Page 20 of Duke in Shining Armor
She waited for more, but the duke remained silent. His hands burned every inch of bare skin they touched, and Catherine was sure if he raised his head, he would see that her face burned bright red.
“Tell me, Catherine, what do you enjoy, other than reading and politics.”
Catherine felt flustered, and she willed herself to concentrate. His hands remained on her ankle, and she felt her pulse quicken.
He was indeed avoiding the subject of their kiss. She concluded he had also resolved to keep things platonic, and so she would not press the matter. She looked at his face, which appeared neutral as he stared at her ankle.
“I love cultivating beautiful gardens including rhododendron, camellia, and magnolia. We have many species of rhododendron, and they are such a beauty when they bloom. The bright reds are my favorite.”
Catherine paused as she felt she was rushing her words and her voice sounded strange to her own ears.
“A most fulfilling pastime since you can see the fruits of your work.”
“Indeed. That is exactly how I feel when I inhale the scent of the fresh blooms. It is rather satisfying. What of you, James?”
“Riding.” A smile touched his mouth. “That is the pastime I enjoy most. It gives me a sense of wild abandon and freedom. I work quite hard, and it can be a bit much, but with riding I can leave it all behind and enjoy nature. We do a bit of breeding on the estate with the aim of improving our broodmares.”
As soon as James had uttered the word breeding, Catherine had flushed. She only heard the tail end of his next words, “…offspring of quality and endurance.”
She gazed intently at James whose eyes were now fixed on her, then she saw them drop to her mouth.
“This is not working,” he murmured gruffly.
Her skin tingled when he lifted her so that she sat on his lap.
“Oh,” Catherine said breathlessly.
She was startled by the sudden change in direction as she found her face was but inches from his. Her breath stopped in her chest when he cradled her face in both hands and tenderly kissed her lips, using his tongue to explore her mouth as if it were the most important thing in the world. She placed her hands behind his neck to pull him closer, and he gave a low moan which she caught in her mouth. Her heart was beating rapidly, and she felt she could not breathe. He took his mouth from hers, but she did not feel its loss for long, as he kissed her throat. She did not know when she moved her hands to his hair, but she felt them there as she tried to pull him even closer.
Catherine felt his hand pulling at the top of her corset until he felt her breast. A shiver went down her spine as he took a nipple into his mouth and suckled on it. She gasped and squeezed him to her as if to mold them into one. She wanted more, but more of what she did not know, when suddenly she felt his hands on her drawers at the point of her mons. She felt like she would faint. A strange overwhelming, utterly indescribable feeling came over her as he stroked her mons through her clothing. She felt moisture at her core and was astonished at the pleasurable sensation. Her body grew taunt, and she gave a small cry which he caught in his mouth. They were both breathing as if they were running a race, and James broke the kiss.
James held her against his shoulder and stroked her hair until her breathing slowed. She did not speak. Her thoughts were filled with the sensation of his touch, and her legs felt weak. She did not want him to move away from her or to stop touching her. She had never felt closer to him than in this moment.
“Oh Catherine …,” he said with a heavy sigh as he continued to stroke her hair.
“You kissed me again.”And so much more.
He took a deep breath and released it slowly. “It seems I cannot help myself around you, and I should restrain myself despite the powerful attraction I feel for you.”
Her chest squeezed, and suddenly Catherine did not know what to say. There was hardly any situation in which she found herself without a proper retort.
A small silence fell and then he said, “I will visit some tenant farmers on the estate on the morrow. Perhaps you wish to accompany me?”
There was a voice in Catherine’s head that said she should not. After all, she had already decided that James was not the man for her. He had kissed her once before, and he had not asked to court her; mayhap he had no intentions of doing so. After the first kiss she determined that she did not wish to have an affair. She reasoned that perhaps James was a bit more complex as it was clear that he was attracted to her, and he enjoyed her company because he sought her out. She liked being with him, and she liked the way that he made her feel. She decided to ignore that inner voice.
“I would like that, James,” she replied with a smile that crinkled her eyes and nose.
Evident satisfaction darkened his yes. “You should retire then, so that you are well rested for the journey for we will have an early start.”
“That is sensible,” Catherine said as she slowly stood.
James assisted her in dressing and retrieved her cane.
“I bid you goodnight, James,” she said, although she was afraid to gaze at him because she could feel the heat rushing to her face. “Goodnight, Catherine,” he replied as the door closed.
Catherine walked slowly to her bedchamber and lay in her bed. She had wanted James to kiss her, and she thought of it quite often these past several days but this was much more. She realized that what they shared was more than a kiss for it was so intimate. She did not know her body could feel such a stir, and she achieved a height of pleasure she did not understand. Catherine felt that she was on a slippery slope, and she did not know what she was sliding toward. He made no commitment or indicated he wanted to court her, yet she had allowed such liberties. A surge of fright went through her chest. They would leave early on the morrow, so she decided to prepare her riding outfit before retiring to bed. She pondered what tomorrow would bring. Catherine slid into a deep sleep, dreaming of a certain duke and his passionate embrace.
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