Page 94 of Duke of Pride

Victoria tilted her hips up to meet him more, to have all of him, take all of it. The ache was there, yes, but it was a stretching, a filling, an overwhelming sensation that hovered on the edge of pleasure.

Stephen moved slowly at first. Their fingers were intertwined, one arm under her waist, and their breaths mingled, sharp and ragged. Soon, his rhythm quickened and deepened, each thrust more insistent and more sure.

“Victoria,” he whispered. “God…You…”

His hands slid to her waist, holding her steady as his hips rocked into hers. A groan tore from his throat as he thrust deeper.

“Yes,” he gasped.

She moaned, her back arching, her body blossoming around him, clutching him deeper.

“Let go for me. I’m right here.”

She shattered. Her body convulsed around him, her arms locking around his back, her face pressed into his neck. He followed her a heartbeat later, his thrusts growing erratic, desperate, until he pushed deep one final time and stayed there, trembling.

His forehead dropped to hers, and his whole body locked around her as he spilled into her, a guttural groan leaving his lips.

“How are you, my Duchess?”

Victoria couldn’t summon words, but she smiled at him and caressed his face reverently.

“I will take the silence as a good sign, and I will file that information for later use.”

Victoria pushed his bicep lightly, but she was drifting off already, exhaustion taking over.

“Sleep, my Duchess, my love,” he whispered, pulling the covers over them and cradling her in his arms.

Victoria nestled closer, flush against him, and he planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

“Forty-five,” she murmured, half asleep already.

“What?”

“Forty-five rooms in the house.”

Stephen laughed loudly.

“The country estate has one hundred and five rooms,” he whispered in her ear.

Victoria did the math and slipped into sweet bliss.

The End?