Page 74 of Trapped with her Cruel Duke

There was a burn and a sharp pain as he slowly moved inside her, but he went so slowly that she could breathe through any discomfort. She looked up at him in wonder as she felt their hips finally connect.

“My God,” Christian groaned, squeezing his eyes shut, “you are perfect.”

He pulled back and slowly slid into her again, and Louise closed her eyes, panting underneath him as each thrust lit her from within until she could not tell where he began and where she ended.

After several tentative thrusts, he grew bolder. His hands came down on either side of her shoulders as he hovered above her and then thrust his hips forward.

They both cried out as their pleasure began to build, and Christian groaned as he pounded into her over and over again. He bent down to take her mouth, kissing her at the same rhythm as his movements, making her whole body come alive with a desperate yearning for completion.

“Oh!” she cried out desperately, pulling away. “I cannot?—”

“I want to feel you, Duchess. I want you to grip me tightly as you find your release.”

At those words, she screamed, arching into him as she crested a wave of desire she had never experienced before, her walls tightening around him just as he had asked.

Christian growled low in his throat, but then he let out a quiet curse as he hastily withdrew, spilling his seed on her stomach as he stroked himself.

He let out a long, contented sigh and then collapsed on the bed beside her.

CHAPTER 29

After a few minutes, Christian rose and made his way to the edge of the room.

Louise watched, a little perplexed, until she noticed the basin of steaming hot water that had been placed beside the ewer. She lay still, admiring him for a few minutes as he placed a cloth in the water and wrung it out. He looked magnificent then, strong and muscular, the candlelight dancing beautifully across his golden back.

He turned around and walked back to the bed, a gentle smile playing on his lips. Louise was still catching her breath as he leaned over her with the cloth in one hand and gently wiped between her legs, the feel of it soothing and warm all at once.

After ensuring that she was clean, he saw to himself, and Louise could not help but watch his every movement. His smile grew as she watched him, and she knew he could feel her eyes on him.

It was a pleasant moment as they both came down from the lofty heights of their shared pleasure, but his attention confused her, nonetheless. She attempted to read his expression in the dim light of the room, but she was unable to discern what he was feeling.

He looks as though he truly cares for me. Is that just an illusion?

Christian withdrew shortly after and put the cloth back in the basin. Louise was desperate to know how things would develop from now on. She rose from the bed, making her decision as she did so.

If he wishes to treat me as his wife, I shall act as one.

She pulled back the covers, revealing the crisp white sheet beneath, and slid inside. He leaned against the bedpost, quite naked, raising his eyebrows at her as she pulled the covers over her body.

“If you think I am walking back to my room and dressing again, you are mistaken. I am sleeping here, beside my husband,” she stated, with more confidence than she felt.

Christian’s low chuckle calmed her nerves as he walked to the other side of the bed and blew out the candle. The room was dark, illuminated only by the fire and the moonlight streaming through the window.

Louise snuggled beneath the covers, the cold sheets cooling her heated body and making her sigh in contentment.

Who would have known that I would be sharing a bed with my husband so soon?

Christian lay down beside her, his warmth and tender embrace a balm to her soul. His hand slid around her, stroking her skin gently as he let out a soft sigh.

“Thank you,” she whispered into the darkness.

“No thanks are needed. I assure you, Duchess, the pleasure was entirely mine.”

She closed her eyes as they snuggled against one another and allowed sleep to take them.

The next morning, Louise woke up alone. She knew before she opened her eyes that the spot behind her was empty.

She kept her eyes closed for a little while, wishing that it was not the case until she could no longer avoid the inevitable.

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