Page 55 of A Duchess Disciplined

He brushed his lips over her nub, and she gasped. Surprise thundered through her, for she had never imagined that a man might press his lips against her core. And histongue.It was the strangest sensation, having his tongue flit against her nub and her folds. Her thighs trembled, and something about theideaof him kissing her in that secret place made her blood roar in her ears.

Her desire twisted inside her, like a wild thing aching to be freed. She cried out, just as his lips pressed against her entrance. Catherine’s release swept over her, taking her away once again. She shouted and tossed her head back, her body shaking. After the climax had ended, she remained lying on the bed and clenching the counterpane in a death grip. “Oh…” she breathed.

“Shall we see if you can achieve another one?” William asked.

“I cannot possibly!” she exclaimed.

He narrowed his eyes. “But would you like to try?”

Her breath caught. “Yes.”

William took a finger and carefully swept it between her folds. Catherine’s body shivered, already so sensitive to his touch that even the smallest caress sent her aquiver. He pressed the digit into her and pumped a few times.

She couldhearthe sounds of his fingering. They were horrible squelching sounds, like a poorly tuned violin. The sounds were so uncomfortable andlewdthat her face grew hot. He certainly heard them, too.

Her breath quickened in time with his thrusts, and she felt another finger press into her entrance. She gasped, as he slowly pressed the second finger in her. Catherine’s inner walls shivered once again, clamping tightly against his fingers. Her muscles grew taut, her body jolting with want of the pleasure.

It grew and grew, and she found her pleasure once again. This time, it soared through her and lingered. She rode the wave even after the strongest part of it had passed and lay gasping in the aftermath.

William chuckled and lightly slapped the inside of her thigh. She groaned raggedly. “Better,” he said. “I trust that you will behave as you ought to now.”

“Yes,” she rasped. “Yes. I will not play like that with the girls in public anymore. I promise.”

“Good,” he said. “I do not anticipate you forgetting this lesson soon.”

She shook her head, too aware of how even the soft bed linens felt rough against her heated bottom. “I—I will not. I promise.”

“Good. Make yourself presentable before you leave this room,” he said. “I have work to do. Already, I have lost more time than I wanted to.”

“I still appreciate you coming to the park,” she said between breaths of air. “The girls enjoyed it, too.”

“Yes. Well.”

“You must tell them that they did nothing wrong,” Catherine added, pleading with her eyes. “They only chased the ducks because I did.”

William’s expression was unreadable. After a long moment of staring at her in silence, he turned away. Catherine remained sprawled over the bed, listening. After a heartbeat, she heard the door open and close. Her husband was gone.

CHAPTER17

William rubbed his eyes and grimaced at the neat rows of numbers before him. He had not been working with the numbers for very long, but he found that he was already weary of them. His mind longed to wander to some other place; that was not like him, for William had always been quite proud of his strong self-discipline.

Maybe it was Catherine. He had no reason for believing it was her, but she was the largest change in his life of late. Maybe her poor habits were affecting his own. He drew in a sharp breath of air. Shouts rang in the air, and William looked askance toward the window. They were not alarmed shouts, but the hitch-pitched sounds of children at play.

“Itisyou,” he muttered, as he rose from his desk.

William walked to the window and clasped his hands behind his back. The gardens spread out before him, and there was Catherine running about with her skirts hitched up past her knees. From where he watched, it was not readily apparent what she ran from. Perhaps, it was Hannah and Hester, who ran after her with reckless abandon. William grimaced at the muddied hems of their gowns. Doubtless, the laundress would be quite vexed with them.

More irritating, was this not the same behavior that he had demanded that Catherine cease? Certainly, there were no ducks this time, but she still ran carelessly through the gardens as though yesterday had not happened. He wondered if he had been mistaken about her notpurposefullyvexing him. Maybe Catherine did wish to irritate him. Maybe she enjoyed him more when he was a little rough with her.

Or maybe she had decided that this behavior was permissible because she was in private. William could not have said. He crossed his arms and watched, considering the situation more thoroughly. It was in private, and the agreement was that Catherine might be herself in private. She had not broken their agreement, but he nonetheless felt his blood heat seeing her. Catherine had not learned her lesson the night before, so perhaps another was needed.

Hannah shouted something, and Catherine spun around. Her hair hung in disheveled strands about her face, and her cheeks were colored pink with exertion. She said something which he could not quite hear. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves, and with a twinge of guilt, William remembered what she had said about the girls needing their brother.

Perhaps, I ought to join them.

It would be a delightful surprise if he did. He could imagine too easily how Catherine’s eyes would light up and how his sisters’ faces would brighten at the sight of him. Suddenly, another scream filled the air, but this was not one of joy. Hannah pitched forward and fell hard on the ground.

William’s pulse jumped, and he stormed away from the window. Hannah was hurt, and it was all because of Catherine’s influence. If they had been behaving in a more ladylike manner, this would not have happened.

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