Page 46 of Good Duke Gone Hard

Her insides convulsed around Jonathan. Mouth open, her name was a growl, ferocious, protective, insane. Then he leaned forward and collapsed on top of her.

Still inside her, he kissed her shoulder, her neck, her face. He shuddered and then withdrew, and a part of her she had never acknowledged was missing.

“I never knew it would be like that, Johnny,” she said almost demurely.

“I never knew it could be like that, Maggie,” he kissed her arm and rolled to his side. “That was the most singular, most amazing experience of my life.”

Margaret propped herself up on her elbow and swatted him, “Oh don’t say that.”

“It’s true!”

“But you have had–”

He grabbed her in his arms and rolled them both over until he was hovering over her, “Maggie, I’m telling you. It has never been like that before. This. It was like it was my first time. You. You are my first. You are incredible.”

She beamed up at him and saw his eyes reflecting the same joy she felt.

“I told you, you’re too much.” She swatted him again as he laughed into her neck. “Too much, but I want more.” The devilish grin he gave her stole her breath away.

Chapter 17

THEHEAVINESSOFJONATHAN’Sarm and leg draped over Margaret’s body juxtaposed the lightness in her heart. Love abounded and it took all of her willpower not to whisper her heart in his ear. She was the impulsive one. It would have been normal for her to shout out something so weighty with a breezy comment.

But for these words, she wanted to pick the perfect time and place to share her heart with him. She could make an argument for this–naked and fully draped with the one she loved–being the perfect time and place, but truth be told, she really wanted to hear it from him first. Was that selfish? Immature? She didn’t care. She wanted to hear that he loved her.

With those thoughts, she nudged her nose under his jaw, feeling the slight scrape of stubble against her face.

“Johnny?” she murmured to the half asleep body.

“Mmm,” he murmured incoherently.

Reluctantly, Margaret chose to be responsible, “I think you had better leave before someone finds you here.”

Jonathan didn’t reply.

“Johnny?” with slightly more urgency.

“Maggie,” he drawled and pulled her underneath his warm body. “Or should I say Your Grace, my duchess of Somersby.”

Margaret playfully smacked his chest. “Do not jest of such cardinal matters.”

He grinned, “I’m not joking.” He nibbled on her neck, “Of course we’ll marry now.”

The levity floated off Margaret’s face. “What do you mean, ‘of course?’”

Jonathan fixated on Margaret’s eyes. “Maggie,” he paused. “I mean of course we’ll marry. I’m not a cad. If I don’t marry you, then you’ll be ruined.”

Margaret could feel her pulse rising. She had been in this position before, with Jonathan potentially ruining her. It hadn’t happened the first time, and she sure as hell wasn’t about to let it happen now. And to think he was only going to marry her out of responsibility. Honor. Duty. No he hadn’t said the words, but the sentiment drenched his alternative choice of words:of course we’ll marry.

She would not marry for anything less than her ideal life. Not perfect, but pretty damn close. No, she would not marry simply out of honor. Not until she had held fate back for as long as she could. She had an entire season left to find love before the real pressure began. She had began to hope she would find love with Jonathan, but this line of conversation was not proving promising.

“Will I?”

“Won’t you?”

“I won’t.”

“Explain.”

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