Page 29 of His Duchess' Wicked List

“No,” she whispered, pushing against his chest feebly. “No…”

“Are you certain?” His voice was thick with desire. “Please. Just one kiss. That is all I ask of you,” he added, sounding breathless.

Her body was trembling with fierce arousal, as well as the remnants of her anger. Shewantedhim to kiss her. Quite desperately. She knew she would regret it… but at this moment, nothing else seemed to matter.

“Yes,” she whispered. “Oh, yes.”

He didn’t waste any time. His arms tilted her back further, and his lips descended on her own, feasting on her with a hunger that took her breath away. As if he were a starved man and he had finally stumbled upon sustenance.

Maddie felt a jolt of pure, brutal desire snake through her as she opened her mouth beneath his, as hungry for him as he was for her. His tongue plunged into her mouth, tasting her, devouring her, for what seemed like an eternity.

She was so giddy with longing by the end of it that she barely noticed when his mouth left hers, trailing down her neck, landing hot, fiery kisses on it.

She closed her eyes in pure bliss as he nibbled and softly bit her tender skin. But then, they flew open as she felt his mouth fasten on the side of her neck, towards the nape, sucking hard.

It hurt… but in a way that was almost painfully delicious. Another bolt of desire shot through her body. And now, his hands were rising upwards from her waist, skimming her bodice, roughly caressing her breasts through the thin fabric of her gown.

She felt her nipples instantly harden. She wanted him to pull away the fabric, to rip the bodice of the gown aside, and take her breasts in his hands, twirling the nipples in his fingers. She wanted it so badly that it shocked her.

She knew she was losing all sense of control, that she was becoming a malleable ragdoll beneath his touch, and that she must stop it now, before she did anything more she might live to regret.

With a mighty effort, she pushed him away, her chest rising and falling. Daniel seemed confused. His eyes were glazed, looking like he was in a trance, as if he didn’t understand where he was at all.

“I must go,” she stammered. “I… I cannot do this any longer.” Abruptly, she thought of Augusta and the fact that their mother was intent on marrying her sister off to this man. “For pity’s sake, we might be related, one day!”

He looked even more confused. “What?”

Maddie turned on her heel and fled the room before he swept her under his spell again. Her heart was racing sickeningly as she left the quarters, taking a long, winding path behind the lake and towards the grand house. She didn’t want anyone to see her. She was supposed to be resting inside with a headache.

She heard the sound of chatter and laughter from the garden party as she slunk inside. Her heart heaved with relief. The party was still in full swing, which meant that probably no one had checked on her. But that wouldn’t last forever. Already, shadows were lengthening across the lawn. Soon, they would all be drifting inside to rest before changing for dinner.

She made her way up the imposing staircase. At the top, she stopped, biting her lip. There were long hallways leading off in both directions, and she realized that she actually had no idea which room she was staying in—they had joined the garden party immediately after arrival.

I can find it.I will simply open all the doors and see which one contains my trunks.

She started walking again, quickly opening doors and shutting them. She wasn’t in danger of disturbing anyone, as they were all at the party. If she couldn’t find her room, then she would go to the servants’ hall. Someone there would know, for certain.

She opened another door. This was a very large room, larger than the others, with a magnificent four-poster mahogany bed in the center and a connecting door to another room. Shegazed around in awe. She hadn’t ever seen such an impressive bedroom. It looked fit for a king.

Suddenly, she saw a dark green jacket hanging on the front of the ornate wardrobe. Her heart skipped a beat. She recognized that jacket—it belonged to the Duke of Everly. He had been wearing it the night she had sneaked away to his home in Grosvenor Square.

These are his chambers.And that door to the side connects them to the chambers that belong to the Duchess… when eventually there is one.

She felt frozen to the spot, unable to move. The urge to walk slowly around these chambers, to inspect them closely, was strong. Very strong. What would she find if she investigated? What pieces of him would she discover, this devilish man who had taken over her life out of the blue… and quite taken her peace of mind?

“Milady? Can I assist you?”

Maddie spun around. A footman was standing there, watching her intently, a quizzical expression on his face.

“Oh!” Maddie flushed, biting her lip. “I seem to be lost! I cannot find my room!”

The footman smiled. “I will help you find it, Milady. Come with me.”

Maddie followed him out of the room, feeling small and foolish. She hoped the Duke never found out about this. He would surely think she had done it deliberately.

She glanced back at the room before the door closed. He was an enigma. A puzzle she longed to solve. But it was far too dangerous.

Shemuststick to her resolve to stay as far away from him as possible… if only her treacherous body could be persuaded. Her Achilles heel was her overwhelming desire for him. It simply must be tempered… or she would surely lose everything.

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