Page 12 of Claiming His Lost Duchess (The Dukes of Sin #8)

CHAPTER TEN

J oan was on her feet immediately, practically running to answer the door.

He looked… just as calm as he had been all day, which made Joan wonder if she was the only one who was unsure of how to deal with their new relationship.

Perhaps, she reasoned. After all, she was the one with the most to lose if she was unable to utilize their union to her benefit, without remaining on his good side.

“Ah,” she gasped, stepping aside when she realized she had simply been staring at him. “Please come in.”

He did so with a nod, and once the door was closed, Joan wandered back to the bed, but did not sit, waiting for him to state his intentions.

“How are you?” he questioned to her surprise.

“I –” Joan paused, caught off guard.

She had been forcing herself to put on a brave front for Sophia, despite the silent terror this situation had awakened within her. She was plagued by worries about her daughter, about what lay ahead of them, because she had no other choice than to trust this man.

She feared what would happen if she were to get to close to her husband, all too aware of the strange effect he had on her rationality. But… it could not be all bad, could it?

“I am well. As one would expect, I suppose. This has all been quite the change – and it happened rather suddenly, too.”

Graham nodded sagely. “I understand, completely. I know that this must have disrupted your lives – both yers and the lass. But… I’ll do everything I can to ensure that you both are comfortable and taken care of here.

And I’ll do what I can to make this as seamless for Sophia too.

I’ll do whatever I can – even make my speech as English as possible, so as not to confuse her. ”

He sounded earnest, determined to go above and beyond for their comfort and Joan wanted to ask why. But she was afraid of what the answer might be, so she lowered her gaze for a moment.

“Thank you.”

She raised her eyes to see him nodding again, his demeanor slightly dismissive.

“Do not mention it. But if we are to make this new development succeed, I believe… it would be in our best interest to set a few rules if we are to coexist peacefully. After all… You had a life before me, and I do not wish to dismiss that entirely, no matter how much I hope the future — our future - is focused solely on us and our child,” he told her, gaze fixated on her intensely.

Joan agreed, after all, she was living under his roof, hoping to benefit from his generosity with her daughter.

Whatever rules he had, she was willing to adhere to them, as long as Sophia would be protected, and given a chance at a much better life.

Anything would be a much more preferable fate, as long as her husband did not try to steal their daughter away.

“I understand. Please go on,” she urged softly, her spine stiffening in anticipation.

But the rules never came, as it seemed her husband was preoccupied with something else. His eyes wandered over her body slowly, settling on her chest at first, before gradually slipping lower and lower, stopping where the lace hem of her night gown fell, barely covering her knees.

Quickly, she pulled her dressing gown close, thinking it would resolve the situation, and she prompted with burning cheeks.

“Y-You have my attention. Please state your rules.”

But it seemed he had other ideas, and he stepped towards her, causing her to step away instinctively.

“Are you trying to test my patience?” he asked her gruffly, his hungry gaze flickering to hers for a moment.

Shaking her head, Joan took another step back, as he took one towards her. This dance continued for a few more moments, with her stepping back as he stepped forward, but she soon ran out of space to run when the back of her knees hit the bed.

She lost her balance immediately and ended up falling onto it, managing to stay seated as she responded breathlessly,

“I-I am not trying anything —”

The words were barely out of her before his body covered hers, his lips claiming her own moments later. Her body weakened beneath his touch as a hand settled on her thigh, while the other was propped on her bed to keep his weight off her.

His lips moved against hers slowly, coaxing her to open up to him, his tongue hot as it stroked hers. Joan whimpered, her thoughts fading, and he kissed her passionately, his hand on her sliding up to her hip to pull her closer to him.

“You taste so good, mo chridhe ,” he mumbled against her lips with a moan, his Scottish accent thickening with his desire.

Joan did not understand what those words meant. She recalled that he had whispered them to her before, but her main problem lay in her inability to push him away.

His touch set her insides ablaze, and she couldn’t help but lean in closer.

Once again, she couldn’t help but feel alarmed by how she acted in response to his actions.

Rather than terror or disgust, she couldn’t help but yearn for more, kissing him back with as much fervor as she could muster, her hands clinging to his shoulders in an effort to pull him even closer.

