Page 67 of The Duke's Second Bride
After Luke went up to his room with the maid, Ava and Christian were left alone at the dining room table. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife as their eyes met.
“Well,” Christian murmured, “I believe this has been our most pleasant family dinner to date, don’t you?”
Ava nodded. She could not bear to tear her gaze from him as he stood up and crossed around the table to her.
He bent down to kiss her. Her eyes fluttered shut, and the world seemed to fall away until all that remained was the exquisite sensation of his mouth moving against hers. She reached up and allowed him to draw her to her feet.
Then, suddenly, he bent down and swept her off her feet, holding her firmly against him. The moment was so unexpected that she could not help but let a delighted laugh escape her lips.
“What on earth are you doing?” she exclaimed, winding her arms up affectionately to bind them around the back of his neck.
He kissed her deeply. “I thought you might enjoy a change in perspective,” he murmured, his eyes glinting with mischief.
She smiled. “Well, it is certainly … different,” she said, affecting a tone of mock reprimand. “Though I might add, we are already within our house, and it has been several weeks since our wedding.”
“Ah, yes,” he said, kissing her once more quickly, and beginning to walk around the table back towards the dining room exit. “I confess I am behind in my duties as a husband. Clearly, I must do all I can to make up for it, and to make amends, wouldn’t you agree?”
Ava reached up to kiss him again. “Better late than never, I suppose,” she murmured. “Though I would recommend most strongly that you start immediately.”
He smiled. “Yes, I should,” he said. He kissed her once more. “I have some last bits of work to finish before bed.”
Ava groaned, which teased a laugh out of Christian. He continued to carry her up the stairs, walking to her chamber, and nudging the door open.
After depositing her gently on the bed, he bent down to kiss her yet again, and she took advantage of the opportunity to wrap her arms around him, kissing him deeply.
“Stay,” she said, pressing her forehead to his once they had broken the kiss. “Save your work for the morning.”
He chuckled, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Ready yourself for bed,” he said. “Enjoy one of your books. I will be with you as soon as I can.”
She rolled her eyes as he left the room, but felt the glow of excitement remaining.
CHAPTER 24
Ava had been reading in bed for less than an hour when she heard the knock at the door.
Not the main door to her bedroom—the one that joined Christian’s and her chambers, almost like a secret passage.
She stood up in a hurry, carefully placing the book down on her nightstand, and running her hands down her nightgown.
As she crossed to unlock the door, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Ava had never been one to think herself particularly beautiful, but she could not deny that she found herself quite pretty in this moment, with the glow of happiness about her.
She didn’t know why she was nervous.
He is not repulsed by me, she reminded herself.If last night didn’t prove that, I don’t know what would.
With one last deep breath, she unlocked the door.
At the sight of Christian, any and all thoughts of insecurity, however large or small, flew from her mind and vanished entirely into thin air. There was no way to feel uncertain with the way he looked at her.
Moreover, her desire for him had grown so large that it filled up every nook and cranny of her, until it no longer left room for doubts. The top few buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned.
“Good evening, Duchess,” he said, his voice deep, velvety, warm.
His hair was still slightly ruffled from their kiss in the dining room, which stirred up a sensation of pleased possessiveness within Ava. She reached out to touch his hair, carding her hand back through it.
He let out a soft, pleasured sigh at the gentle touch. Then he captured her hand in his, bringing it to his mouth so that he could press a tender kiss against the sensitive skin at the inside of her wrist.
That done, he stepped forward, pressing into her.
