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“We are, Duchess. I need to make something clear to you.”

Alicia’s startled, little gasp only made his need to have her all the more intense, and he all but shoved her into the carriage before following in behind her.

She fell back against the seat, looking shocked as he slammed the door shut.

“Do you know how many men you spoke with in that hall?” he barked.

She panted before him, her eyes wide and startled. “Wh-What? They are my friends.”

“Friends?”he said derisively. “Believe me, they are not interested in friendship.”

Alicia scoffed. “Are you accusing me of impropriety simply forspeakingto a few men whom I have known for most of the last two Seasons?”

She yelped as he lunged across the space between them, his hands landing on either side of the bench, feeling the desire overtake him, hot as lava throughout his body.

“You will not speak to them again, is that clear?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “I shall do as I please. For a man who has barely spent any time with me for the last few days, I am surprised you are so worried about who I choose to speak to!”

Seth chuckled, leaning back and assessing her for a moment as his hand moved to the folds of her dress.

“So you have been thinking about me, then?” he asked as the carriage began to move, the rocking motion masking his movements as he slowly began to lift her skirts.

“You are the most arrogant of men,” she huffed. But then she froze as he trailed his hand up her calf to her thigh. “What are you doing?”

“What I told you I would do, Duchess—reminding you who you belong to.”

“I thought ours was a marriage of convenience,” she said, her voice breathless.

Her hand moved forward, and Seth thought she was about to stop him. Instead, she gripped the edge of the bench.

“Mm, I did say that. But it does not stop you from belonging to me. I own you, Duchess. Remember this moment when you doubt that in the future.”

And with that, he pushed up her skirts. She let out a little cry of protest as he pulled down her undergarments and bared her.

“We cannot! We are in a carriage!” she hissed, but her body was giving him different signals.

Her hips rolled toward him, and he smiled.

“Then you should try to stay quiet, Duchess,” he said.

He lowered his head, scraping his teeth along her inner thighs as she shuddered in ecstasy beneath him.

Seth pulled her roughly down the seat until only her shoulders rested on it and then dove into the sweet wet heat of her body, lapping at her flesh and groaning at the taste.

Alicia’s legs fell slack against his shoulders as he gripped her upper thighs hard.

She began to rock into him as he massaged her nub, feeling a gush of wetness leaving her as she shivered and trembled beneath him.

Seth’s body was straining with need and desire, the urge to take her, to plunge inside her and thrust into her until she was screaming overtaking him.

But he held back. This was for her. Bringing her pleasure was almost as enjoyable as feeling it.

Alicia’s fingers plunged into his hair as she bucked her hips, and she let out a frantic cry that the footman must have heard.

Seth continued, feeling her fingers flex and curl against him, her nails scraping his scalp and leaving an exquisite burn in their wake.

Minutes passed before Alicia’s breathing became ragged and urgent, pulling him against her with every thrust of her hips.