Page 83 of A Deviant Spinster for the Duke
Giving him grace, the conversationdidchange, turning back to the beautiful surroundings of the Skeffington grounds and thepristine, sunny day that the couple had been blessed with. There were compliments up and down the tables, everyone marveling at the golden-hued, verdant view, with some suggestions that lawn games could be played after everyone had eaten.
Duncan, meanwhile, could only concentrate on his beautiful wife, a view far more perfect than anything in the world. Even with his arm around her, he could not quite believe that she was his, that they were bound together in holy matrimony, that his life with her was only just beginning.
“Are you happy, my love?” he whispered, dropping his head to flutter a secret kiss against the curve of her shoulder.
She tipped her head, resting it against his. “I have never been happier, my darling. Never.” A contented sigh puffed her chest. “I love you.”
“I love you more,” he insisted, kissing her shoulder again, wondering how long it would be until he could steal a moment alone with her. Indeed, it would not feel real until he had kissed her, at long last.
Paper lanterns and torchlight flickered like constellations across the grounds of Valeria’s beloved home, catching the shapes and shadows of wandering guests. Some were dancing, some were eating and drinking, some were promenading, and all seemed to be entirely content.
Valeria watched from the French windows of the drawing room, needing a moment away from the party to savor it all.
“I thought I might find you here,” a soft voice purred, bringing a sultry smile to her lips.
“As I suspected you might find me,” she replied, not turning.
She sighed with the most overwhelming happiness as strong arms encircled her waist, pulling her gently against a firm chest. Her heart fluttered wildly as Duncan lowered his head, grazing a kiss against the side of her neck. He smelled of woodsmoke and lavender, his lips as soft as Italian velvet.
She relaxed against him, letting him hold her weight.
“Have you tired of the festivities already?” he murmured.
She shook her head. “I am just taking a moment.”
“And I am intruding?” he teased, smiling against her skin.
“Not at all. You have made it even better.”
Slowly, he turned her around to face him, his eyes alight with love and hunger, as his hands brushed up the sides of her arms, coming to a halt at her neck, cradling her throat.
“I love you,” he said softly.
“I love you more,” she replied, smoothing her hands up the hard muscle of his chest, looping her arms around his neck, her fingertips sliding into his wavy hair.
He chuckled. “Not possible, but I do not want to quarrel.”
“What shall we do instead?” she asked, biting her lip.
He did not answer with words, catching her mouth in a slow, searing graze that stole her breath away. He pulled her closer, his thumb brushing the column of her throat as he kissed her again, guiding her through the delicious ebb and flow, finally teaching her the one lesson that had remained unknown.
She kissed him back, learning quickly, running her hands through his hair as she sank deeper into the moment. It was a dance of the most exquisite kind, and where he led, she followed. When he kissed her more fiercely, more hungrily, she matched the fervor, clinging to him as she caught his mouth with hers, relishing the heat of each glorious graze.
And when he slowed, she slowed, marveling at the realization that there was much passion in a gentler kiss as there was in a ravenous kiss. Indeed, it was far beyond her expectation, and she doubted she would ever be able to get enough.
As their kiss deepened, the rest of the world and the wedding celebrations faded away, leaving them in a private domain where only the two of them existed. Their breaths grew ragged, his arms hugging her closer, the caress of his fingertips making her tingle all over, his kisses stoking the fire of her love for him.
One thing was for certain: it had definitely been worth the wait.
“Shall we leave our celebrations early?” Duncan whispered, pulling back for a moment.
Valeria nodded, her heart so full she thought it might burst. “They will not miss us,” she said, sighing as he kissed her again, grateful for the night that she had saved him from a trap, and inadvertently snared him for herself.
“I love you so very much,” he told her, sweeping her up into his arms.
She chuckled, kicking her feet. “I loveyouso very much, my darling, darling Duncan.”
And though no one had the ability to see into the future, she had the most wonderful feeling that theirs was going to be an endless dream, filled with so much love that she would wonder how she had ever thought she could live without it.
The End?
