Page 38 of Bound to the Heartless Duke (Regency Beasts #4)

L ily felt it in every inch of her being, the way his mouth descended on hers with a hunger that startled them both.

It was not a chaste meeting of lips, but a claiming. His hands cupped her face and stroked it, as if he could not bear to let go.

When he deepened the kiss, she moaned. She had been dying for this.

Heat pooled between her legs. Her lips opened beneath his, welcoming his tongue to tangle and wrestle with hers.

Without conscious thought, she fisted her hands in his shirt, wanting to feel the solid heat of him.

That coaxed a low growl from Magnus, and he pulled her into him.

She felt every hard ridge of im against her softness and sighed, sagging into him.

Fierce yet so careful, as though she were both his prize and his undoing.

When he tore his mouth from hers, his breathing was ragged. “Lily… you do not know what you are asking for.”

She met his gaze steadily, her cheeks flushed with desire. “I want more,” she whispered.

His answer was a simple, quiet curse, before his hands reached for the laces of her gown. Slowly, oh so slowly, he loosened each tie, his knuckles grazing her skin as he worked, his gaze never once leaving her face.

When the gown slid down her arms and pooled at her feet, his breath caught audibly. She stood before him in her chemise, the low lamplight outlining her form.

“God help me,” he muttered, stepping closer—if that was possible.

Then, his hands touched her arms, stroking them gently before cupping her face and then moving to her shoulders to push down the straps of her chemise until it, too, fell away.

She gasped softly at the intensity of his gaze.

He bent his head, not to kiss her mouth but to claim the tender slope of her shoulder. His lips trailed lower to the swell of her breasts, planting a feather-light kiss that made her breath grow heavy.

Then, with torturous slowness, he took one nipple into his mouth, his tongue teasing, his teeth grazing just enough to make her bury her fingers in his hair.

Her head fell back, a quiet moan escaping her lips. He alternated between one breast and the other, lavishing them with equal devotion, until her legs trembled and pressure grew in her belly.

His hand trailed down, over the curve of her hip and the length of her thigh. Every movement was bold and unhurried. His fingers found the heat between her legs before stroking through the damp silk of her underthings.

She gasped, and her hips bucked slightly against his hand.

“I told you, Lily—only I get to touch you,” he murmured against her skin.

His fingers slid beneath the fabric, parting the lips of her sex in a way that made her shudder.

He found her sensitive clit and began to circle it lightly with his fingers, before sinking one long finger inside her. The sensation made her knees weaken, but his other arm came around her waist, holding her upright.

“Magnus…” Her voice came, half-plea and half-sigh.

He kissed her again, swallowing her sounds as he added a second finger. His rhythm as he pushed into her was unhurried in a way that made her writhe against him. Then, without warning, he dropped to his knees before her.

Her eyes widened instantly. “Magnus, what?—”

He silenced her with a look, his hands parting her thighs as he pressed a kiss just above her mound. And then his mouth came down on her sex, his tongue flicking up her slickness, having a first taste.

The first flick of his tongue over her clit made her gasp aloud, her fingers tangling in his hair. She would have fallen over if not for his tight grip on her waist.

He groaned against her, the long and slow flicks of his tongue joined with quick teasing strokes against her clit. He continued his sweet torture until her skin became too sensitive.

Pleasure crashed over her with such force that she cried out, her thighs trembling around his head. He did not release her until her shudders eased, and then she let out a breathy whimper.

Magnus rose to his feet, his lips glistening, his gaze dark with need. “You, Duchess, are the most delicious thing I have ever tasted.”

Lily looked away, but that wasn’t enough to conceal the blush on her cheeks. Resisting a chuckle, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the bed, before laying her on her side and crawling in behind her, her back pressed to his chest.

In that position, she could feel his hard length against her buttocks as one strong arm slipped under her neck and the other slid over her hip. Her breath caught.

“You tempt me, Lily.” His voice was hoarse.

She held his hand tightly, wanting more. She didn’t want their intimacy to end like the previous time, where he left without giving her exactly what she wanted.

However, his ragged breathing proved he wasn’t ready to let go yet. His hands slid beneath her thigh and lifted it just enough to open her to him, making her thoughts scatter once more. She felt his fingers splay possessively over her belly, as if to remind her that she was his.

She could feel his heavy, hot length pushing between her thighs, rubbing against her most intimately yet never quite joining them as one. The sensation alone made her clutch at the bedsheets.

“Magnus…” she whispered shakily.

“I am not sure you?—”

“I am,” she cut in, almost desperate. “I’ve been ready since the vicar pronounced us man and wife.”

Magnus paused for a moment before he gently turned her head and claimed her mouth in a searing kiss.

Her hands moved down to undo his garments.

And when he was finally naked, he pushed forward slowly, his hand tightening on her hip to hold her steady.

Lily spread her legs wider for him. She let out a gasp that melted into a moan as his member slid into her slowly, inch by inch, filling her completely.

The delicious ache of being stretched stole her breath and had her clutching at his shoulders at the unfamiliar sensation.

He was almost too much for her but she felt blissfully complete for the first time in her life.

When he was fully seated inside, he paused, brushing his lips over her temple.

“Perfect,” he murmured, almost reverently. “You feel… perfect.”

Then, he began to move.

His hips moved in a slow, powerful rhythm, and each thrust pushed her forward before he pulled her back into him. She found herself breathing heavily in response to his relentless pounding.

His hand slid from her belly to her breast, cupping it. He kneaded it gently at first, then let his thumb tease her nipple, drawing small circles until she arched into his touch.

