Page 78 of A Bride for the Rakish Duke

He smiled against her lips, his other hand pushing the sleeve of her housecoat down her arm. Once he freed her of it, he threw it to the opposite side of the carriage and gathered up the skirts of her nightdress. Kissing her fervently, he pulled the garment up over her head and let it join the housecoat on the opposite squabs.

“What if someone sees?” she gasped, but he had lost all ability to care about such things.

He doubted that he would ever tire of the glorious sight of her, naked in front of him, knowing that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Knowing that she felt the same way about him as he did for her, their hearts entirely in agreement, as unified as their bodies could be.

“I do not care if we are splashed across every scandal sheet, kitten,” he purred. “I only care about making you feel as if you are in paradise every day of your life.”

Meaning it, he slipped his hand between her thighs and touched her most sensitive spot. She bucked instinctively, and he grazed his teeth across his lower lip as he began to strum and circle that swollen bud, determined to have her reach her conclusion at least thrice before they made it back to Stonebridge.

She braced her hands against his shoulders, her fingernails digging into his flesh. And as he gasped, her eyes gleamed with delight, and her mouth sought his, pressing a fierce kiss to his lips. And when he eased his fingers inside her, he caught her moan of pleasure, feeling it vibrate against his mouth.

Before long, she was trembling and shivering in his embrace, crying out his name so loudly that anyone passing by would have raised an eyebrow. But it was the early hours of the morning, and the country roads were empty, and inside the carriage, they were in their own world of love and pleasure and everything that came with it.

“Yes, my love,” she moaned as the wave of bliss began to ebb. “Oh… you are a talented man. Truly, you are.”

“Only because I have such an inspiring muse,” he told her, withdrawing his fingers.

She shook her head. “Ihave the inspiring muse.”

As if to prove her point, she tugged at his shirt and lifted it over his head, dropping it to the ground. In the next moment, her fingertips were fumbling with the fastenings of his trousers, and in a somewhat awkward display of yanking and shimmying that made them both laugh, they managed to remove his trousers together.

“I meant it,” he said huskily, panting as he felt the heat of her brush against his manhood. “I intend to love you so fiercely that even your favorite books will seem like chaste, drab tales.”

She grinned. “Do not dare ruin my books for me, Wolfie.”

“I cannot help it,” he told her as he lifted his hips and pierced that maddening, glorious heat.

Her breath caught in her throat as she sank down and paused for a moment with her eyes closed. He let her grow accustomed to the sensation, admiring her beauty and the utter satisfaction that appeared on her face. And as her eyes opened again, gazing longingly at him, he grasped her around the waist and laid her down on the velvet squabs.

Kissing her slowly, he began to move his hips, grinding against that secret bud of hers. She gasped against his lips, and her hands skimmed down the muscles of his back, sliding over the rise of his buttocks, urging him deeper.

Sliding an arm underneath her to keep her from falling off if the carriage suddenly hit a rut in the road or a wheel became unsteady, he withdrew with teasing slowness, before easing back into her. It was a reasonably long journey back to Stonebridge; he had all the time in the world to grant her as much pleasure as she could take.

Entwined on the squabs, both of them baring everything to one another, he finally understood why so many people searched for a lifetime for that rare and precious thing called ‘love.’ It made the act of joining together almost transcendent, as if they were truly one being, connected in every way, pursuing paradise together.

But it was the prospect of the ordinary that thrilled him just as much, as he imagined waking up beside her every morning and retiring to bed together every evening, enjoying breakfast together and sharing the morning news, taking walks, discussing improvements to the manor that both of them would like to see,and simply being together, just the two of them.Thatwas as much a paradise to him as the physical, and he hoped that if they were blessed with children, those children would know what love looked like and demand nothing less for themselves.

“You have… changed everything,” he murmured, sinking deep into the heat of her.

She arched her neck, and he kissed the column of her throat, savoring the sweetness and saltiness of her skin. “As have you. You have… changed, and it is… everything.”

“Is that what… love does?” he whispered, trailing kisses down to her bosom, where he drew an erect nipple into his mouth and sucked gently.

She gasped, bucking against him. “I think so,” she moaned. “No… I know so.”

Before long, she was trembling in his arms once again, half screaming his name despite the fact that the poor driver could probably hear everything. But once again, William found that he did not care, for there was nothing to be ashamed of. Indeed, what could be more beautiful than having a wife he loved, who was unafraid of her desire and her pleasure?

“If this… is just the beginning of our love story,” she panted, smiling, “then I cannot wait to turn the page.”

He smiled back down at her, brushing the sweat-dampened hair out of her face. “Nor can I, my love,” he told her in earnest. “Nor can I.”

For every chapter of theirs, he was certain, was destined to have a happy ending. And though there might be arguments and disagreements along the way, he knew that with the love that bloomed in his heart for her, they would never, ever find themselves in a place where they felt shackled instead of divinely blessed.

This was love, and even if it meant putting his heart at risk, he was ready for it and everything that came their way. Indeed, he could think of no greater adventure.

EPILOGUE

“Mother?” William called down from the landing, spotting Mary going down for breakfast.

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