Page 19 of A Duke for Stealing (The Devil’s Masquerade #4)

CHAPTER TEN

“ S top that,” Rose whispered, looking up into Everett’s green eyes.

Everett smirked as he caressed his thumbs over her cheeks. The small touch sent delicious shivers down her body, and she had to fight the urge to sink deeper into his touch. How had this happened? One moment, they were arguing. The next thing she knew, she was wrapped in his embrace.

“Stop what?” He asked, his deep voice somehow dropping lower.

“Being kind,” she replied, “I do not know how to handle you when you are this kind.”

A low chuckle rumbled from his chest, but he did not stop touching her.

“You feel the need to ‘handle’ me?” He asked.

She felt a blush fill her cheeks, and she glanced away from his intense gaze. Of course, she needed to handle him. How else was she going to stop herself from falling for his tricks?

“You are tired,” Everett stated, moving his hand to the back of her neck. He gave it a gentle squeeze, and Rose couldn’t help but let out a small moan of relief as it eased some of the tension there.

“Yes,” she sighed, letting her eyes close as his massage continued.

“You are tense. It was a long day.”

“Mhmm,” she murmured, feeling her body grow heavy.

Everett’s other hand fell away from her cheek, and he wrapped it around her back. She let out another soft gasp as she felt his fingers run firmly down her spine, and she let her cheek rest once again on his shoulder.

“I can help you ease that tension, Rose,” Everett said, his deep voice dropping to a whisper. “If you let me.”

No. I shouldn’t. It’s another trick. Another attempt to get what he wants from a woman.

These thoughts whispered their warning into Rose’s mind, but as his message continued, Rose found she could not fathom the urge to care. His touch felt too wonderful, his voice sounded too perfect. And his scent- his warm, deeply masculine scent- was causing a tightening in her lower belly.

Everett’s hand trailed up her spine, to her neck, then around her throat, and with a soft squeeze, he had her lifting her head to meet his eyes again.

“Will you let me?” He whispered, tracing his lips softly over hers. “Well, you let me help you relax, Rose?”

“Yes,” she breathed, feeling drowsy and warm from his closeness.

A soft groan escaped Everett’s lips as his grip on her throat tightened, and he brought her fully into his kiss.

His smooth, firm lips coaxed hers to follow his lead, and with a sigh, she let herself be taken over by him.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, letting her fingers delve into the soft, short locks of his dark hair, and disappeared into his kiss.

“That’s it,” Everett whispered between kisses, “There’s my good girl.”

Desire trembled through her at his praise, and between her legs, she felt a wet warmth begin to form.

As he kissed her, his hands continued to roam, coaxing her body into relaxed submission as he massaged the back of her neck, her shoulders, her back.

She felt her knees buckle when they reached her backside, but Everett’s muscled arms kept her pinned to him, not allowing her to fall to the floor.

Another moan slipped from her lips as he pressed her tight against and she felt his hardened manhood pulse against her navel.

Curious about it, she let one of her hands slip down from his muscled chest and traced her fingers against the rigid length.

As she did so, Everett broke their kiss with an aching moan, and to her surprise, he caught her hand before sweeping her up into his arms.

“You can discover that later,” he promised as he carried her to the settee, “But tonight is about alleviating you, not me.”

Though Rose was not at all sure what he meant, the question quickly dissolved in her mind as he lay her down atop the settee and began kissing her again.

She might have hated the man, but she loved his kisses. Loved the way his tongue massaged over hers and coaxed it into his mouth for him to suckle. Loved the way his lips sometimes nipped, causing the slightest pain one second, then pampered, making the small pain dissolve as if it never was.

Rose forgot all about her book, her bad day, as Everett’s kisses left her lips and travelled down her neck. She gasped and whimpered as he found a particular spot below her right ear that sent shots of arousal scurrying through her veins.

Why could he not always be like this? She thought as his kisses continued lower, tracing over her collarbone and shoulder as his hands parted her robe and splayed over her ribcage.

“So soft,” Everett murmured between kisses, “So sweet for me, my darling Rose.”

As his mouth moved toward her breasts, his hands continued their hypnotizing exploration of her waist, her upper thighs, and as his lips found her peaked right nipple through her night gown, his fingers slipped between her legs.

“Oh!” Rose gasp, pleasure shooting through her spine as his fingers brushed against something sensitive between her legs.

“What was that?” She asked, her voice quivering.

“Your tension,” Everett rasped, swirling slow circles around the sensitive little bud as his hot mouth soaked through the fabric of her nightgown and over her breast, “I believe I have found the source of it.”

Rose let her head loll back and her lashes flutter shut as she gave into the pleasure of his ministrations. She shivered as Everett pulled his mouth away from her breast and blew soft, cool air over her nipple at the same time as his finger slipped from that sensitive bud to her slick petals.

“Oh,” Everett groaned as he moved to kiss her left nipple, “You are so very wet for me already.”

Rose felt color rush into her cheeks as she forced her head up and asked, “Is…is that good?”

“So very good, Rose,” he rasped, sliding a single finger between her slick petals. She gasped and shivered at the intrusion, her eyes immediately snapping shut as she felt her inner muscles clamp down and suckle him.

Everett’s palm began to move rhythmically as his finger remained deep inside; the pad of it gliding against a spot she never knew she had until now. With each rhythmic thrust, she shivered with new pleasure and felt her body completely relax into the settee.

She heard Everett murmur something she couldn’t make out, but his tone was so full of praise she didn’t bother to ask. Instead, she let her hands curl around the pillow behind her head, and she let her legs fall wider apart as his warm kisses travelled away from her breasts and down her stomach.

