Page 25 of A Duke for Stealing (The Devil’s Masquerade #4)

As he stood naked before, Everett felt as if he’d never been more exposed before another person. Even he- the illustrious rake that was never shy about his body or his needs- felt the sudden urge to cover himself. That was until he felt Rose’s soft, warm lips wrap around the tip of his rigid cock.

Everett threw his head back as a groan poured from his throat.

Stars burst behind his eyes as he closed them tight, and felt his knees threaten to buckle as Rose continued her gentle exploration.

Then, suddenly, she stopped, and cool air wrapped around him.

He snapped his eyes open to look down at her.

Of all things, he found worry in her blue eyes as her mouth stayed precious centimeters away from his pulsing sword.

“Did I hurt you?” She asked, her voice barely a whisper.

“No!” His voice rushed out in a boom, making her flinch, and Everett quickly worked to recover from his fervor. He reached down with a gentle touch and caressed her chin and jaw. “No,” he said again, softer this time, “That was not a moan of pain, love.”

Some of her worries faded.

“Shall I do it again?” She asked.

God yes.

Everett tried to say the words, but all he could do was nod his head as he continued to caress her jawline. Rose then leaned forward, taking him further into her mouth, and a broken whimper left his lips as her warm, silken mouth continued to bring him pleasure.

For the longest time, he attempted to stay still, to let her move at her own pace, but Rose’s mouth brought him closer to heaven with every swallow of her throat and every swipe of her soft tongue.

His fists, once clenched at his sides, soon found her hair, and he brought her closer, sliding himself inside of her mouth until he was fully fitted.

“Rose,” he breathed, moving himself in and out of her mouth, “My sweet Rose. God, how you undo me.”

A sound of pleasure broke from Rose’s throat as she looked up at him through her lashes, and the look of pure satisfaction in her blue eyes had him coming to a quick end.

Everett roared out his release as he drove his hips forward, making her lips kiss his base and the tip of his cock nudge the very back of her throat.

He moved to pull away, to prevent her from gagging on his release, but Rose’s hands suddenly flew to his muscled thighs, and she surged herself forward,

Everett trembled as he stared at her in utter rapture while her throat worked to swallow every drop of him until he was spent.

Even after, when there was nothing of him left, Rose suckled until she had her fill.

When she finally did release him, Everett’s knees finally buckled, and he dropped to the floor.

He gathered her into her arms as if she were some sacred vessel, and kissed her passionately.

“Rose,” he panted over and again, his kisses growing rough and possessive, “Rose.”

Everett’s relief from his release was short-lived as he kissed and cradled Rose to him.

A hunger for her that had been slightly dampened by her exploration hit him once more with renewed force, and he lowered her to the rug before the fireplace.

He pinned her hands above her head, relishing the way Rose’s once tentative kisses now matched his fervor.

“Everett,” Rose breathed.

Her lashes fluttered as his kisses broke from her mouth, and he nipped at the sensitive spot below her ear.

She could still taste his release on her tongue; warm and salty and masculine even after he’d kissed her.

She blushed at the idea of him tasting himself on her lips, but the very idea of it had her nipples peaking and warm wetness splashing over her inner thighs.

“How are you like this, Rose?” Everett asked her, his kisses trailing down her neck, “How are you so perfect for me?”

The question made Rose’s heart throb along with the rest of her body.

Something more than pleasure was taking over them.

Something deeper. Yet she had no time to think about it as Everett suddenly rose to his knees above her.

She looked up at him and found his green eyes glittering with a mixture of need and awe- and suddenly she realized that he was looking at her. All of her. For the first time.

Through her boldness, a sliver of shame was pushed, and she tried to move her hands from Everett’s grip to cover her breasts.

“No,” he said quickly, taking both her wrists in one hand as his eyes raked down to her breasts. “Do not dare feel ashamed, Rose. Not with me.”

His words and adamant tone quieted her shyness, and she stopped struggling to get out of his grasp.