His lips left hers briefly to press kisses against her jaw, her cheeks, and along the column of her throat, sending shivers down her spine. His hand roamed along her side, his fingertips slipping under the hem of her nightdress, lightly caressing the skin of her thigh.

When his lips returned to hers, he mumbled against them, his voice deep and breathless,

“Tell me to stop. Make me leave, right now.”

He couldn’t possibly mean that, not with how his grip on her tightened slightly, not with how hot his mouth felt against hers with every searing kiss.

It was surprising, how her body relaxed in his grasp, as if it recalled his touch instantly.

That was a plausible likelihood, seeing as he was the only one who had ever touched her like this.

And she couldn’t do what he asked either, because she did not want to, could not resist the urge to return his kisses with as much heat, could not refuse the yearning burning within her.

So she shook her head, bringing her hands together at the back of his neck to draw him even closer.

Graham mumbled something under his breath with a growl, and he pushed her down onto the bed, causing her to gasp as her back hit the sheets.

“You should have sent me away. You should have refused. I don't have enough strength to resist ye. Not a day has gone by when my body has forgotten the feel of yers.”

He barely let her gather her thoughts before he was in her space again, littering every inch of her skin he could reach with kisses. Joan pressed a hand to her mouth as he sank his teeth into the juncture of her neck, barely managing to stifle the whine that bubbled out of her throat.

Graham’s hand slipped further beneath her dressing gown, nudging her legs apart as he kissed her again, this time slow and deep.

Joan felt as though she was falling apart gradually, her mind in shambles beneath the power he seemed to effortlessly wield against her. She felt helpless, in a way that she knew was of her own volition, as much as she could control.

She gasped when his fingers slipped past her the folds of her womanhood, thrusting in and out of the wet heat. Joan pressed her face into his neck, inhaling his warm musk scent, and he drew quiet moans from her.

“Let me hear you,” he ordered, holding her by the chin with his other hand, his eyes boring into hers as he pressed his fingers in deeper, his gaze heavy and dark as she writhed in his grasp.

“I want every sound, every feeling, every reaction… I’ve waited for so long, mo chridhe, you do not know what it means to me to have you in my arms like this. Let us savor it as best as we can, hm?”

His voice was determined to be her undoing, seeping into the crevices of her mind and luring her body to commit to his will. Joan did not know when her hand fell away to clutched his shirt, her lips parting to let out a cry at a particularly hard thrust of his fingers.

He seemed pleased because he continued his exploration eagerly, seemingly moving faster with each moment. Joan could feel the nerves within her pull tighter and tighter, and she shook her head, overwhelmed and in need of a reprieve.

Her husband seemed to notice, and he moved closer to kiss her sweetly, whispering softly,

“It is all right. Just let it go.”

Then he pressed a finger against her slippery nub, stroking it a few times. Shortly after, Joan fell apart.

She clenched her legs shut, with his fingers still in her as her body shook, wrought with pleasure. Joan gasped, the realization of what had just transpired hitting her like cold water.

“No, stop —” she muttered, pushing him away as she tried to gather her senses.

She almost expected him to assert his place over her and demand her body as was his right as her husband. To her surprise, he pulled away, stepping back a few feet until there was a clear distance between them.

Joan quickly pulled her dressing gown close, pretending that a part of her didn’t mourn the loss of heat at his departure.

Graham cleared his throat, looking as though it took a lot of energy for his eyes to leave her body to rest on her face.

“Henceforth, we will be a family. You, me, and Sophia… our daughter. I do not wish for any awkwardness or discomfort to fester between us — especially for her sake. This is your home now, both of you. Treat it as such. And starting from tomorrow, we will be having dinner together. Every night.”

He did not give her a moment to respond before he nodded and walked to the door, only pausing to tell her calmly with a glance over his shoulder,

“Good night.”

And then he was gone.

Joan sat on her bed, completely shocked and confused by his actions.

He had listened when she spoke to him and had opted to leave rather than demanding his way. She had never met anyone like him.

And she couldn’t help but wonder what this marriage between them would be like.