Page 55 of Claiming his Cursed Duchess

Adam’s eyes flashed, his lips curving into that slow, predatory smile.

For a moment, he said nothing, his silence stretching between them, thick with unspoken meaning.

Then, without warning, he stepped even closer, his breath warm against her skin, his scent enveloping her.

“Jealous?” He repeated the word softly, almost tasting it. “Perhaps,” he murmured, his fingers now trailing lightly down the side of her neck.

His touch was light, but the weight of his gaze was heavier than she expected. “All right then, Duchess.”

Rosaline’s breath caught in her throat as his words seeped into her, his proximity now a living, breathing thing. His fingerbrushed the soft curve of her neck, and she shivered, the cool air of the room suddenly too warm.

“What?” she managed, her pulse quickening.

Adam’s lips hovered just above her ear, his voice dropping to a husky murmur that set her body on edge.

“I find it difficult to share what is mine,” he whispered, his breath grazing the sensitive skin of her neck.

She stiffened, her mind spinning, but her lips parted in a sharp intake of breath as his hand moved, ever so slightly, to rest against the small of her back.

“And you think I belong to you?” Her voice was an edge of disbelief, mixed with something else, something deeper—an instinct she couldn’t ignore.

“Don’t you?” Adam’s voice was a dark caress as his thumb brushed over the fabric of her gown.

He held her there, against his chest, the tension crackling in the air between them.

“Don’t you want to belong to me, wife?”

The words hung heavy between them. Rosaline’s mind was a whirl of contradictions, but she couldn’t deny the pull, the undeniable chemistry that hummed beneath her skin.

She met his eyes, her own filled with a defiant fire. “What do you expect of me?” she challenged, her breath shallow. “For me to accept this claim as if it’s natural?”

Adam’s lips parted in a grin, full of teeth and something more dangerous. He slid his hand down her back, pressing her closer, his body now flush against hers.

“I expect you want more, Rosaline. And you want me to show you.”

His words were a spark in the dry tinder of the room, the atmosphere thick with a sense of inevitable collision.

Rosaline’s mind screamed to pull away, to retreat to safety, but her body betrayed her.

She didn’t step back. Instead, her lips parted, the tension thickening as she held her breath, awaiting the inevitable.

Before she could think better of it, Adam’s lips brushed against hers, soft but demanding, his kiss a silent challenge.

For the briefest of moments, she hesitated, caught between defiance and desire, but then she responded—slowly at first,then more urgently, her hands grasping the front of his coat as she pulled him closer.

His lips, tender yet insistent, moved over hers with a fervor that made her knees weak. His hands, warm and possessive, roamed over her body, igniting a trail of fire wherever they touched.

“You are so beautiful, my sweet,” Adam whispered against her mouth, his breath hot and tantalizing. “Every time you are near me, Rosaline, my body betrays me—aching and throbbing with desire, as if it’s made to crave you. I cannot stop wanting you, no matter how I try.”

The words sent a shiver down her spine, making her feel cherished and desired in a way she had never known before. With a deftness that spoke of experience, he began to peel her dress from her body, the fabric slipping away to reveal her bare skin.

Guiding her to the sofa, Adam gently spread her legs, and her initial shyness made her cheeks burn with a blush.

Sensing her hesitation, Adam paused, his hands soothing and reassuring.

“Don’t worry, darling. I promise you will enjoy this,” he murmured softly as he hovered over her.

His words helped to ease her nerves. She nodded, giving him a small, tentative smile.