Page 98 of Trapped with her Cruel Duke

The words made her stomach flutter.

“I do not know what it is you want from me,” she answered honestly.

“I want my wife, my Duchess. That is all. I never believed I would have a wife in my home, let alone one I looked forward to seeing every day.”

“We have been at each other’s throats since our wedding.”

Christian chuckled. “I would not say so. I have told you how I wish for things to be between us, and you have challenged me on every point,” he said playfully.

Louise sat up, rolling her eyes at him. “I have done no such thing.”

“Oh, yes?” he drawled. “When I told you that we would not share a bed, you simply lay in mine and gave me no choice.” He tucked that same wayward strand of hair behind her ear. “It was the best sleep I’ve ever had. I woke up quite confused by it all. I did not know how I felt, and I left before I had to confront it.”

“Are you suggesting that we share a bed every night?” she asked as he moved closer to her, his hand cupping her cheek.

“If you wish,” he whispered. “I would do anything you ask of me.” He leaned forward and kissed her gently.

She let out a soft sigh.

“You are so confusing, Your Grace,” she teased.

Christian chuckled. “As are you, Duchess.”

Louise looked into his eyes, searching them for the reassurance that she so desperately needed. They were warm and filled with affection, making her heart swell.

She steeled herself, moving her hand to his cravat and slowly loosening the ties she had secured earlier that day. Christian’s eyes darkened instantly as she drew it away from his neck.

“My Duchess, you are full of surprises,” he purred.

“I believe I shall tie your cravat every day,” she declared. “It is the only way it will remain straight.”

“My valet will be most pleased to hear it, I am sure,” Christian said as he gently pulled her into his lap.

Her skirts hindered her movements a little, but eventually, she was straddling him beneath the stars, the garden silent around them.

“Is this what you want?” Christian asked as he looked up at her uncertainly. “I did not bring you out here for this. I merely wished to spend time with you.”

Louise smiled, a rush of affection washing over her as she brushed the hair from his face. “I do want this, just as I did before.”

Christian’s smile was broad and happy. “Then I shall prove to you this instant how much I care for you, and you will no longer be able to doubt it.”

He pulled her down and kissed her gently, pressing her against him. They kissed for what felt like hours in the darkness and privacy of the gardens, and Louise’s heart sang at being so protected and cared for all at once.

Eventually, Christian lowered her to the blanket, kissing down her neck as he laid her on the cushions. His hands delved beneath the folds of her dress to unfasten her stays.

She was already quivering with need as his thumbs curled around the hem of her underclothes and slowly pulled them down her legs, before tossing them to the side with a wry smile.

“I believe I shall take you among the flowers more often, Louise,” he murmured. “You are always beautiful, but the moonlight reveals your true nature, I think.”

He leaned forward, taking her mouth again as his hand slid beneath her skirts, drawing a tantalizing path up her inner thigh until his fingers found her wet heat. She groaned, suddenly desperate to feel him again.

Louise spread her legs, and he let out a low groan, trailing kisses down her neck and slowly pushing the tip of his finger inside her. He stroked her, and she felt the pleasure pulsing in her core.

I never would have thought that this feeling could be so addictive. I could spend hours with him like this and never leave this place.

She shuddered as he slid his finger further inside her, even as he moved up her body again and covered her mouth with his own. He curled his finger upward and pumped it until she was crying out with abandon into the night.

Louise writhed beneath him as he pulled at her bodice, peeling the tight fabric off her breasts so that he could suck on her erect nipples, groaning all the while as he made her come alive with pleasure.

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