Page 79 of The Duke of Ruin
“It never made sense to me.” He dropped his gaze to hers. “Not until now.”
“And yet you never defended yourself. Why?” She’d long wanted to understand that. She’d certainly never believed him capable of pushing her, and she still didn’t think that was what he’d done.
The look in his eyes turned bleak. “Does it matter? The truth is that Iamas horrible as everyone believes.”
“It was guilt.” At last she understood. “Allowing everyone to think the worst of you was the punishment you gave yourself.” She cupped his face with both of her hands. “Well, now you will stop. You’ve tortured yourself long enough, and it’s time for it to end.”
“How? Now that we know the truth—”
She put her fingers over his lips. “It changes nothing. Now you know why you fought, why you grabbed her arm. No one knows what happened after that, and while you may have a strength you don’t always realize, you wouldn’t push her.” She moved her hand to the back of his neck, cupping her fingers around his nape. “How angry were you with my f-father d-down-downstairs?” Damn, she’d just gotten herself under control, and the mere mention of him was sending her back into a dither.
“Furious.”
“Enough to thrash him, I’m sure. And yet you didn’t. You are not a violent man, Simon.”
“You don’t know what happened, and neither do I. Because I was stinking drunk.” He spat the last, his eyes narrowing with self-disgust.
“You drank often and to excess before you married, did you not?” At his nod, she continued. “Did you ever get into a fight or find yourself in a violent situation?”
“No.”
She wasn’t surprised. “I know enough of your reputation to think you had the opportunity. You were a consummate rake, if rumors are to be believed—gaming hells and brothels.”
“Once again, you’re employing logic. With wondrous results.”
“And you’re employing humor to avoid the matter at hand.” She exhaled sharply. “Am I getting through to you?”
He clasped her waist. “Yes. But to be clear, there were no brothels. I had a mistress.”
“Whom I don’t want to hear about.Ever.”
“Don’t be jealous, my love. You are the only woman I want. Now and forever.”
His words enflamed her, taking the anguish clawing at her insides and turning it into something wholly different. “Show me.”
His eyes widened. “Now? Despite everything that just happened?”
“Becauseof everything that just happened. I need to feel you, to know that I’m not alone in this world, that I’m safe.”
Chapter 16
His brain didn’t havetime to catch up with his body. Simon brought her to him, pulling her against his chest. He pressed his mouth to hers, his lips already parted and hungry for her kiss.
She didn’t make him wait, twining her arms around his neck and licking into the recesses of his mouth with long, lush, eager strokes of her tongue. She threw her leg over his hips and straddled him. Her pelvis pressed down, but her skirts were bunched between them.
With a strangled cry, she pushed them out of the way. He aided her cause, pooling the fabric around them so that when she came down again, her bare sex pressed wantonly against his breeches.
His cock jerked, desperate for her. But this was an unfortunately awkward position, with his legs sprawled out in front of him. He wanted to drive into her, to feel her muscles squeeze around him.
Lifting her skirts, he slipped his hand between her thighs. She was unbelievably wet. The moment his fingers stroked her flesh, she moaned deep into his mouth. He kissed her hard and rubbed her clitoris until she moaned again.
Her hips thrust against him, and she pulled her lips from his. “I need you now.” She brought her hand down from his neck and unbuttoned his fall. A moment later, her fingers encircled his cock, tugging impatiently on his flesh. As good as she’d been that first time, she’d learned much more. Her slightest touch stirred his lust and made him mindless with need.
“I have to get up,” he rasped.
“No, I can ride you here.” She rotated her hips, grazing her sex along the length of his cock.
“I can’t move.I have to move.If I can’t drive into you, I might die.”
