Page 34 of His Duchess' Wicked List

His mouth left her nipple, and he gazed up at her, his eyes dazed. “Oh, Lord,” he whispered. “You are so moist, my darling. It is beautiful…”

She barely heard him, forsomethingwas happening to her under the touch of his hand, gaining in intensity by the second. He took her nipple back into his mouth, suckling furiously, as his fingers worked their magic inside her.

She stiffened again, crying out in an agonizing way as a flood of sensation enveloped her, wave after intense wave, with such force that she felt as if she was losing herself entirely.

“Oh!” she cried, lost in the wild wonder of it, as the peak hit her with the force of a sledgehammer. “Oh, Daniel.”

It was diminishing, tapering off, falling away from her. A delicious warmth enveloped her. She felt drowsy and content—more content than she had ever felt in her life. She barely had the energy to react when she felt him kiss her softly on the cheek as he slowly removed his fingers.

“Whatwasthat?” she murmured, her eyes fluttering shut.

She heard him laugh gently, as if from a great distance. “That was life itself,” he whispered. “That was the reason we live.”

She tried to reply, but she was so very, very sleepy. The last thing she felt was the warmth of a blanket laid gently over her before she blissfully drifted off to sleep.

Daniel kept gazing at the sleeping woman in his arms. She had crashed entirely. Fascinated, he kept watching her, noting her parted rosebud lips, the widow’s peak on her forehead, and her dusky eyelashes, which had golden tips, as if they had been gilded.

Hound’s teeth,I could watch her sleep all night. How beautiful she is.

He was so hard that it was painful. He wanted to take her so badly, especially after witnessing the wild abandon of her release, how her body had opened to him like a sunflower opening its petals to the sun. It would be easy. But something stopped him.

Wait.Prolong it. It will be well worth it.

He heard a muffled voice outside. She had slept long enough—people would be wondering where she was. He sighed heavily, putting a hand on her shoulder and shaking her gently. Her eyes opened. She looked dazed.

“Well, My Lady,” he whispered, “we can crossSleep With A Gentlemanoff your list now.”

Maddie sat up, looking confused. She didn’t say a thing for a moment. He put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently. But to his dismay, she stiffened, jumping to her feet. She gazed down at him.

“This was a mistake,” she muttered, straightening her gown, looking shamefaced. “A big mistake. And it willnothappen again.”

Before he could say anything, she ran out of the room, unlocking the door and disappearing into the night.

Daniel sighed again, getting up from the floor. He had hoped that she had irrevocably surrendered to what was happeningbetween them—to whatmusthappen between them. Alas, it seemed he still had work to do before he could finally possess her.

But what delicious work it was. The best sport that he hadeverundertaken.

He would dream of her tonight… of her beautiful face in that final moment of her release, when she had cried out. It was a sight that he could never forget. He was sure of it.

The next day at the breakfast table, Maddie could barely eat. All she could think about was what had happened the night before in the Duke’s lair. The shocking thing that had occurred within her body that she had never,everfelt before.

She blushed fiercely as she recalled what he had done to her. He knew her most intimate place. And he had coaxed something from her that she had never even known existed.

She glanced around the table. Mercifully, he wasn’t in attendance yet. She didn’t know how she could even look at him when the time came. Her strategy to avoid him must take precedence over everything else.

You are a fool.You walked into his trap willingly. You wanted it to happen.

And yet… her body was still glowing, still thrumming from what he had done to her. The amazing thing he had evoked within her. How could such an incredible thing be wrong? She was so confused that she didn’t know what to think anymore.

She was so engrossed in her reverie that she barely noticed when Selina sat down beside her, reaching for some toast. Her best friend coughed.

Maddie started.

“What happened to you last night?” Selina asked, buttering her toast. “You were gone for ages.”

Maddie plastered a smile on her face. “Oh, you know, I just kept wandering, searching for Lady Darnley’s pup.” She hesitated. “I didn’t realize that Augusta had found it already.”

“Thank the Lord,” Selina said, grinning. “I was starting to worry that it drowned in the lake. Lady Darnley was overjoyed when we brought it to her safe and sound.” She gazed at Maddie curiously. “You look different, dearest. You have a glow about you.”

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