Page 40 of Wedded to the Sinful Duke

“You don’t mean to?—”

“Ciara,” he said in a mockingly stern voice, “you are not being a good pupil.”

Her heart fluttered at his voice, at his eyes, and she nodded. That was all she could do before he lowered his head, and she could feel an onslaught of his hot breath on her most sensitive flesh.

“Oh…” she moaned softly, biting her lower lip. Without thinking, she grabbed a handful of his hair in a desire to keep him there, between her legs.

His tongue found the sensitive bundle of nerves she had dared to touch only a handful of times. The sensation was beyondwonderful. She had forgotten everything she had been trying to tell him as his tongue lapped, flicking over her sensitive bud, creating tidal waves of incredible pleasure. She gasped, her eyes closed, her hips jerking towards him, giving all of herself to him and his knowing tongue.

“Mmmm,” she heard him murmur. “You taste like a most decadent dessert…”

That was when she felt his lips on her as he sucked her into his mouth. Wet heat enveloped her as sensation bloomed with a strength she never even knew she had. Her breathing was ragged, and she could barely keep up with the waves of pleasure he was creating. He knew exactly what he was doing as his tongue flicked over her in steady pulses, creating the perfect friction, bringing her to the edge. She never wanted him to stop.

He lifted his eyes to hers, dark and unfathomable with his mouth on her. That was when she completely lost control, seeing him in such a carnal, intimate manner. Something inside of her clenched then exploded. Ripples of pleasure spread throughout her entire body as she gently rocked into his mouth until only faint remnants of shivers were left.

He pulled away from her, his lips glistening from her heat. Still trembling, she waited for him to kiss her, to do something else, but instead, he fell to the side of the bed next to her. She waited for a few moments longer then she couldn’t resist asking.

“Is… that all?”

He chuckled again, that same wonderfully masculine laughter. “Oh no, siren. We are just getting started. But I think that’s enough for your first lesson.”

He got up, and without another word, he left her chamber, closing the door behind him.

All she could hear at that moment was the palpitating sound of her own heart, wondering what on earth she had done.

CHAPTER 19

Hyde Park was a lush, serene escape from the bustle of London, the perfect setting for a leisurely afternoon walk. Ciara strolled, her arm resting on Jonathan’s, her eyes flicking around to catch the curious glances of other park-goers. She knew their presence was drawing attention, but she tried to focus on the company and the conversation.

Hector and Adeline were trailing behind them quietly, occasionally making pleasant conversation.

“You know, Hector is the last person who’d want to join us for a stroll through Hyde Park,” Jonathan admitted, assuring that his friend couldn’t hear which made Ciara even more amused.

“How come he is here then?” she asked in a hushed tone of voice while Lord Islington and her friend were still debating which of the romantic poets was better.

“He owed me a favor,” Jonathan chuckled. “Besides, I always wanted to make him do something like this. He loathes these… propriety-driven rules and regulations of the ton.”

“And you?” she asked although she was certain that she already knew the answer.

“I would lie if I said I didn’t,” he admitted. “Although being a Duke comes with a certain set of responsibilities, ones I simply cannot run away from, no matter how hard I tried.”

For a moment, she believed she could see a glimpse of the man he truly was and not the man he presented himself to be to the world. However, that moment passed as quickly as it had appeared.

“So, I make my own rules,” he concluded. “If the ton likes it, fine. If not, they can all go to the devil, for all I care.”

Ciara knew that feeling well. Only three days had passed since her first lesson, and already, she felt a change in herself. She had undertaken her duchess duties with more enthusiasm, and she could feel herself working with more joy and energy. She wondered if he was responsible for that.

Then, as they were walking, they ran into a lady Ciara didn’t know. However, the lady seemed to know her husband very well as she and her friend stopped to greet him.

“Your Grace,” the lady smiled, her rouged lips revealing perfectly aligned teeth, “fancy meeting you here.”

“Lady Fletcher,” Jonathan said in a flat tone of voice, so Ciara couldn’t tell if he was happy or annoyed to have to speak to her. He bowed before the lady and her friend. “May I introduce my wife, Her Grace Ciara Whitlock, the?—”

“Duchess of Silverbrook,” Lady Fletcher interjected, finishing his sentence. “Why, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Duchess.”

“Lady Fletcher,” Ciara nodded politely although there was something in the way the woman eyed her that sent shivers down her spine.

“I suppose it is marriage then, keeping you so busy,” Lady Fletcher turned her attention back to Jonathan as if Ciara wasn’t even there.

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