In Bed with the Duke

‘You’re trembling again,’ he said.

‘It’s excitement,’ she panted. ‘I know I ought to feel outraged or terrified by your threats to...to ravish me. But I don’t want to protest, or struggle. The weight of your body, pinning me down like this, is...’

And then her words ran out. She didn’t have enough experience to be able to describe what he was making her feel. But her body told him, arching up to make the contact with his powerful hips even stronger.

There was no longer any uncertainty on his face. It had been replaced by a knowing smile.

‘What you are feeling now,’ he drawled, ‘is nothing to what I’m going to make you feel soon.’ He nuzzled at her ear then, nipped at the lobe, then let go of one of her wrists so he could run his hand down her body, as though tracing her shape. It made her hips, her breasts, hunger to experience a similar caress.

She whimpered and writhed beneath him.

He nipped at her lower lip. Flicked his tongue into her mouth, making her open it to grant him access. Ran his hand back down her side and round to her hips. When she wiggled in response, he slid his hand round to her bottom and kneaded it.

He teased and tormented her with skilful caresses and kisses, rousing her to such a pitch that all she could think of was ripping his clothes off. Or hers. Oh, Lord, she needed... Oh, she needed...

She pulled his face to hers so she could kiss him. And he let go of her other hand so that she could put both arms round his neck and plunge her fingers into his hair.

‘Mine,’ he breathed into her ear, before capturing her chin, turning her head and plundering her mouth yet again.

‘Yes.’ She sighed when he paused for breath. ‘I think I can really believe it now. Only...’

‘Only what?’ He tensed. ‘What now?’

‘Nothing, really. It’s just that if you had made me yours, that night in the barn, I would have felt as though I was bestowing some great gift upon you. Whereas now...’ She glanced round the room. At the velvet hangings, the moulded cornices, the marble mantel, all of which shrieked of his wealth. And made her dreadfully conscious of how little she was worth.

‘The reason I didn’t make you mine that night is because I didn’t want you to have no choice in the matter once you had discovered all there is to know about me. I knew you’d be shocked when you found out I’m a duke. I feared you might think I’d deceived you for some nefarious reason. I wanted you to be able to remember that I’d behaved honourably, in that one way at least, and then you might be able to forgive the rest.’

‘Oh, Gregory.’ What a selfless thing to have done for her. ‘What a pity we cannot return to that night and do it right this time, knowing all there is to know about each other.’

‘That,’ he said, rolling off her and standing up, ‘is an excellent idea. Come on,’ he said, grabbing her hand and hauling her to her feet.

‘What are you doing?’

‘I think you can see perfectly well what I’m doing. I’m taking the quilt off the bed.’

‘Why? What for?’

‘Because we would both rather our first time together had been out in that barn.’

‘Well, yes,’ she admitted.

‘Well, then, don’t just stand there,’ he said as he rolled the quilt and slung it over one shoulder. ‘Get some blankets,’ he said as he grabbed a couple of pillows. ‘As many as you can carry.’

‘What? But we cannot go all the way back to the barn. Not at this hour of the night.’ She considered it. ‘Can we?’

‘No need,’ he said with a wicked grin. ‘I have somewhere much better in mind.’

She was so relieved he wasn’t going to put off making love to her properly—or should that be improperly?—that she asked no more questions. She just set to, stripping down the bed as swiftly as she could.

They stumbled down the main staircase with bundles of bedding in their arms and crossed the hall to a door at the rear as quickly and quietly as they could. Gregory looked totally nonchalant, but Prudence was rather nervous of anyone seeing them and correctly guessing what they were up to. Not half an hour ago she’d broken their betrothal and stormed off upstairs. And then he’d stormed up after her. If he’d...subdued her in private she might have given the excuse that she hadn’t had any choice in the matter. But here she was, carrying her fair share of blankets, proving she was as eager as he to behave with a scandalous lack of propriety.

By the time they went out through a door at the back of the house her cheeks—nay, her entire body was flushed with nervous excitement, and her heart was pounding. She was sneaking off into the night to make love to a duke, without being married to him.