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“That’s why I hate hiding this,” she continues. “You’re always in the background. You’re always in a supporting role. No one really thinks about how important you are. I want them to know how important you are, tomeat least. I want Diarmuid to know how important you are. To me and Torin,” she says, squeezing my hand. “I wanteveryoneto know.”
“I only need to be important to you, Duchess.”
She sniffs and I run my hand over her hair.
I have to trust Iris. She’s angry with me, but she’ll help. I know that the past twelve years with Torin have not been for nothing. She knows that I’ve done my job and have helped Torin get this far. She wants me at his side. I have to believe she’ll figure out a way to keep the boss from firing me.
Torin and Linnea both need me. And I need them.
“Just a little longer. We’ll figure something out. We have time,” I tell her.
Linnea takes a deep, shaky breath, then she slides off her stool and steps close. I widen my knees so that she can step between them. She runs her hands up the back of my neck and into my hair, then pulls my face close and kisses me.
My hands automatically drop to her ass, pulling her against me.
“Show me how the last time we were together in this kitchen should have gone.”
I look into her eyes. I know what she needs. She needs to feel the passion, the chemistry, the love that we have that makes us both willing to shirk our duties for the first time in our lives. She needs to be reminded that what we have is more important and worth sacrificing for.
I can show her that.
I can show myself that.
I am fantastic at my job. Will someone else do it as well as I can? Doubtful. But someone elsecancome along and protect and advise Torin O’Grady.
What I know for certain is that no one will ever love my Duchess the way I can.
I slide a hand to the back of her neck and look directly into her eyes.
“You mean the night that I wanted to put you up against the wall, pull these silky pants down, and sink deep into this hot, greedy pussy right here without a thought to anyone or anything else?”
She sucks in a little breath and her eyes dilate. “Yes.”
“That night, that kiss, that was just the start.”
She bites her lip in a flirtatious way that immediately makes my cock harden. She looks at my mouth and I want to put it all over her sweet body.
I tip her head back. “Kiss me,” I tell her. “Show me with your mouth what you want mine doing to your sweet little cunt.”
She needs to get out of her head. She needs someone who can obliterate all of these worries about our responsibilities that won’t leave her alone. She needs to be reminded that she is a woman with needs, wants, and emotions that matter. Things that she shouldn’t have to suppress and ignore.
I am that man.
I’mherman.
Her kiss is hot and deep. She slides her tongue along the seam of my lips and when I let her in, she strokes over my tongue boldly. She circles and sucks and strokes and yes, I can definitely do all of that to her pussy. Right now.
Except that we’re in the kitchen.
I drag my mouth from her and along her jaw.
"Do you know how much I would love to spread you out on this counter, strip you out of these pretty little pajamas, and make you beg for my cock?" I say gruffly against her ear. "Having you back here in Cara reminds me even more what a perfect, classy, queen you are, and I’d love to eat your royal pussy right here on this countertop where you frosted cookies for me.”
She takes a deep shuddering breath. "I’m not perfect," she says.
"You are to everyone here. You are to me."
"They have no idea how dirty and needy you can make me." Her fingers dig into my hair as I drag my beard along her throat. "I didn’t even know."