Page 14 of Duke's Daring Bookworm
“I have one condition,” he said in a raspy, low voice that I’d never heard from him.
“Ok.” My voice was a whisper, like he’d stolen it through our kiss, and I only had remnants left to use.
“When this month is over,” he swallowed, “when this month is over, you don’t hate me.”
“Never.”
I don’t know how long we sat there, but his hands were so warm that they felt like a brand on me, marking me so everyone could see.
“So we are clear,” I said eventually. “That was not like kissing a sister.”
Duke laughed. “Darlin’, if that’s what kissing your sister is like, it’s amazing more people aren’t breaking that particular law.”
I laughed, but I needed more. I needed to hear it.
“I need you to be more clear. You accept? We will… copulate?” I retreated to more formal language to hide how overwhelmed I felt at the intensity of our kiss. I needed to hear it. Explicitly.
“No, Lily, we won’t copulate.” My shoulders slumped. I guess I misunderstood, but I still sat in his lap with his hands gripping me like he couldn’t let go. “We will fuck. I will take you in every way your little heart desires, and probably in many ways you didn’t even know existed.”
“Oh.” I pulled back. His eyes were so intense and focused entirely on me. It made me squirm in his lap. His grip tightened, holding me still. His head fell to the back of the couch as he breathed deep, keeping me anchored to him in his punishing hands.
“One month. I will give you one month, and at the end of it we go back to being friends,” he said when he looked back up. He brought his thumb back to my bottom lip and traced it again, watching the movement like he was in awe of it.
“One month. Just friends.”
Chapter Six
The vibration of my phone startled me out of a fantasy I shouldn’t have been having. I stared down at the computer in front of me, the cursor blinking on an empty cell and for the life of me, I couldn’t remember what was supposed to go there. Numbers swam in front of my face and every time I blinked, Lily’s heavy-lidded eyes, flushed face, and swollen lips flashed through my mind.
Dammit.
I slammed the computer closed and took in the world around me for the first time in hours. The sun dipped behind the building, casting long, stretching shadows that yearned for the Savannah River. I wasted the whole day in a haze of guilt, arousal, and confusion.
I scrubbed my face and then pulled my phone out of my pocket.
anders
how am I supposed to kick your ass if you aren’t even here?
duke
shit I’ll be there soon
anders
tell whatever woman you’re with that you have somewhere to be and get your ass over here Charles has some new toys to play with
I didn’t correct him. My reputation was earned, but not nearly as extensive as I let everyone believe. The playboy trust fund kid mask fit me easily, and I wasn’t ready to give it up yet.
duke
I think you meant to send that to grace I’m not interested in your toy
anders
keep her name out of your mouth and get your ass here
duke
