Page 64 of His Scarred Duchess
“Adeline,” he whispered, his voice rough. His lips brushed against her ear, sending shivers down her spine. “You have no idea what you do to me.”
She gasped as his mouth traced a burning path along her jaw, down the column of her throat. Her hands clutched at his shoulders, her knees weak from the onslaught of sensations.
“Edmund,” she breathed, arching into him as his teeth grazed a particularly sensitive spot on her neck.
His hands skimmed down her sides, coming to rest on her hips. With a low growl, he pulled her flush against him once more, allowing her to feel the evidence of his arousal.
Adeline reached down, and her fingers made quick work of the fastening of his trousers.
His eyes flashed with desire as her fingers curled around his length. As her hand began to stroke him, he let out a groan and lifted the hem of her dress.
His fingers quickly found her folds, and he skillfully traced her most sensitive spot with his thumb, expertly drawing circles around it.
A soft moan escaped her lips at the intimate contact. “Oh!”
Her hand paused around his length, and her knees trembled as pleasure coursed through her. “Edmund, I?—”
Edmund’s chuckle was dark and full of promise. “Indeed,” he murmured, his fingers tracing maddening patterns. “Now you see why we must return. If we stay here much longer, I fear I won’t be able to control myself and I will take you right here.”
As if to prove his point, he captured her lips once more in a searing kiss that left her breathless and aching for more. As if to prove his point, he captured her lips once more in a searing kiss that left her breathless and aching for more. His hands roamedher body with increasing urgency, and Adeline found herself responding with equal fervor.
“Edmund,” she gasped, breaking away for air. “Perhaps we don’t need to return just yet.”
His eyes darkened with desire. “Are you certain, my sweet? Once we start, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop.”
Adeline’s answer was to pull him back into a passionate embrace, her fingers tangling in his hair as she pressed herself against him.
With a low growl, Edmund lifted her, her legs wrapping instinctively around his waist as he carried her to a more secluded spot.
Edmund’s lips trailed a path of fire down Adeline’s neck, eliciting a soft gasp from her. His hands, gentle yet insistent, traced the contours of her body through her gown.
“You’re like Diana herself,” he murmured against her skin, his fingers finding the laces at the back of her dress. “A goddess of the hunt, fierce and untamed.”
Adeline’s heart raced as she felt the gentle tug of the laces loosening. “Edmund,” she breathed, half in warning, half in encouragement.
He paused, pulling back to meet her eyes. “Do you want me to stop?”
In response, Adeline guided his hand back to her laces. With agonizing slowness, Edmund began to undo them, his lips never leaving her skin as he worshipped every inch of her that was revealed.
As the gown slipped from her shoulders, Edmund’s breath caught. “Beautiful,” he whispered, reverence in his voice as he gazed at her.
Standing before him in the quiet of the forest, Adeline felt both exposed and empowered. The cool breeze brushed her skin, heightening the heat between them, while the soft rustling of the leaves seemed to echo the wild rhythm of her heart. For the first time in her life, she felt free—unbound by the expectations of society, her scars forgotten in the way Edmund’s eyes worshipped her. Here, surrounded by nature, she was not just a woman or a duchess-to-be—she was elemental, untamed, and entirely his.
She reached out and unbutton his trousers, freeing him from his constraints. She grasped the hard shaft in her hand and he let out a growl of desire. He spun her around and her mouth formed into a moue of protest which was quickly stopped when he pressed himself against her.
He nipped her shoulder, and she instinctively knew to part her legs to allow him entry. As he entered her, he grasped her hipsand pulled her against him. She felt the fullness of him inside of her and she bucked against him, wanting to feel him deeper.
Without a sound, he thrust deeply into her. With one hand, he reached down and his fingers found the center of her pleasure. As he moved in and out of her, his finger thrummed a rhythm.
Adeline felt her knees weaken with the sensation of pure bliss. When Edmund’s thrusts began to quicken, Adeline reached the peak. Her dropped against him as she cried out.
“Now, Edmund. Please…”
He needed no encouragement. With a hard, final thrust, he let out a roar of release as Adeline collapsed against him, not trusting her legs to hold her.
When their breathing quieted, the distant sound of hounds baying brought them back to reality. Edmund and Adeline shared a look of mingled amusement and panic.
“We should…” Adeline began, glancing around for her discarded clothing.
