Page 31

“You --” She hesitated and for a moment, he thought she was going to fight him. She clenched her jaw and scrunched her face and he held out hope...

“You do,” she said instead, eyes still closed, even if her body no longer shook. Her breathing became firm and steady as if she was starting to relax. Even enjoy it. “I will behave. I... I promise.”

He moaned at the words.

Still holding her, he eyed her exposed neck. He knew he should stop.... step back... leave now! But that neck... before Duncan knew what he was doing he was leaning in, wrapping his lips around the soft, moist skin of Miss Gouldsmith, and sucking on it ever so gently.

“Ah...” she moaned. “What are you.... urgh...” She moaned further as his teeth bit in gently. “Your Grace...” He felt her body relax further, her breathing steady, and her heart rate quicken.

He pulled his lips free. “Do you promise to behave for me?”

“I...” She licked her lips, eyes dancing wildly. “I promise.”

Duncan let go of her arm. Then he released her waist, giving her room to step forward from the wall. She held his eyes as she did, a sense that she was beginning to understand what was happening.

Duncan reached one finger out and held it under her chin, raising it as he looked down on her. “Good girl,” he growled and stepped in quickly, dropping his finger, wrapping a hand around her throat and squeezing as he pulled Miss Gouldsmith in to kiss him.

Their lips met in a fiery, heated clash. Isabella gasped and Duncan moaned as he opened her mouth with his lips and dove his tongue inside, exploring every inch of her that he could. Tasting her in ways that had him turning hard and his breathing becoming staggered.

And she kissed him back! He thought she would fight him but the second their lips met she accepted it as if it was oxygen. Her mouth latched onto his, their tongues wrestled, saliva dripped down their chins as he devoured her, already thinking about what he would do next --

No! What are you doing?!

Duncan wrenched himself free and Miss Gouldsmith gasped and stumbled back. The look in her eyes was confused, caught between fear and arousal the likes of which she had probably never known.

“I should go,” Duncan said quickly, filled with shame as he pried the door open behind her.

“Wh -- what?” Miss Gouldsmith stammered as if coming out of a dream.

“I take it you are able to find your own way home?” he asked without looking at her.

“Yes, I can but --”

“Good. That will be all, Miss Gouldsmith.” He took a step forward, out the door, and then paused, still looking ahead. “I will see you at the wedding.” He spoke shortly, quick to leave the second the final word was out of his mouth.

Duncan’s mind raced. His heart pounded. His body rebelled. And the excitement he felt within as he raced down the hallway as if fleeing a crime scene... that scared him more than anything.

Miss Gouldsmith was right. This marriage could not work. Only not for the reasons that she thought.

Chapter Eleven

"See, it wasn’t so bad now, was it?” Louisa said smugly. “The way that you have been behaving, one would think that you expected to burst into flames.”

Isabella was not paying her twin sister any attention. That was saved for her now-husband, the Duke. He was standing on the other side of the ball room, surrounded by well-wishers who each spoke to him, rather than at him. He seemed disinterested in whatever they were saying, as if he wanted to be anywhere else but here.

Good. I hope he is having a horrendous time.

“But you did not burst into flames,” Louisa continued. “And the world did not come to an end, for that matter. One might wonder if you will take any of that into account from here on out.”

Isabella and the Duke had barely spoken a word to one another since their previous nightly encounter. In fact, the Duke hadbarely so much as looked at her. Even just now, during the ceremony which saw them become man and wife, he was careful not to meet her eyes when possible.

And Isabella could not have been happier. At least that was what she told herself, as that seemed easier than admitting the other thing. That which two days later she was still yet to fully comprehend.

The Duke was a monster, of that she had no doubt. But was that such a bad thing?

What happened between them the other night... pressed against the wall... reprimanded and warned... only to accept his kiss because deep down that was what she really wanted. She knew that she did.

His lips around her neck. His hand around her throat. His ravaging, hungry kiss.