Page 61 of The Duke of Kisses
Chapter 11
“Seducing me?” David looked so confounded, she nearly laughed. But this was a serious moment, and she wanted him to knowshewas serious.
She moved toward him. “I want to be with you.”
He glanced around before settling his surprised gaze on her. “Here?”
“Can you think of a better place? Whenever I am outside, I think of you and how we met. Birdsong is music, as is the rustle of the trees and the swish of the wind.”
“When you put it like that, no, Ican’tthink of a better place.” He reached for her hand. She quickly removed her gloves, tossing them toward her bonnet, but they fell short. When David didn’t immediately remove his, she took his hand and tugged the glove off.
Then she laid her palm over his, her fingers to his wrist, and lightly pressed her flesh against his. “This is better.”
He ran his thumb along the side of her hand. “You deserve more than this when we’re together for the first time.”
She shook her head. “No, I deserve you.”
“I’m not entirely sure the same can be said of me,” he said wryly. “But I will spend my life trying to.” He pulled his hand from beneath hers and tore his other glove away, flinging it aside. His hat followed.
Then he cupped her head, driving his fingers into the base of her hair and stroking his thumbs along her jawbones. “God, you’re beautiful.” He kissed her again, with sweet ferocity, his tongue driving into her mouth, claiming her.
She put her hands beneath his coat once more, and this time when she brought her hands up to his shoulders, he helped her to shrug it away from his body, pulling his touch from her just long enough for the garment to drop to the ground.
The loss of his coat was glorious, but she wanted more of him. She worked at the buttons of his waistcoat, pushing it open when they were free. He threw that aside too, and she went to work on his cravat, loosening the knot with ease and then pulling it free.
All the while, he kissed her, exploring and devouring, then moving his lips along her jaw and down her neck. Her hands found the open neck of his shirt, and she ran her fingers along his heated flesh, gasping at the contact.
He pulled away from her briefly as he guided her to the ground. “You must tell me to stop at any moment. Promise me, Fanny.”
She stared into his eyes, never more sure of anything. “I won’t. Touch me, David. Love me.”
His lips claimed hers as they reached the ground, her sitting and him kneeling beside her. He kissed along her jaw once more and moved around to her back, his mouth trailing fire along her skin. His fingers found the laces of her gown, and she felt the bodice loosen. Meanwhile, his tongue traced a wicked pattern on her nape and down to the top of her dress.
She shivered, her body pulsing with need. Turning her head, he kissed her, their tongues meeting in a rapturous dance of desire.
He moved away from her briefly, and when he returned, he folded his coat and set it behind her before gently guiding her backward.
“You made me a pillow,” she said, laughing softly.
“It’s the least I can do.”
“Theleastyou can do is satisfy this ache inside me. Please tell me you’re going to do that.”
“I should like to, but perhaps you should be more specific.” His brow furrowed. “What sort of ache?”
She wasn’t sure if he was teasing her. “Shouldn’t you know? I hate thinking of you with other women, but I am not so naïve to think you’re a…virgin. Surely you know how to induce pleasure.”
“Well, I don’t want to speak of my past experience—ever. But I will say that I know…enough. However, every woman is different.” He winced. “Forget I said that. All that matters is you, and you must tell me what you want and if I’m getting it right. Tell me where you ache.” He lay down beside her and propped his head on his hand so he could look at her.
Heat burned her cheeks, but not as much as it burned between her thighs. She couldn’t start with that, however. She wasn’t sure she could start with anything. “You really want me to say it?”
He leaned down and licked the outer edge of her ear before whispering, “Talking during sex is incredibly arousing.”
“Is it?” The question erupted from her mouth as a pitiful squeak.
His tongue continued its exploration, and the need inside her blossomed into stark desire. Or maybe even lust, as base as that sounded. Of course it was base. This was absolutely primal, and she wanted every bit of it.
“When you touched my breast…before…that was nice.”
