Page 42 of The Wrong Duke

She scoffed, but her heart skipped a beat. “Yet here you are. And why is that? Worried that Lord Malnor might find me first? I know you would hate that.”

“It was only the five of us who returned early to find out that you were missing, and when we heard of it, your father...” He clicked his tongue in frustration. “He insisted that we wait until the storm eased off a little. Thankfully Lord Malnor and the others insisted that we start right away.”

“And you?” her voice cracked.

“I was the first one out the door.” His head snapped up, and he met her eyes. The anger was gone now, replaced with worry and concern that she did not know the Duke to be capable of. “The fact that I was the first one to find you was pure luck as I chose this direction to search in.”

“You must know, I did not — this wasn’t some brilliant plan on my part. Even I am not that bold,” she chuckled awkwardly.

“I know.”

“Then why?” she demanded. “Why accuse me of —”

“Because I was worried!” he roared over her but then caught his temper and bit into his lip as if angry with himself. “The thought of you out here on your own. I have never... the fear that took me... I didn’t know I was capable of such a feeling.”

“Re — really?” Her words caught in her mouth, blocked by a lump that had suddenly appeared there.

He chuckled bitterly and looked away again. “I don’t understand it, Miss Baker. I wish it wasn’t the case, but when I saw you standing in the cabin, when I realized that you were fine and not hurt, I...” He forced himself to look at her, and that was when she saw it. Not anger. Not concern or worry or fear. It was a look she didn’t recognize because she’d never seen it before, but one she knew without having to question it because it was the same one that she fixed on him. “I can’t begin to describe how relieved I was.”

Amelia’s heart swelled in her chest. Maybe it was relief that she was going to be all right? Maybe it was gratitude because the Duke no longer seemed to blame her, even chastising himself for doing so. Maybe it was the fact that for the first time in days, she no longer felt confused or clouded or unsure of how she felt.

But she also knew that it was none of those things. And when she reached out and touched the Duke’s arm, feeling his body relax and his breathing steady, she knew that for maybe the first time ever, they were of the same mind. It wasn’t simple. It was damn messy. But alone in the cabin, the storm beating about them, cut off from the world and all its problems, she simply didn’t care.

“Last night...” she began softly. “I —”

“You don’t have to say anything.”

“I wanted to,” she said before she could stop to think. “You have no idea how much I did.”

“You did?” he said softly, disbelief coloring his tone. Disbelief and hope.

“But we could not. The risk... anybody at any time might have seen us and... and Lord Malnor and my father and... this entire weekend and...” she stammered and stumbled over her words, not even sure what she was trying to say.

“Stop.” Still looking into her eyes, he reached out and rested a hand under her chin. His touch alone, the warmth that spread from his fingers, set her body ablaze as if she was sitting by a roaring hearth. His finger stroked her chin, and she moaned softly. “You know we can’t do this.”

“I know.” She took his hand and looked into his eyes.

“Lord Malnor is my friend, and your father...”

“I don’t care.”

A beat and then, “Neither do I.” Without another word because in times like this, words were a waste and lips could be used for far more important things, the Duke leaned forward and kissed Amelia like he never had before.

The moment their lips touched, so did their bodies. Pressed together as if to become one, the Duke kept one hand under Amelia’s chin while the other wrapped itself around the small of her back and pulled her in even closer. His lips parted her mouth, and his tongue darted inside. Soft. Wet. Their tongues massaged and lapped as their bodies shuddered and stiffened, and their hands found new ways to grab and hold. Their first kiss had been an accident. Their second, a surprise. But this was no mistake. No accident. No shock to either of them. It felt right in a way that Amelia couldn’t have expected but couldn’t ignore. She let it take her as she felt herself melt at the Duke’s touch.

He started kissing down the side of her neck, light kisses at first, soon turned ravishing. His hands moved to her waist as if he was debating whether to push her back or pull her closer. She closed her eyes and leaned back; her skin set alite each time he touched her. Alone. No chance of being found out. Amelia was ready to be taken by the Duke in any way that he pleased.

“Do you know what I haven’t been able to stop thinking about?” the Duke growled as his lips moved down her neck.

“What?” she breathed.

“You, Miss Baker,” he said as his hands pulled her closer. “Your taste. The noises that you make. The way you feel when I...” He trailed off as his hands moved over her breasts, and his lips kissed her collar bone.

She sucked in, almost yelped as he lifted her and laid her on her back. His hands moved to the hem of her dress and lifted it. Still kissing her neck, he gripped her thighs underneath her dress as if trying to tear her legs free. She wrapped them around his body, pressed herself into him, forced her eyes open, and looked down at the Duke, willing him to meet her eyes.

“Please...” she begged.

“What do you want?” he asked with a coy smile as he looked up at her.

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