Page 30 of A Duchess to Unravel (The Devil’s Masquerade #3)
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“ E veryone to the servants’ quarters, now,” Alistair commanded, striding through the front door of his London house.
Tucked securely into his palm was Theo’s hand. He’d all but dragged her out of the carriage and up the walkway, uncaring if anyone saw his more brutal nature in the late night.
His butler appeared startled as he closed the door behind Alistair and Theo, but he quickly disappeared down the hall, no doubt hurrying to fulfill his master’s demand.
As Alistair reached the stairs, he swept Theo into his arms and over his shoulder, not patient enough to have her take the steps herself. The punishment he’d given her at the Masquerade had done to her precisely what he’d wished it to--but he had no idea that the act would turn on him.
He’d battled his sudden rage and jealousy when he’d seen Theo disobey his rules, kept the emotions on a leash as he drew out her punishment. But now he was going to let it all free--let it transform into something primal and fierce. He’d held himself back enough.
“Alistair!” Theo exclaimed, squirming in his grasp. “Do not--” Her words erupted into a yelp as he delivered another sharp slap to her backside.
“Quiet,” he growled, reaching the top of the stairs.
Her whimper of dissent was like music to his ears, and he felt a wicked pleasure as he felt her slump over his shoulder in submission.
He carried like that until he reached his rooms, and even then, kept her there as he shut and bolted his door before taking her past his sitting room and into his bedchamber.
When he hauled her forward and planted her roughly on her feet, Theo’s steps staggered, and her backside fell onto his bed. She looked up him with wide, startled eyes, still clouded over with a mixture of lust and confusion.
“I do not understand,” she breathed, watching him as he slid off his mask and discarded it to the floor. “I thought my punishment was over?”
“So did I,” Alistair grit out, tugging his cravat free, “But now I am unsure if I have made my displeasure of your disobedience apparent enough.”
He fiddled with the buttons of his shirt, finding them aggravatingly cumbersome, and gave up and ripped it open.
Theo was on her feet in a second, forcing his jacket and shirt over his broad shoulders and down his arms. He let her help, but as soon as he was free of the clothes he snatched her mask off her face and hauled her to him in a possessively deep kiss.
His hands found the back of her dress and this time he was not gentle.
His massive, strong hands ripped down the seam of the dress and corset; its many strings snapping apart as he pulled it from her body.
He let the ruined garments fall to her feet then he scooped her up, an arm banding around her waist while he drove the fingers of his other into her hair.
Theo moaned into his lips and undulated against him as her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, and he took her back to the bed.
Lips gnashing, teeth clashing, tongues dueling, their kiss became frenzied as they both worked his trousers to his ankles, then he kicked off his shoes and pants until he was entirely free.
Alistair groaned deeply as he finally felt the entire length of their fully naked bodies press into one another. He’d been waiting. He’d been patient and slow while giving Theo her lessons, taking her into the world of erotic pleasure one small step at a time. But no more.
He pulled away from the kiss savagely, taking in a deep, trembling breath as he realized the heaviness of his thoughts, and he fought through the thick cloud of desire that had settled over and into him.
“If you want me to stop, say it now,” he commanded.
His muscles tensed at the thought. His thoughts screamed.
No! Do not stop! But he had to. He had to ensure she was ready--even if he had no idea what he was going to do if she weren’t.
There wouldn't be a bath cold enough to slake the flames of desire licking him from the inside. He would be miserable with ache for days, and he’d been there for weeks already.
Stopping their lessons was growing more difficult. Every second had his body begging for release. He was going mad from wanting her.
Theo looked at him with dazed lapis lazuli eyes, her lips plump and bruised from his harsh worship. It took all he had not to attack her again, but he had to wait. To his relief Theo reached for him, pulling herself off her back by his neck as he arms remained locked above her.
“Do not stop,” she whispered needily against his lips. “Kiss me. Show me. I want more.”
Alistair groaned at the need in her voice, and as he reignited their kiss, he slipped a hand around to the back of her head, steadily lowering her to the bed with the other.
“Ye want more of me?” He asked through his kisses, his hand moving to circle her throat.
“Yes,” Theo whimpered, “ God, yes.”