Lowering his head, he caught the sensitive peak between his lips, sucking deeply, his tongue flicking in time with his thrusts.

“Magnus…” Her moans grew louder as her fingers dug into the arm beneath her neck. “You… are driving me mad,” she breathed, almost breaking as his sharp thrusts sent pleasure skyrocketing through her.

“Let them hear you,” he said against her skin, his voice a low growl. “Let the world hear my name on your lips.”

He quickened his pace, his hips snapping forward with more force. Each thrust drove him deeper, hitting that place inside her that made her toes curl.

Lily felt the pressure in her core build with every thrust, every hot suck on her nipple, every word he breathed against her ear.

“Say it,” he commanded softly. “Say you are mine.”

“I am yours,” she gasped, the words tumbling out before she could think.

His hand slid lower again, finding her sensitive clit. He pressed and circled in time with his thrusts until she was trembling, her cries coming faster. And then, with one deep thrust, she shattered.

She cried out, and he groaned, still thrusting deeply until he stiffened against her and climaxed.

The air shuddered out of him as he bit her ear, and his arm tightened around her as though he feared to let her go again. He stayed buried inside her for a long moment until the tremors subsided. Then, he loosened his grip on her and rolled slightly so she could face him.

“I have held back for so long,” he said quietly, his voice almost vulnerable.

He kissed her, slowly, deeply, before brushing her damp hair from her cheek.

“Every moment I have wanted you, and every moment I told myself I must wait. Do you know what restraint costs a man when the woman he craves is within arm’s reach?”

Her lips curved faintly, still flushed from their lovemaking. “If this is the price of your patience, Magnus, then I am glad you made me wait.”

He smiled, not his usual guarded smile, but something softer, warmer. He pulled her close again, pressing one last kiss to her forehead before settling beside her, his hand resting possessively on her waist as though even sleep would not make him let go.

The bed was warm when Lily’s eyes fluttered open in the morning. For a moment, she lay still as the memory of last night flooded her senses. His touch, his voice low against her ear, and the way he had looked at her as though she were the most precious thing in the world.

A shy smile crept onto her lips, and her cheeks flushed at the recollection, before she noticed the empty spot beside her.

Where is Magnus?

She slipped out of bed and wrapped a robe around herself.

The hall outside the room was cold, and sunlight spilled in through the tall arched windows. A gentle breeze blew in from somewhere unseen, carrying with it the scent of the gardens.

It was a pretty morning. But it would be much prettier if she found her husband and made sure he wouldn’t act like nothing had happened the previous night.

Her bare feet barely made a sound as she padded down the corridor. Somewhere far off, a door creaked, followed by the faint murmur of voices. Curious, she followed the sound.

She found him at the front door, but he wasn’t alone.

Magnus stood half in shadow, speaking to a boy who could not have been more than twelve.

The lad’s clothes were patched, his boots worn, but his eyes were sharp and quick. He nodded at something Magnus said, received a coin into his palm, and darted off down the drive like a small, purposeful bird.

Magnus turned then, and their eyes met.

It was as if the world screeched to a halt, no breeze, no sound, only silent recognition between them. She saw the memory of last night reflected in his gaze and the way his mouth softened.

Her breath caught, and for a heartbeat, she thought he would close the distance between them without a word. Worse, ignore her.

So she decided to break the silence with a question.“Who was that boy?”

His eyes warmed, though his tone was cautious when he answered, “A messenger of sorts. I have paid him to keep watch, and to let me know if certain… matters arise.”

“What matters?”

“The men your brother owes,” he said simply, his voice low and careful now. “They have grown tired of demanding payment and chosen instead to strike at the source. Word is that they’ve tracked him to the north. They move even now.”

Lily’s fingers curled into the folds of her robe. “And you intend to go after them?”

“I intend to find him before they do,” Magnus replied. “It is not a place for you. I will see to it alone.”

Something in his voice was different. However, it was not the deliberate distance he had kept in the early days of their marriage, but an undercurrent of concern and protectiveness.

She stepped towards him. “If it concerns my brother, then it concerns me. I will go with you.”

“No.” His refusal was immediate, leaving no room for argument.

“I will not stay behind while you?—”

“You will,” he interrupted, his tone calm but unyielding. “This is not up for debate.”

Her jaw tightened, the warmth of the morning air quickly trumped by the heat rising inside her. “Do you think me so fragile that I cannot face what you can? You cannot expect me to sit in some gilded room while you?—”

“Lily.” His voice was still gentle, but his gaze had sharpened. “You think I do this to diminish you? I do this because I won’t see you harmed.”

“And I won’t see you face it alone!” Her voice trembled now, a mixture of anger and something perilously close to fear.

They faced one another, a line between them, the kind that had once been filled with the hum of flirtation, but now was filled with something deeper.

When she blinked again, a tear spilled over, tracing a path down her cheek.

His expression tightened at the sight. He unclenched his jaw and dropped his shoulders. Then, he closed the gap between them and lifted a hand to her face.

His thumb caught the tear near her mouth, before he bent and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“I will not deny you,” he murmured. “But if you come, you come under my command. You will do as I say, when I say it, without question. There are dangers you do not yet understand.”

She drew in a shaky breath, meeting his gaze. “I agree. As long as I will be there.”

His lips curved faintly, though the smile did not quite reach his eyes. “Then prepare yourself. We depart before midday.”

As he stepped back, both relief and unease washed over her.

Whatever lay ahead in the north, it was no longer something he would face alone, and perhaps that truth was both her greatest comfort and her greatest fear.