Pleasure, as sudden and intense as a lightning strike, bolted through her when his tongue lapped over the sensitive bud his fingers had first found, and she could not help but mutter the word please as she instinctively spread her legs wider, letting one dangle off the settee completely.

“Again?” He asked, his voice throaty and strained.

“Yes,” she breathed, involuntarily bucking her own hips toward his mouth. The small sensation moved his finger deeper inside of her, and she moaned at how deeply wonderful the slight movement felt.

Everett moaned as he slid his tongue against her bud again, and then he settled into a slow, coaxing rhythm with both his mouth and hand. Rose began to writhe, her breath drawing deeper, slower as Everett’s ministrations began to stroke the embers inside of her into a roaring flame.

With every stroke, the invisible strings between her navel and parted legs grew more taut until she began to vibrate with tension.

Her occasional moans drew into repeated whimpers as he pulled those strings tighter and tighter, until she thought she could not take any more- until she was sure such strings were going to snap- and then they did.

Every ounce of gathered tension suddenly obliterated into thousands of tiny stars behind Rose’s closed eyes as her body spasmed and the greatest sensation of pleasure she’d ever experienced flooded her lower body.

“ So good,” Everett rasped, riding her waves of pleasure at the tip of his buried finger, “So very good for me, Rose.”

Rose whimpered as the storm of intense pleasure settled slowly into soft waves. She couldn’t move, could not even lift her head or open her eyes if she wanted. Bliss encompassed her, making her feel like nothing but a warm puddle.

Drowsiness threatened to pull her unconsciousness, and it was only Everett’s warm, soft kisses moving up her body that kept her from falling, giving in to its alluring call.

“What,” she breathed, finding words difficult, “What was that?”

Everett’s deep, soft chuckle hummed warmly in her ear as he nibbled at her lobe.

“Pleasure,” he whispered, tilting her head toward his. “Did you like it?”

Rose whimpered as his lips touched hers softly, and she nodded.

“Would you like it again?”

She nodded faster.

“That’s my good girl,” he praised, then kissed her deeper.

He stroked his hand gently down her cheek, over her throat, and then his fingers nestled like a necklace around her pulse.

“If you want it again, you come to me, understand? Only me.” Though Everett’s voice was gentle, Rose did not miss the firm command that lay beneath.

“Yes,” she breathed. At that moment, she would agree to anything he said.

“Yes, husband,” Everett corrected, squeezing her neck just a bit tighter.

“Yes, husband,” she answered obediently.

“Such a good wife for me,” he praised, then kissed her again, “So good, I believe you deserve another.”

Another?! Right now?!

Rose’s lashes fluttered open, and she weakly shook her head as Everett’s kisses ventured once more down her body.

“I am not sure that I can,” she answered weakly, then gasped as his mouth found her mons again.

“Of course you can,” Everett rasped, flicking his tongue over her wet petals.

Rose’s head fell limply back into the cushions as Everett’s began to undulate over her again, and as he began to gather the pleasure in her core with his skilled mouth and hand, she felt herself fully give in to her husband.

Rose slowly came to as she felt her body softly swaying. She let out a soft sigh, tried to stretch, and found herself in Everett’s arms. Still dazed and weary from his sweet pleasure, Rose tilted her heavy head up to look at his face.

She took in the sharp plane of his jaw, the carved features of his cheekbones, and sculpted lips. Her husband truly was handsome.

“What’s happening?” She murmured as she felt the continued sway of movement.

Everett’s green eyes flicked down at her, and the most dreamy smile she’d ever seen on him stretched across his face.

“You fainted, love,” he told her, “After you… ‘relaxed’ again. So I am carrying you to your room.”

“Oh,” Rose sighed, letting her head rest once more against his shoulder. She tried to call forth embarrassment, even regret, but nothing but warm satisfaction filled her. Still, she mustered up an exhausted, “I’m sorry.”

Everett’s answering chuckle was deep and full of self-satisfaction.

“Do not dare be sorry,” he replied, nudging open her door with his foot. “I take it as the highest compliment.”

Drunk on relaxation, Rose could not help the small smile that formed on her lips as she nuzzled deeper into his arms for the few remaining steps to her bed. She’d never felt like this before. Soft. Vulnerable. Safe. And yet of all places, she found such feelings in Everett’s arms. It amazed her.

“Stay,” she pleaded as Everett lay her atop her bed.

A look of regret passed over his handsome face, and Rose felt an odd ache in her chest as he shook his head.

“You need your rest,” he replied, pulling the covers over her spent body.

“I could rest with you here,” she replied, reaching for his hand.

The ache in her chest intensified as Everett captured her hand before she could capture his and tucked it under the blanket.

“I could not,” he told her, a tinge of regret in his tone.

“You have had quite the day,” he went on, not meeting her eyes. “And you have plenty to do before we leave for London the day after next.”

For a moment, he looked as if he was about to lean down and kiss her, but then it seemed as if he was pulling himself back from the action and struggling with it. Rose sat up, some of that languid drowsiness leaving her.

“Did I do something wrong?” She asked, trying to understand why he was suddenly acting so distant.

“No,” he replied, his tone gentle. "You were perfect, as I stated.”

His eyes then raked down her again, a look of longing shining in them. Then he turned away and walked toward the door.

“Goodnight, Rose. Sleep well.”

She called for him to wait, but she was answered with the soft thud of her shutting door.

Whatever sense of sleepiness she once felt dissolved, and as she lay her head back upon the pillows, she mentally went back through the night, wondering how Everett could feel so close and lovely one moment, and then distant the next.

She had thought, for the briefest of moments, that they were getting close. Apparently, she had been wrong.