Slowly, he unfurled his fingers from her wrists and drew them down over the inside of her forearms, her upper arms, and then down the curves of her naked torso.

She trembled at his light, reverent touch, and felt another shot of pure warmth sizzle through her bloodstream.

“Why do you look at me so?” She braved, feeling the heaviness of his stare.

His green eyes slowly made their way up her body to meet her gaze, and he lowered his body back down to hers. She whimpered and sighed in relief when she felt his naked chest pressed down upon her own, relishing the weight.

“You have me wrapped in a spell, Rose,” Everett huskily replied, reverently stroking her throat before wrapping his fingers tightly around it. The gentle squeeze sent another shot of pleasure throughout her body, making her dizzy. “I have never been as transfixed as I am with you.”

In the far corner of her mind, a soft voice attempted to warn Rose.

Attempted to tell her that it was a line.

That was something he’d said to countless conquests before her.

Yet even there was something in his reverent gaze, something that told that perhaps this time he could possibly mean it.

Even if he did not, though, Rose decided it did not matter.

Not now. Not when every part of her body ached for him.

“Touch me,” she whispered, giving into her carnal needs as she wrapped her fingers within the dark brown locks of his hair. “Taste me. Everett, please.”

A tortured groan poured from Everett’s lips only a moment before his lips were fused to hers once again, and Rose let herself get lost in the pleasure of it all.

She let her body writhe and shiver as his kisses made their way down her neck, over her breasts.

She let her grip tighten in his hair as she felt his lips first pluck at her nipple, and she relished the way it made her shiver with pleasure.

More. She’d deal with the consequences later. For now, she wanted more.

Her whimpers transformed into moans as Everett made his way lower.

His lips caressed down her abdomen, over each of her hips, then between her parted legs.

She gasped when he roughly threw her legs over his shoulders, and shivered as his tongue made contact with her dewy petals.

Everett let out a possessive growl as his mouth pressed to her mons, and he lapped at her greedily.

Rose’s moans grew louder as she arched her back and tilted her hips, giving him as much access to her as possible.

At first, his licks were gentle and soft, as they had been in the library, but soon they grew bolder, needier, flicking not just over her sensitive bud but into her hot sheath; drawing her wetness out as if it were honey.

Her orgasm came over her in a rush. There was no gradual rise like last time, but instead it gushed forth as if a dam had broken inside of her.

Her body collapsed onto the rug, weak and trembling as waves of pleasure lapped over her.

She weakly tried to pull Everett up her body, but he remained, his fingers set tightly on her thighs as he continued to feast until another burst of pleasure was pulled from her body.

“Wait,” she breathed, feeling delightfully close to unconsciousness as he continued still to pleasure her.

Another possessive growl erupted from Everett’s chest as his hands locked on her hips, and as he pulled yet a third release from her body, Rose’s mind went blissfully blank, and she felt herself fully give in to his desires.

Her body was no longer just hers now. It also belonged to him. And her man? Everett? He was ravenous.

“Hold still. There is one more,” Everett gently coaxed. He dropped a kiss on Rose’s naked shoulder and renewed his search for the last pin in Rose’s hair.

He hadn’t meant to lose control like he did.

He had thought he’d buried that primal part of himself deep down so that he could show Rose the tenderness she deserved.

Despite his efforts, though, that savage part of him had risen from the shallow grave he’d buried it in and taken over him as he’d tasted Rose.

He couldn’t quite count how many times he’d tasted her release. Four times? Five? More? He only knew that when he was finally satisfied, Rose was limp with exhaustion and could barely mutter a promise that he had not hurt her.

At one time, not long ago, Everett would have felt superior with his work as he put on his clothes and left the woman he’d diminished into a muttering mess. With Rose, though, he didn’t want to leave. Could not leave.

So instead, he curled her spent form into his arms, laid her back against his chest, and helped her sit up as he worked to loosen the pins from her still-damp hair.

Finally, he found the last one, placed it in the pile, and massaged his fingers through her long hair.

