Page 71 of A Duke, a Virgin and a Baby
Although she was teasing him – very clearly, in fact – her words still comforted him and he pulled her closer, burying her face in her neck, allowing himself to relish in the fact that he had obtained a home that he cherished.
“Will you have dinner with me tonight?” Anna spoke up suddenly, her voice a tad hesitant.
Julian pulled back with a confused expression.
“We eat all our meals together, sweetness. I wouldn’t let you eat dinner alone – even if I wasn’t hungry.” He said gently.
Anna shook her head, her blush intensifying.
“N-No. That is not what I… It was rather sudden, but I thought it might be nice… for us to eat together in somewhere other than the dining hall, for once.”
Julian paused for a moment. “What did you have in mind?”
“Well – it is a surprise. All you need to do is freshen up and change, and a servant will bring you there.” Anna told him softly.
For the sake of teasing her, Julian tightened his grip on her and shook his head.
“You mean we must part ways again? But I’ve only just returned to the solace I find in your embrace.”
“It’ll only be for a little while,” Anna laughed, perching on her toes to kiss his nose. “And then you can hold me for as long as you desire.”
“That is a tempting offer,” Julian murmured, giving her a chaste kiss, only to dive in a second later for a deeper one.
“Husband,” Anna chastised with a laugh, “Go on. I will see you very soon.”
Reluctantly, Julian pulled away, narrowing his eyes at her.
“Do you swear it?”
It seemed childish for him to cling to her like this. But he couldn’t explain how much his body and soul craved her, now that he was allowed to.
Anna smiled at him, winking coyly as she began to put some distance between them, heading in the direction of her room slowly.
“You have my word, darling.” She said over her shoulder, before she walked out of sight.
Something about her expression stirred fierce heat within him, and he groaned, turning away to walk in the direction of his own chamber as he mumbled,
“That woman will be the death of me.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Anna tried not to squirm as she awaited her husband’s arrival at the location she had specially prepared for them.
She had stumbled upon this spot during her first days as Duchess of Morland, in awe of the genius architecture that had gone into creating such a wonderful, breathtaking space. Anna had also been horrified to discover that this room, in all its splendor, had been relegated to a common store room, and she immediately ordered that something be done about it.
It was cleared swiftly, but she had yet to find a use for it until now.
To say she was eager for Julian’s presence would be quite the understatement, as her very bones seemed to quake as she waited, hoping that tonight would go as planned.
After what felt like an eternity, the door opened, and Julian walked in, looking very sharp in the clothes he had changed into. His eyes met hers almost instantly, and she rose to her feet quickly to greet him, barely able to contain her excitement.
However, she had to postpone whatever talks she intended to keep the busy with, because Julian had taken quick strides to where she stood, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her deeply.
Surprised, Anna gasped, which only gave him the permission he needed to explore her mouth, their tongues mingling in a fierce battle. It did not take much to render her lightheaded, and she clung to him, her hands sliding up his chest to lace her fingers together behind his neck. Julian’s hands pulled her closer by her hips, one of them leaving to trace her curves – something he had done so many times, but she still couldn’t get used to.
Anna inhaled, vaguely aware of the heat emitting from his body, filled with a sudden need to revel in it, to lose herself in his musky scent. A moan escaped her when Julian sank his teeth into her lower lip, shivering as his tongue swiped over the spot. Desperate for some sort of leverage, she pressed her fingers into his scalp, giddy when she was able to pull a similar sound from him. She could gradually feel her senses preparing to suspend their presence for the rest of the evening.
Then Julian leaned back, humming in satisfaction at the dazed look in her eyes, his gaze lowering to study the rest of her, and he let out a pained growl.
