Page 36 of The Duke and the Hellion Bride

His tongue was inside her mouth. His teeth nibbling her lips. The hand that he held against her face found its way to the base of her neck, gripping it firmly but not too tight. She gasped as he pulled away, and then moaned as his tongue licked her ear and then down her neck.

For only a few seconds, although it might have been minutes, they stood in the middle of the room, wrapped around one another, kissing as if their lives depended on it.

But a kiss would not be enough, and both seemed to sense it.

Now that she had given Magnus permission, she could feel from the way he devoured her that it would take the hand of God to stop him. Both hands grabbed her waist and held her. Through the front of her dress, she could feel his manhood pressed against her. Panic suddenly struck her, a realization that she did not know what she was doing and that maybe she was in over her head...

“Magnus...” She pulled away, but he simply moved his lips to the nape of her neck. Soft, wet kisses that sent prickles all over her body. “Perhaps we should...”

“Should what?” he purred between kisses.

“We are married but... but... I do not know if...” She wasn’t even sure what she was trying to say! She wanted this.Oh, how I do. But five minutes ago she had convinced herself she hated this man, that this marriage was doomed to failure. It was a marriage of convenience and that was all! Clearly, things had changed.

Magnus pulled back, a hunger in his eyes that fought with confusion because her protests had clearly caught him by surprise. “Oh... do you not...”

“No -- I mean, yes – I mean...” She grimaced. “It is just that, I am rather new to this...”I could die of embarrassment!Her entire body turned red, and not from arousal. “And I have not had a chance to think about... about what it is that...”

To that, Magnus smiled coyly. “I would not expect anything of you, Diana. And as I said, I would never force myself on you. But perhaps...” There was a sparkle in his eyes that she did not understand but that made her heart hammer. “Perhaps if we take this one step at a time?”

“R - really? You do not mind?”

“I am in no rush.”

She felt relief wash over her, and disappointment also. A part of her almost hoped he would ignore her trepidation and take the lead. “That is... thank you.”

“However...” His hands remained around her waist. The hunger was still in his eyes. “I am also thinking that I have not treated you very well since this marriage began. If you would like, I very much wish to make it up to you.”

She frowned; her chest tight at the implication. “Make it up how...?”

Magnus did not speak. Rather, he took her hand and led her to the bed. She thought to resist, knowing she did not want to because in that moment she trusted him completely. Unimaginably turned on, craving his touch as if it was oxygen, Diana chose to let Magnus take the lead in ways he was no doubt experienced in.

He sat her down on the bed.

He then fell to his knees before her.

She gasped as his hands slowly moved to her ankles, lifting the skirt of her dress while at the same time he held her stare and licked his lips and let her see what he was going to do without having to say anything.

“Magnus...” She stammered, while spreading her legs as she knew he wanted; her thighs quivered, and she could feel the wetness between them.

“Trust me,” he said, her skirt now at her thighs. “If it is convenient for you.”

One hand moved up and pressed against her chest, forcing her onto her back. She gasped again as she lay down, her heart racing so that it hurt. Then her body began to shake as his kisses found the inside of her thighs, gentle and wet, rising higher... higher... her legs shook... her body began to writhe... she could feel how wet she had become... his tongue licked around her womanhood... she moaned... she gasped... and then she screamed.

His mouth wrapped itself around her lips and began to suck. His tongue pressed against the tip of her pleasure center. It was wet. It was messy. And dammit, it was good.

“Magnus!” she cried out as he continued to suck her. “Don’t... please... do not stop!”

“Do stop?” Magnus snapped his head up, his lips soaking wet, his eyes as hungry as ever as he drank her in.

“Wha --?” She gasped as she sat up and looked at him. “Why did you stop?”

“You asked it of me, no?”

“I did not! I said do not stop!”

“And who said that you can tell me what to do?”

She balked, thinking at first that he was being serious. “I… I am sorry. I did not mean… why are you smiling?”

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