Page 41 of Healing the Duke's Desires
“There’s something about you, Emily,” Alexander said breathlessly, pulling away for just a moment, while their noses still touched. “Something I cannot explain…” His voice was a husky whisper, as his thumb brushed against her cheek.
Then, his lips were against hers once more, wild and ravenous. He cupped her cheek and felt her hand slide behind his neck and grab a fistful of his hair, pulling her closer to him as if he might disappear the moment she opened her eyes. This only intensified his desire for her even more.
There was no more hesitation in their kiss, only pure, aching longing that refused to be satiated in any other way. He wrapped his other arm around her waist, pressing her entire body to him so closely that he could feel her heart beating against his, mirroring his breathlessness. It was a collision of desires, a meeting of souls that sent a shiver through his body.
The softness of her lips against his ignited an even bigger fire than the one already raging inside of him, smoldering beneath the surface of his calm exterior. He got completely lost and all he could think of was her. There was no one but her.
She stumbled backward, pulling him along with her. With the entire strength of his body, he pushed her against the wall, dominating the kiss, which only seemed to strengthen the grip she had on his hair. His whole body reacted to her. All his senses were awake, awash with her scent, with her aura.
He kissed her passionately, ravenously, as she moaned against his lips, and he knew they were playing a dangerous game. Someone could come in at any moment. Someone could see them. And yet, he couldn’t force himself to pull away from her.
It was as if the maelstrom of their desire was spinning, unable to stop, sucking in everything in its path. His pantaloons tightened around his thighs as his manhood pressed against the confines of the tight fabric. He could stop himself from thinking what her skin would taste like underneath all those silky layers of her gown.
He wanted to pick her up and take her to chaise lounge, to taste her, to show her the beast that she was awakening inside of him, but he couldn’t. He had to come to his senses, and finally, reality broke through the veil of desperate yearning that had filled this chamber to the brim.
Their noses still touching, he was unable to move away from her so far as to create an empty distance. He wanted to feel her still, refusing to be without her. Their gaze held, a bridge between the world they knew and the unexplored territory that lay ahead. The air seemed to vibrate with the energy of their shared moment, and a small, knowing smile tugged at the corners of his lips as her curled up, too. It was a shared smile that spoke of promises yet to be fulfilled, of the secrets they had just uncovered, and of the uncharted path they were daring to tread together.
At that moment, they could hear the giggle of some ladies just outside the door. Her eyes widened in shock, turning to him for reassurance.
“Shhh,” he urged her, pressing his finger onto her still-moist lips. How he longed to keep her quiet with another kiss, but they had to be cautious. They were playing with fire and could very easily get burned.
The sound of heels clicking against the polished marble floor of the corridor outside the door was becoming more noticeable. They listened intently. Alexander’s heart beat all the way inside his throats, making it difficult to breathe properly. Moments felt like hours, when finally, the noise became more and more distant, and the giggles were no longer heard.
Slowly and reluctantly, he took his finger off her lips. Bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight, she looked like an otherworldly creature, the very daughter of the Moon itself. He swallowed heavily, not knowing what to say as the seconds oozed through his fingers like fine grains of sand.
Finally, he took a step back, allowing them both to gather their composure… if such a thing were even possible.
Chapter 24
Don’t apologize. Please, don’t apologize for what happened,Emily thought to herself as they stood facing each other in the dimly lit chamber, hidden away from the rest of the world.
The charged atmosphere was now slowly dissipating, leaving a sense of clarity in its wake. At least, as much clarity as they could have. Emily gazed at him, unable to stop herself. She should just turn around and leave, without saying anything, but that was impossible when there was so much emotion inside of her, threatening to tear her at the seams.
“I don’t want to go back,” she said softly, looking at him with a mixture of longing and uncertainty.
“We have to be careful, Emily,” he reminded her.
She nodded, her fingers gently tracing the line of her lips in an effort to hold on to the already-fleeting sensation of their kiss. “You’re right. A scandal is the last thing either of us needs.”
They were both aware of what would happen if they were seen like this. She was grateful for his ability to think reasonably in the moment. Their desires stood in stark contrast with societal expectations, and the repercussions could be dire. Their reputations could be tarnished by this, but hers even more so, as she was a woman. They both understood the weight of the world they lived in, the restrictions that bound them to their roles.
“You leave first,” he said in a gentle but resolute manner. “I’ll wait for a minute or so before following you.”
Emily nodded. She wondered if anyone had noticed that they were gone. Sarah was with Henry, so her mind was surely elsewhere. As for her mother, it was possible that she noticed her daughter was missing.
But Emily would explain it with a headache or something of the sort. After all, her mother knew she was not all that fond of big crowds; they tended to overwhelm Emily, and during balls, she often sought a solitary corner to gather her thoughts alone.
Only, she could not leave him without asking for a little clarification. “I know now is not the time, but… can we talk? At a later point?”
He hesitated at first, and she noticed it. Once again, that talon of fear and doubt crept up behind her, tapping her on the shoulder, reminding her of the words the Duchess of Montpelier had shared with her in confidence. Emily tried to banish them from her mind, but that was easier said than done. They had burrowed deep inside her mind, appearing at the most inopportune moment to remind her of her deepest, darkest fears.
“Of course,” he finally assured her, although this assurance did not do much to ease her troubled mind. “But not now, there is no time,” he was quick to add. “We have to make sure we returned unnoticed.”
She nodded again, her hand reaching out to brush against his. For a moment, she thought he would pull away from her, but he didn’t. He intertwined his fingers with hers, a silent, hopeful promise she could not quite decipher, but she was adamant to do so as soon as possible.
With one final, lingering look, she tore her eyes away from him and started heading toward the door. Her hand hovered over the handle for a brief moment, lingering there heavily. If she turned around, their gazes would lock once more. But she wasn’t sure she would have the strength to leave if that happened. It was better not to turn around, not to risk it.
With a resolute exhalation, she opened the door cautiously and slipped out into the corridor, leaving behind the profound intimacy of that chamber and what happened inside.
