare break the bubble that they were in.

Dorian’s teeth closed softly over the top of her shoulder, the slight burst of pain combined with the pleasure in her core and she was pushed over the edge. Her body spasmed and tightened, her lungs froze as pleasure crested over her in waves.

“You are perfect,” he breathed, his lips tracing her jaw. “So responsive… so beautiful when you fall apart for me.”

He did not stop his fingers until the tension melted from her core and she could breathe freely on her own once more. Dorian set her back to rights ever so slowly, though her legs still felt weary and shaky. She braced her palm on the small table beside where she stood, not trusting herself to attempt to move even as her eyes locked onto his.

What she would not give to know what he was thinking.

Dorian brought his fingers up, letting his tongue lick off what was left of her from his skin, another low groan the only sound of parting that he gave before he left her there in the library.

Chapter 12

“Do you remember the time you convinced me that your governess’ spectacles could see through walls?”

Oh, nowthatwas a memory that she had not thought about in quite some time! Cordelia could hardly contain her deep amusement as her smile widened. She could not will herself to stop laughing. It wasso niceto finally be allowed to catch up with people again.

Matthew had come to call upon her a handful of hours ago with a lovely housewarming gift. And, thankfully, he had not askedtoomany probing questions about her married life or anything about the duke. He seemed to be perfectly content to sit there and reminisce with her. It wasexactlywhat her lonely heart needed. The lightness and companionship were such a welcome distraction from constantly trailing after her mother and attempting to make things better with her. For however long her cousin’s visit would last, she could just let her heart be light.

Now she was laughing until her face ached. What a perfect way for her to spend her afternoon.

“How could I forget? You avoided her for a week! You were so terrified she might catch you sneaking into the kitchens.”

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