Page 20 of Her Seven Nights with the Duke

Nora gasped as shock ran through her. She had never felt anything like this before. Her hands clenched in her skirts as she began to swoon. She pulled back, gasping as she stared back at him with wide eyes.

“I-I heard about it from one of my friends a-and I tried it once, but it felt so weird, so I never tried it again,” she said, her eyes lowering to her tightly clasped tightly. She hoped he did not make her explain it in detail to him.

Samuel hummed. “Thank you for telling me.”

He took her hands in his, rubbing his thumb on her palm. His other hand returned to her neck, caressing her gently as her eyes remained fixed on his, unable to pull away. Nora’s eyes widened as his lips began to lower to hers once again. She wanted to taste his lips again and get lost in the feeling of his hands on her bare skin.

She gasped, standing up. She looked at him as her eyes filled with panic. She looked out the window and stifled a scream. She hadn’t realized how much time had passed since she was here.The sky had begun to lighten, and soon, the sun would be up. She couldn’t be caught outside by then. There was no excuse she could give to her stepfather if she was caught. Not when there were already rumors about her.

Her stepfather would send her off to his sister before even receiving a letter from her if he found out what she had done. Then there would be no hope for rescuing her mother.

“Are you all right, Lady Nora?” the Duke asked, pulling her out of her panic-induced thoughts.

Her head jerked in his direction, and she shook her head.

“I did not realize just how much time had gone by. I need to leave immediately, otherwise I will be found out. That cannot happen,” she said.

Samuel looked out the window and sighed. “I apologize for keeping you out so late. I hadn’t realized either.”

His brow furrowed as he stared at her, but then he walked off to retrieve her cloak and wrapped it around her until it covered her much like it had when she arrived.

His hands lingered on her neck where he’d just tied the knot. He ran a thumb across the throbbing vein in her neck, tracing all the way to the end of her collarbone and back.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she stared up at him with parted lips, her breath coming out in sharp pants.

“There, you are a spy again. I will have the coachman drop you off wherever you wish so that you can be home early enough,” he whispered before stepping away from her.

She let out a nervous laugh and cleared her throat noisily as Samuel rang for his butler.

“For our next meetingsmeeting, from now on, I will have a servant wedge a letter in the gate of your family estate, so you will have to check every day to make sure you do not miss it,” he teased, swallowing back a chuckle when she grunted in annoyance just as the butler walked into the room.

CHAPTER SIX

Samuel looked out the window as the carriage trundled down the cobbled road. His mind was plagued with thoughts of Lady Nora. She had been exactly how he had expected her to be from the moment she walked into his room to blackmail him, and he was glad he wasn’t wrong about her.

It had been two days since she visited him in his home, and so far, he hadn’t stopped replaying the moments they shared together in his mind. Her innocence and the manner in which she rebuffed him had been so adorable that he knew he had to have her.

Samuel did not often indulge in affairs with just anyone. The first night was often a test to see how the lady would fare and if their interests aligned, and Lady Nora had exceeded his expectations.

He’d never been so careless to allow a mistress to stay so late in his home. He had an impeccable reputation, and carelessnesswouldn’t just affect them but him also. He wouldn’t risk being linked back to his mistresses.

His first night with Lady Nora had ended up with her very worried about how long she had stayed out late. Samuel had gotten carried away, not only by her beauty but also by her sweetness and innocence. He hadn’t planned to kiss her just yet. The questions were supposed to be all that there was for the first night.

When he had touched her, he knew there was no way he could let her go without a kiss. He blamed his behavior on the dratted wine he had drunk.drank.

Samuel chuckled. He was a disciplined man. Perhaps more disciplined than his peers as a result of how he grew up, but fighting against the temptations he had felt with her was more difficult than he had ever imagined.

“What has you smiling the way that you are?” Benedict asked, jolting him out of his thoughts. “I must admit that it is a bit weird to see you like this.”

Samuel chuckled lightly. His friend was right. He was not prone to random smiles. However, he had spent all of his time smiling during their night together. He had been unable to stop the smile that had suddenly taken up a permanent place on his face. Everything about her had been so amusing to him. It had been so long since he was entertained by a mistress.

Samuel had feared that having a mistress, albeit for seven nights only, had begun to lose its appeal, and he would soon have to find a new way to have fun. Now, things had proven different. He would make sure he had her.

He could tell that she was nervous about being his mistress, although she had agreed to it. He did not mind playing the long game, as long as he got her in the end.

“I have discovered an interesting pastime,” he said plainly.

Benedict stared at him in shock. “Already? Your affair with the last lady only just ended.”

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