He might be done with giving her orgasms, but he couldn’t seem to stop finding reasons to touch her.

To pull out more of those faint whimpers that he was no doubt becoming addicted to hearing.

Rose let out a weak sigh of relief as he gently combed through her damp locks, and she snuggled deeper into his chest. He reveled in that sound.

“Are you warm enough?” He whispered into her ear.

The fire he’d built was starting to die down, but its small orange flames were still undulating and casting off heat. He knew he should throw another log or two on, but the idea of leaving her body for even a minute seemed impossible.

“Mmm,” she muttered. Her head lolled weakly against his shoulder, forming at the last moment into a nod.

Outside, the rain was still coming down in heavy sheets.

Securing their privacy for a few minutes longer.

Still, Everett knew that before long, they would have to dress and return to the party.

For the first time, he did not want to join in on the merriment of others, but instead, wished to stay tucked away with Rose.

“Does it work?”

Rose’s voice was so soft and full of sleep that Everett almost missed her question.

“Does what work?” He asked.

“Handling your burdens with dalliances,” Rose replied.

For a moment, Everett was not at all sure what she was talking about.

Then he remembered their previous conversation and went rigid.

He hadn’t been prepared for such a question.

He slowly pulled his fingers from her hair, then found her chin with his fingers.

Gently, he turned her head to the left so he could lean around and look into her eyes.

He saw no judgment or condescension, but instead genuine curiosity in her dazed irises.

“It can,” he admitted after a while, “Though it can be a short diversion at times.”

“What about the Devil’s Masquerade ?” She asked, starting to sound more awake. “Does such a place offer a longer diversion?”

Everett’s brows rose.

“What do you know of the Masquerade?” He asked in return.

Rose let out a laugh.

“I may be a prim, but that does not mean I do not listen to talk. I know that Theo and Amelia have both been there. Alone and with their husbands. And Theo in particular enjoyed it enough to want to go back multiple times.”

“The Masquerade is an entirely different sort of dalliance,” Everett replied, trying to get over the shock that she’d asked about such things, “People there have…well, their appetites differ from most. They are- they can be, more intense than most. And yes, I suppose that means that it does offer a longer diversion from reality. As long as one can find the appropriate partner.”

“And you? Were you able to find appropriate partners?” She asked.

Everett stirred in discomfort. Under normal circumstances, he had no issue discussing such details, but as Rose asked him, he felt as if he had somehow betrayed her. Even if it had not been to the Masquerade since their wedding.

“They were satisfactory enough,” he begrudgingly admitted. “Why do you ask me about this?”

Rose pulled away from his embrace then, grabbed her now-dry dress, and covered herself with it as she faced him.

“The things you do to me…I can feel you try to hold part of you back,” she confessed.

“Did I hurt you?” He quickly asked, worry suddenly consuming him. He had tried to be gentle. Tried so very hard, but he knew his more animalistic side had won out.

“No,” she said, her eyes and tone assuring him. Then she let out a weak laugh before adding. “Exhausted me? Heavens, yes. But you did not hurt me. And you have made me grow curious.”

Everett felt himself become torn between relief and suspicion.

“What about?” He asked.

“If perhaps there is such a side within me,” Rose answered, looking bashful as she made the confession. “I have tried to do things right my entire life. Not just for myself, but on my mother’s behalf. And I wonder…I wonder what I would enjoy if I let myself be…free. With you.”

Rose’s words were tentative, but Everett saw the wonder in her eyes. The hope that such freedom could be found by her.

“You truly want to explore that? With me?” He asked.

Rose nodded.

“Just with you,” she added quickly, then blushed again as she said, “I do not believe I am meant for multiple partners.”

Even though the thought had not crossed his mind, Everett felt a rush of relief at her declaration. He was certain he did not want to share her either.

“Very well then,” said after a while. He caressed her face, kissed her temple, the tip of her nose, her lips. “Then I shall take you.”