When to Dare a Dishonorable Duke (Romancing the Rake 7)

He turned his head to look back at her. “We’ll be married soon enough. Tomorrow morning we’ll set out for London to acquire our special license. You’ll have to indulge me for the next few nights, love.”

While she knew her parents would never have approved, she reasoned that as long as they would be wed soon afterward, there was little harm in yielding to him. Especially after what they’d already done. “But I still need to tell you—”

He pulled her next to him, wrapping an arm about her waist. “Tell me in the morning.”

They’d reached her door and he twisted open the knob, guiding her inside as he closed the heavy wood panel and locked it behind him.

She stopped in the center of the room. “It’s about my fiancé. Or rather about—”

“I am your fiancé now,” he murmured, so low that the sound vibrated through her. “He will have to accept that.”

Considering he was a complete fiction, he was likely to be fine with it. “But that’s just it. I haven’t been—”

He stepped in front of her, their bodies nearly touching as he cupped her chin in his hand. “I’m going to kiss you now.”

The words she’d wanted to say died on her lips. Because, if she were honest, she’d much rather be kissing him than talking. Especially about this. She sensed he’d be unhappy with her deception and she wanted to touch him, feel his mouth pressed against hers.

And the way he looked at her now, the stark desire in his gaze, scrambled a woman’s senses.

His eyes were charcoal, they were so dark. His chest broad, his hand firm at her back. And when he dropped his chin closer, her own breath stopped for a second, then came out in a rush, mingling with his.

He captured her lips with his in a firm kiss that washed the last of her reason away. She held onto his biceps, clinging to him, needing his strength to hold her up.

Damian understood, wrapping both arms around her and pulling her to his chest. Cassandra melted into him. There was no other word for it. She felt as though he reshaped her to fit exactly against him. Every line of her body molded into his much harder frame until they were joined together from mouth to hip.

“Damian,” she gasped, pulling away for a moment. “This is all so…” Several words came to mind. Quick, amazing, frightening.

“Intoxicating,” he answered, capturing her mouth again.

That was a rather good word.

He deepened the kiss, working free several of the buttons at the front of her dress. His hands on her body only made her hotter and she found herself working his shirt free by first untying his cravat.

He shrugged off his coat, letting it fall to the floor and then began tugging at the sleeves of her dress. One by one, their garments fell away, leaving a trail to the bed until he was stripped to his breeches and her to her chemise.

He traced every curve from her shoulders to her knees and back again, down her front and up her back until she hummed from the desire pulsing through her. Then he cupped her breasts, rubbing her nipples with his thumb in a light touch that sent pleasure pulsing straight to her core.

Every part of her throbbed with need. How had she never known it could feel like this? “Damian,” his name came out in a moan. “That is so wonderful.” She stopped as he kissed her again. “I had no idea.” Then another pause for kissing. “Do we really get to do this all the time?”

That made him laugh and he stopped kissing her, leaning away. “Yes, love. All the time.”

“Oh,” was all she could reply before his lips captured hers again and his hand slid down her body, gathering the fabric of her chemise so that he could pull it up her body. Even the touch of the chemise skimming her skin made her shiver and she grabbed his bare biceps, digging her fingers into his muscles to try keep from spinning out of control.

She didn’t even realize they were moving backwards until her legs hit the edge of the bed. He lifted the sheer fabric over her head and sent it sailing through the air.

They fell back onto the bed a tangle of limbs as their mouths joined again. When he slid his fingers between her legs, brushing her slick folds, her body spasmed and her hips pressed into his hand.

“We should make this last longer,” he said as he kissed a trail down her neck.

“I’ve waited my entire life for this,” she murmured. “I don’t want to wait any longer.”

He growled out a deep rumble as his hand disappeared. She protested a high-pitched noise of dissent but then she realized he was only removing his breeches.

Cassandra pushed up on her elbows to watch and her tongue darted out to wet her lips. His gaze burned into hers even as he dropped his trousers.

Her breath caught. He was…magnificent. Lean muscle tapered down to narrow hips and his manhood…her eyes widened. She’d never imagined one might be so…large. She pushed up and reached out her hand, running her finger over the tip.

“Cassandra,” he said but she felt his shiver.