Page 33 of His Duchess' Wicked List

She raised her chin, meeting his gaze. He was impossibly beautiful to her as well, but she didn’t know how to express it. Her heart somersaulted with delight as she absorbed his tall, muscular physique, the way a dark lock fell across his forehead, and his magnetic grey eyes. Truly, she had never beheld a man like him.

I want to touch him. I want him to touch me.

But suddenly, his countenance changed. His gaze hardened, just a little.

“My cousin seems to appreciate your beauty as well,” he said curtly, his eyes narrowing. “I do hope that you are not encouraging him.”

“We have already spoken about this,” she countered, an edge to her voice. “I am merely being polite to Lord Christopher.”

He kept gazing at her. “Really? Because you were ensconced in quite a cozytête-à-têtewith him in the drawing room this evening.” He paused, staring at her. “You didn’t seem to even notice when I left the room.”

Maddie’s jaw dropped. He trulywasjealous that his cousin was paying attention to her. She hadn’t imagined it.

“Does it matter to you whether I notice if you leave a room?” she asked, really wanting to know the answer.

They were so close now that she felt his breath on her face.

“You know that it does,” he replied in an anguished whisper. “You know that you have invaded my bloodstream. And I cannot stand that you would ever letanyonekiss you besides me.”

Her heart fluttered. Slowly, he put down the candle, taking both her hands, and pulling her towards him. Maddie felt like she was stepping into a dream.

Boldly, she reached up, cradling his face in her hands, feeling his skin and the hard, angular lines of his cheeks and chin, just like she wanted to. It felt divine. As her fingers drifted towards his lips, he took possession of one of them, drawing it deeply into his mouth.

She gave a strangled gasp. He was suckling on her finger, pulling it deeper, his eyes fixed on hers. She felt a deep, primal tug inside. Her eyes fluttered shut as the incredible sensations enveloped her. She felt like she was sinking into a bottomless pool of warmth.

“Open your eyes,” he commanded in a husky whisper.

She obeyed him, her eyes opening.

She gasped again. There was such fierce hunger on his face that it was almost frightening. Before she could even truly comprehend it, he wound his arms around her tightly, pulling her to him. His hands were suddenly in her hair, dislodging her pins so that it tumbled down her back.

He kissed her then, devouring her lips. She clung to him, gripping him for dear life as the sensations swept over her anew. She vaguely realized that they were falling onto the floor. It occurred to her briefly that her gown would probably be ruined.

How was she going to explain it to Jane?

But before the thought could take root, it vanished, as she felt his hands sliding up her legs, exposing her stockings, her gown bunching around her waist. He was breathing heavily, his eyes narrowed, gazing down at her legs for a moment, before his hands slid higher, to the bodice of her gown.

Oh, yes.

She felt him pull the bodice down so that her breasts spilled out.

Oh, yes, please.

He looked at her naked breasts for a moment, seemingly glorying in the sight of them. He flicked one nipple with the tip of a finger. A shock sizzled through her.

“Divine,” he whispered, smiling with satisfaction. “Truly divine.”

He bent his head, drawing her nipple deep into his mouth. It was still sizzling from the flick, but now, it was as if something else entirely was happening.

She cried out, in alarm as well as arousal, her head starting to turn from side to side on the ground. It was almost like it wastoomuch pleasure, so much that she could barely take it.

I have died and gone to heaven. A most glorious heaven!

Her back started to arch as wave after wave of those tiny shocks overwhelmed her. He was suckling furiously, intermittently flicking her nipple with his tongue, driving her crazy. His hand had snaked to her other breast, cupping it, grazing that nipple as he suckled. The combination was so intense that she arched her back again.

A sudden, powerful heat raced through her body. Vaguely, she realized that she was so aroused that it was like a flood coming out of her.

She only just realized his other hand had snaked down her body, lifting her gown higher still, before reaching between her legs and cupping her most intimate area. She stiffened as he opened her, sliding a finger inside her, pressing against her at the same time.

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