Duke of Decadence (Lords of Scandal 9)

Funny. These memories should hurt far more than they did. But with her fingers on his skin all he could feel was a dull ache. The sharp pain of the past had muted under her touch. “Clarissa’s his wife.”

“I’m glad for him, then. That’s how it was for my parents too. My mother’s family was awful. And both her sisters married terrible men. But my mother fell in love, defied her father’s match, and married my father instead. For twenty-two years they were wonderfully happy.”

Bash opened his eyes. “I don’t think that’s how it will be for me.”

“Why not?” Her fingers had slid around to his face and they slid across his cheek, stroking his stubbly skin.

“Because, unlike Mason, my father passed the darkness of his temper on to me. I try to keep it down but…”

Her brows drew together even as her fingers continued dancing. “Really? I’ve never seen you—”

“Isabella,” he cut her off. “It’s there. I just keep it carefully under control. When I was a youth, however, I let that beast out and it was ugly.”

She nodded as her fingers combed through his hair again. “Tell me.”

He shook his head. “I’d hit any man who even looked at me cross-eyed, I nearly died in two fights. I—”

These memories pained him more and he squeezed his eyes shut.

Her thumbs brushed along his brows. “Bash,” she whispered as stroked circles along his temple. “Are we discussing the same man who has rescued my family? Gone out of his way to help a woman he didn’t even know a month ago?”

“I know what you’re thinking. But there is this other man who lives inside me and I have to be careful not to let him out.”

He dropped his forehead to hers. Their noses brushed and then he tilted his chin to kiss her lips. She was achingly perfect in his arms as she kissed him back. She didn’t really understand, not yet. And before he told her, he wanted to capture the sweetness of this moment.

He’d need it to remember her by.

Her mouth clung to his and he deepened the kiss. He could feel the curve of her back underneath her night-rail and he traced his hand up and down her spine, mapping the gentle shape of her.

Then his hands slid to her hips and up her waist. So perfect.

Slanting her mouth open, their tongues danced together. Her arms had wound about his neck and he slid his hands back down, finally getting to trace the curve of her backside. It filled his hands and he felt desire course through him.

In turn, she gasped into his mouth, her hips pressing to his.

Holding her like this, it was so easy to forget the turmoil in his heart. The worry of what he’d become if he succumbed to his feelings for her. He lifted her, just a bit, and one of her legs wrapped about him, opening her apex to him and pressing them even closer together.

He nearly came undone.

Bash lifted her even higher, supporting her weight as her other leg wrapped about him. Without thought, he began to carry her to the bed.

He shouldn’t. This wasn’t why he’d brought them here.

But with her in his arms, he couldn’t think. Didn’t want to.

As he lay her down, his weight settled on hers and they both groaned as his member settled between her legs.

He

r hands had been fluttering over his skin in comfort but now her fingers wound into his hair, pulling on the strands in the most satisfying way.

He pushed deeper against her apex, his breeches and her night rail between them still but the pressure made her shiver in pleasure in his arms.

Damn, he wanted to feel her come undone.

He knew he shouldn’t. He’d come here to explain why he’d not offered for her hand. Instead, he was coming apart in her arms.

She always stripped him of control.