Page 31 of Taken By the Icy Duke

He paused only briefly, then slowly began to move, gauging her response. Diana winced as he broke through her maidenhood and pushed himself inside of her more deeply.

Their careful rhythm gradually quickened as her body softened beneath his, and the initial pain gave way to an increasing, electric sizzle that soared through her body and urged her to match his pace.

They moved together rhythmically, their unspoken emotions entwining with their physical connection, their breaths mingling in the quiet intimacy of the room. The firelight flickered across their joined forms, shadows playing on the walls like echoes of the passion that burned between them.

Diana groaned and writhed as the force of her release reached its pinnacle and overtook her like a volcanic eruption. Her slick, sweaty body bucked and she felt herself disappear into a starburst of indescribable pleasure as her orgasm overcame her corporal body.

Gilbert’s groan reverberated through her as he, too, reached his limit. She could feel him rising, his grip on her tightening, before he suddenly withdrew and pulsed his seed into his shirt.

They lay still for a time afterwards, listening to the crackle of the fire and their shared, uneven breaths. Gilbert brushed a strand of hair from Diana’s damp face, his eyes kind and searching. “Are you all right?” he asked in a hushed voice, his concern evident and genuine.

Diana nodded, offering a faint smile that was equal parts reassurance and lingering awe. “Yes,” she murmured, her fingers tracing lazy patterns along his back. “I think…I am.”

Gilbert pressed a lingering kiss to Diana’s temple, his breath warm against her moist skin. His movements slowed, his hands steadying her trembling body as she adjusted to the aftershocks that moved through her.

The quiet intimacy that followed—his thumb brushing gently over her cheek, and his gentle caresses along her arm and belly, made her throat constrict with a sense of newfound peace and satisfaction.

Diana rested her head on Gilbert’s chest, her fingertips tracing lazy patterns along his skin. She marveled at the contrast between his strength and the tenderness he demonstrated to her through his touch. She had never felt so exposed and yet so strangely secure.

“You are trembling,” Gilbert whispered, pulling a blanket from the back of the settee to drape over them both. He held her close, his hand sliding soothingly along her arm.

“I am all right,” Diana replied, offering him a warm smile. “I think… it is just everything.”

Gilbert lifted her chin gently, his dark eyes searching hers. “Everything?”

Diana hesitated, then nodded. “This moment, this… connection. It is not what I expected.”

His brow furrowed slightly. “Do you regret it?”

“No,” she said quickly, her voice firm despite her lingering vulnerability. “Not at all.”

Relief softened his features, and he pressed a kiss to her forehead before leaning back, his arms still wrapped loosely around her. “Neither do I.”

As Gilbert pulled her closer, his hand drawing soothing circles along her arm, Diana let herself relax against him, savoring the warmth of his body and the sense of connection that still lingered.

Diana allowed her thoughts to wander, amazed that this man—who had once been little more than a stranger—now felt so essential to her.

She glanced up at him again, noting the faint sheen of sweat along his brow and the way his lashes cast shadows against his cheekbones. In that moment, she felt a surge of something undeniably potent; an emotion she dared not name but could no longer ignore.

“Gilbert,” she began softly, her voice catching slightly, “do you think… this… us… can be more than it is now?”

He stilled, his gaze turning serious as he studied her face.

“Diana,” he said slowly, as if weighing each word, “what more could I give you than this?”

His question made her suck in her breath as she endeavored to think of a response. He had shown her pleasure and passion, protected her with his name, and showered her with gifts.

“I do not know,” she breathed, unable to articulate her desire for something deeper, some connection to his heart.

He held her more tightly, pressing another kiss into her hair as the firelight dimmed and the night deepened. Diana wished to believe that their union might grow into something real, something more than duty and necessity.

Though questions lingered, she pushed them aside, though she knew nothing was settled beyond this desire that had bound them. They had this moment, and for Diana, it was more than she ever expected to share with the man she had wed out of necessity. And if she still yearned for something more than just the physical connection, she told herself she could explore that longing another day.

Chapter Fifteen

Diana stirred at the first gray light of dawn, luxuriating in the enduring pleasure of the previous night.

She reached across the bed, hoping to find Gilbert beside her, but her questing hand met only rumpled sheets. Disappointment twisted in her chest, surprising her with its intensity. She had not anticipated that she would care quite so much about his absence so soon.

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