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Just as their embrace threatened to consume them, the carriage slowed to a stop. The driver announced their arrival at Silverbrook Manor, breaking the spell. Jonathan reluctantly pulled away, his breathing heavy, his eyes dark with unfulfilled desire.

“We’ve arrived,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion.

Ciara nodded, her own breath coming in quick, shallow gasps. “Yes, we have.”

They exited the carriage silently, and he walked her to her chamber. She wanted him to ask to come inside. She secretly wanted them to continue what was started in the carriage, but much to her disappointment, he simply bid her goodnight, turning away and closing the door to his own chamber, leaving her alone with a palpitating heart and a yearning body.

Ciara had no idea what she was doing, standing by the door that joined her chamber to her husband’s. She should be in her own bed, sleeping. Yet, all she wanted to do was be in his bed in his arms.

Inhaling deeply, she knocked. A moment later, Jonathan opened the door, shirtless, his hair tousled, falling over his forehead in a rakish manner she couldn’t resist. The sight of his naked, muscular torso made her falter. Heat unfurled deep inside of her, making her yearn for him even more.

Noticing her confusion, he lifted her chin. “How may I help you, Duchess?”

She hesitated for a moment then somehow found the words she needed. “I… I wish to continue what we started in the carriage.”

He lifted an inquisitive eyebrow. “You wish to lay with me?”

“Mhm,” she said, swallowing heavily, trying not to lower her gaze to the dark curls on his chest.

“You know that if we do, it will be solely for pleasure,” he clarified. “If love is what you need, I cannot give you that. I wish to be perfectly clear on those conditions.”

“I understand,” she nodded hastily. “That is all I want as well. Just… pleasure, nothing else.” She could see the look of surprise on his face. So, she continued. “If we are to live separately after these two months, I want to experience those bodily pleasures at least once in my life.”

He pouted before speaking. “You’re treading on dangerous waters, siren.”

“I don’t care,” she insisted. “I am free now, in this moment, to do as I please. I want to live life to the fullest, to experience what I never did before. I want…” she paused in an effort to find the right words. “I want you to show me what it truly means to be a woman.”

He grinned, showcasing his own body with his hands like a seller on a market. “In that case, who am I to deny you the pleasure of all this?”

She rolled her eyes at him amusedly, resisting the urge to smile.

“Also,” he continued, “we need some ground rules in case things get too out of hand, such as you falling in love with me.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, frowning. “You have a very high opinion of yourself, you know.”

He shrugged. “I speak from experience. Women have a tendency to fall in love with me when we are intimate on more than one occasion. I truly don’t know what it is about me,” he grinned mischievously.

“Neither do I,” she responded.

“You will soon find out,” he teased. “But first things first, we can have onelessonper week.”

“That seems fair,” she agreed. “Now, shall we get on with it?” She realized at that moment that she was still standing in the doorway. He had not granted her access to his bedchamber yet.

He laughed at her words, a deep, throaty laughter that seemed to emanate from the depths of his very soul. She couldn’t remember hearing him laugh like that before.

“Oh, sweetheart,” he said darkly, “you are not the one to give orders here.”

“I know, I just—” she started, but she wasn’t allowed to continue.

He took her into his arms and kissed her without pardon. He lifted her up onto himself, her legs instinctively locking around his waist, keeping herself in place. His hands grabbed her behind, squeezing gently, while his lips devoured hers.

He took her to the bed in her bedchamber, placing her gently onto it, as if she were a rare, sacred thing made of the finest porcelain, and she might break if handled roughly. Her irritation with him had disappeared immediately, a little too fast, but she couldn’t think about that right now.

He pulled away from her, lifting the hem of her nightgown and pooling it around her waist. He spread her legs, not taking his eyes off of her.

“Jonathan, what are you?—”

“Shhh,” she heard him say as he lowered himself between her thighs.