Then Theo’s hand smoothed down his spine, her touch seductive and feather light as she trailed over the long, straight column, over his hip, and to the inside of his thighs.
He let out a feral growl as Theo’s hand wrapped around his already rigid, lengthy cock, and had to break the kiss as she squeezed her fist ever so slightly around him.
He was still so unused to letting a lover touch him there, but he could not help but lower his boundaries when it was Theo.
He was in command. Always. Except when Theo touched him.
Alistair pressed his forehead against Theo’s, his eyes screwed tight as he breathed raggedly through the pleasure of her explorative strokes. Then she said something that nearly made him explode in her hand.
“I want to taste you,” she breathed against his ear. “Show me how.”
It was nothing he’d ever allowed before. To do so would be giving her the upper hand, and even as the whisper of that once long-held rule purred in his mind, Alistair found himself rolling onto his back, taking her with him until she was atop his chest, and guiding her head to his waist.
He measured his strength as he gripped her hair, not wanting to hurt her, yet it turned into a brutally strong hold as Theo slid her tongue out and licked slowly up the long length of his turgid erection.
She whimpered, and he immediately adjusted his hold.
His fingers moved to caress away the unintended pain he’d caused, and Theo went back to her exploration.
Heavy, agonizing breaths drew from his chest as Theo’s tender lips and tongue explored every inch of his engorged manhood. The sensation of her ministrations was incredible, unlike anything he’d ever felt. Her mouth was silken and hot as it clamped around his tip and she suckled.
How wrong had he been.
For a while, Alistair felt his dominance wane as Theo’s timid licks and kisses grew bolder and more familiar. His mind gave way to her seduction and he simply let himself writhe and groan in pleasure as her tongue released him from any pressure to be in charge.
He’d dominated many women. Driven them crazy with teasing passion until they melted and opened their petals for him like perfect little flowers. But never had he been the one to melt.
When Theo’s tongue found the pulsing vein on the underside of his cock and began to worship it; it sent bolts of electricity through him, and he was knocked out of such blissful surrender.
Needing to regain control of himself, of her, Alistair dragged her up his chest, away from his throbbing manhood, and rolled again.
He pinned her beneath him, putting her arms above her head and then demanded she keep them there.
His mouth found her breasts, her nipples hardened into painfully-taut peaks, and he attacked them.
Theo’s scream of intense pleasure sent an explosion of gratification through him, and he spent the next several minutes kissing and worshipping her breasts until she was trembling and her words were nothing but a mess of vowels and whimpers.
Her body grew incredibly taut as he continued teasing her breasts while he slid a hand between her legs, and just as his fingertips brushed against the bud nestled above her mons, her back bowed and her chin jutted up into the air.
His name poured from her lips, long and dragged out by each syllable as he made her come.
Satisfaction poured through him as he heard his name screamed so desperately, but he was nowhere close to being done with her.
Theo was trying for words. She pushed her lips together, desperate to form them, but her body did not comply. She was still reeling from the intensity of her much-anticipated release, and the only sounds that left her body were whimpered pleas.
Dizzy with pleasure, Theo’s head lolled left then right over and over again as Alistair’s mouth left her breasts and began to drift down her waist. As if she could not help herself, she spread her legs wide for him; wanting to offer him everything.
As if happy to oblige, Alistair settled himself between her legs.
With her backside secure in both of his palms, he lowered himself to her soft center and ran his tongue teasingly over her already parted and dewy petals.
He groaned then, as if he’d waited all night to taste her, and began to lap at her with abandon.
No longer able to keep her arms pinned in place above her head, Theo’s nails met Alistair’s sweat-slick back, and she drove them into his muscles. She was rewarded with a deep growl that echoed into her core, making her gasp and squirm from the vibration of it.
Alistair’s grip on her tightened, as if he were a man driven mad by thirst, and he suckled and tongued her mons and bud until her eyes swam with tears and the illuminated chandelier above became nothing but blobs of gold and light.
Then she was over the edge again, screaming his name as he thrust two fingers into her wet center and pulled that inner trigger. This time her release seeped from her in streams, and she blushed as she found herself surrounded by her wetness.