Page 17 of Betting on a Baron
Daphne waltzed directly over to the settee and flopped into the one with its back to the door. If she were lying rather than sitting, no one would know she was even there. Propriety dictated he leave the door partially open, but the devil in him closed it until the latch fell into place. He strode across the room to join Daphne. She’d spoken from the heart earlier, telling him in her own way she’d not give up on love… on him. It was his turn to tell her how he felt.
He sat next to Daphne and reached for her hand. Unsure how to begin, he eyed the cover ofThe Mysteries of Udolphoand asked, “Do you think Valancourt had regrets?”
“I would think so, for isn’t it better to regret your actions than to regret idleness?”
“When did you become such a wise philosopher?”
“Years of reflection make one wiser.”
He squeezed her hand in his. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For not giving up on me.” He shifted closer. “For loving me when I was blinded by duty and a fool for not recognizing my own damned feelings for you.”
Daphne’s entire body stiffened. “Are you confessing to not knowing your own self?”
“I’m admitting that I’ve taken your friendship and support for granted.” He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. “I think I’ve always loved you.”
“You think? You don’t know for certain.” She pulled her hand away and scooted away from him.
“How certain are you of your feelings for me?”
Daphne smiled. “If you had asked me a fortnight ago, I would have answered with utter confidence. However, my mind of late has been rather muddled by…”
“By what?”
“By our kiss.”
He stared at her in utter confusion.
Daphne dropped her chin to her chest. “Kissing you has brought about a slew of new emotions I’ve not experienced before.”
“It is the same for me.” He waited until she lifted her gaze to his. “There is only one way to discover the truth.”
He leaned forward and she tilted her head slightly to the side as he moved closer to press his lips to hers. She didn’t back away. In fact, she opened for him and wrapped her arms about his neck. His experience in the past was limited to closed-mouth kisses, but his instincts kicked in and he slid his tongue along her lower lip. The sweet, honeyed flavor of her had him desperate to taste more of her. Alternating the pressure of his lips, he kissed Daphne like he’d kissed no other. His entire body came alive. It wasn’t long before Daphne began to reciprocate his kisses, brushing her lips over his. She unexpectedly leaned forward, toppling him backwards. Holding her on top of him, Ambrose shifted them both to lie upon the settee. Tangled in her skirts, Ambrose weaved his fingers through her hair and brought her head closer so he could kiss her soundly once more. A sigh of pleasure escaped Daphne, and it was like being splashed with a bucket of cold water. Having never dallied with a woman before, Ambrose froze. He had no knowledge of what to do next or how to proceed. He didn’t want to disappoint Daphne, nor did he wish to appear ignorant in such matters. He hadn’t anticipated the immobilizing fear rolling through him.
Daphne pushed up to gaze down at him. Her plump pink lips beckoned to him and her eyes searched his features. “What’s the matter?” she asked.
“We should return before Archbroke or Alice come looking for us.”
He didn’t need to say any more. Daphne rolled off the settee, turned her back to him and set herself to rights. It wouldn’t be as easy for him. While his mind was no longer picturing a lush, willing Daphne naked, his cock remained hard and erect. It would take him more than a few minutes before he could return.
Daphne had turned back around and her gaze was trained on the bulge at his falls. “You can’t return in that condition.”
“You go first. I’ll join you later.”
“I can’t return without you.”
Daphne fell to her knees in front of him, which only made his cock harden even more. “What are you doing?”
“I don’t want to leave here with regrets. I take full responsibility for my actions.” She didn’t hesitate. She reached for the buttons of his falls and seconds later his cock was free. She licked the tip of his manhood and then slipped him into her mouth.
Egad. Her soft lips stretched around him and his reflex was to raise his hips for her to take more of him in. Daphne wrapped her hand around the base of him and slowly bobbed up and down. Fuck. His head fell back and he closed his eyes. The feeling was nothing like when he pleasured himself. It was but a few more moments before his balls tightened and his release came hard and fast. He opened his eyes to find a bead of white cum rolling down from the corner of Daphne’s mouth. She smiled up at him, and he reached down to swipe his thumb over her chin to capture the evidence of what just transpired.
Daphne turned and took his thumb in her mouth and sucked. He stared at the woman that he’d thought he loved. Now he knew it for certain. He swallowed hard and then asked, “How did… Did you act upon instinct?”
Daphne shook her head. “One of the benefits of having a young maid is that Sue is willing to answer my queries without restraint.” She buttoned his falls and added, “Thank you for trusting me.”
