Page 20 of Courting Scandal With The Duke

He pointed to the sign. ‘No one. It is vacant.’

Would she balk at this bold move? He was beginning to think he had lost his mind.

‘How lovely.’ She threw her arms around his neck. ‘What a clever duke you are.’

The rickety platform shifted beneath their feet.

‘Oops,’ she said, clutching at him and laughing.

He laughed too, like an idiot boy on an adventure. An illicit adventure.

He helped her up the bank. It was damnably dark in this garden. Fortunately, the cottage was a good deal closer to the river than the Anderson mansion. He held her hand and they followed the pale moonlit shapes of the flagstone path leading to the terrace.

‘Wait here,’ he whispered. Why he was whispering he wasn’t sure, but it felt as if speaking too loudly might break the spell.

Swiftly, he made his way around to the front of the house by way of the side alley.

He banged his knee against some sort of structure. Right. The back gate. He swallowed a curse and slowed down. She wasn’t going anywhere.

He felt his way along the wall to the front door and opened it.

The entrance hall was pitch-black, but he had no trouble locating the lamp he’d snuffed out earlier and relighting it.

Now able to see his way clearly, he soon had the French doors unlocked and left the lamp on a table while he went outside.

She was standing at the edge of the terrace, looking down to the water reflecting the pale silver of the moon. Moonlight glinted in her hair and made the skin of her bare arms look translucent, like a painting of a Roman goddess.

‘What a pretty view,’ she said, glancing at him as he came up beside her.

He put his arms around her from behind and with his chin on her shoulder looked out at the view. He had no words to describe how he felt at that moment.

Happy?

Excited?

Nervous?

What a fool he was allowing this woman tempt him into doing something so outlandish.

He rubbed his cheek against hers. He should put a stop to this right now.

She turned within his arms, her arms slid around his waist and leaned into him .

Something inside him seemed to snap. A sort of breaking sensation in his chest. Painfully sweet.

He stiffened, disliking the feeling. ‘This is madness.’

He realised he had spoken out loud.

‘Totally mad,’ she agreed. ‘And we really must not be away too long or we will be missed.’

He lifted her hand from his shoulder, kissed the back, the palm, and her wrist.

What had made him do such a strange thing? The feel of that delicate palm against his mouth had been and incredibly tender experience.

His body had tightened yet he felt almost weak.

She shivered.

‘Are you cold? Let us go indoors.’

Inside, with the lamplight glowing on her face, her lips were curved in the most tempting smile he had ever seen.

Desire choked him.

He could not speak.

He kissed those smiling lips and lost himself in the pleasure of her response. The urge to throw her down on the nearest rug and plunder and pillage was nigh overwhelming.

He broke the kiss. ‘Barbara.’

She swept a lock of hair back from his face.

‘Xavier,’ she murmured softly.

He loved the sound of his name on her lips. So few people ever used his first name.

His father had.

He presumed his mother had.

His stepmother had always used the title he had inherited at birth. Lavrock. Viscount of. His stepmother was all about titles, so Great-Uncle Thomas said.

He shuddered.

‘What is it?’ she whispered, gazing at him intently.

‘Nothing. An old memory.’

‘Not a pleasant one, I’m thinking. A past lover?’

‘Of course not.’

She looked doubtful.

‘How could I be thinking of another woman when I have you in my arms?’ It wasn’t a lie. He had not been thinking of a woman of the sort she supposed.

He bent his head and kissed her.

She stroked his back as if offering comfort as well at the pleasure of her body aligned so perfectly with his.

And he once more lost himself in the headiness of her mouth and tongue duelling with his and the heated blood of lust rushing thought his veins.

He walked her backwards to the sofa and began to ease her down onto it.

She broke the kiss.

Disappointment filled him. Was this all a tease?

‘Isn’t there a bed?’ she murmured. ‘That sofa looks much too small for a man of your size.’

His cock hardened to granite.

Barbara saw a flash of surprise in Xavier’s expression. Had she gone too far? Been too bold?

Did he expect her to behave with more decorum? Surely not ?

‘There is a bed,’ he said, his voice gravelly. He picked up the lamp and took her hand.

She loved the way his warm palm enclosed hers. He made her feel feminine. Protected.

A pang of guilt tightened her chest. He was the one who needed protection. From her.

But he was a man and a duke. He would easily weather any storm.

Unlike herself. Once news of their entanglement got out, and it would as soon as she could manage it, her reputation would be ruined.

‘Through here,’ he said.

He opened a door off the hall.

The bedroom was almost entirely filled with a four-poster bed with cream silk hangings embroidered with flowers and birds.

‘How pretty,’ she said.

‘I’m glad you approve. The last tenant was a single lady. I brought the furnishings over from Woodburn.’

So matter-of-fact. The closeness she had experienced on the terrace, seemed to have faded.

Once more he had withdrawn into himself.

Was he worried about something? Her intentions, perhaps? She hopped up on the bed and lounged back on the pillows, looking at him from beneath her lashes.

‘Do you keep a mistress?’ she asked and rolled over onto her side.

His eyebrows shot up. His eyes widened. ‘What? No. I mean, not recently.’

‘Don’t sound so defensive. I only ask because I would not like to think I was treading upon another lady’s toes. Or poaching.’

He perched on the edge of the bed and his hand closed warm and possessive around her ankle. ‘I am not defensive. But I am surprised that you think I would attempt a seduction if I already had a lover.’

‘Is that what you are doing? Seducing me?’

A wry smile touched his lips. ‘I think the seduction is mutual.’ His hand slid up her calf, stroking gently.

A very delicious sensation.

‘Mmm…’ she said, reaching out to stroke his cheek and gazing into his eyes. ‘Definitely mutual. As long as you understand there is nothing more in it than pleasure.’

There, she had said it, and was that relief she saw in his gaze?

And why would she be disappointed. Wasn’t that her whole purpose?

‘A fling, then?’ he murmured, leaning forward. He pressed a brief kiss to her cheek.

‘An interlude,’ she said softly, turning her head to catch his hovering mouth with her lips.

He stretched out beside her and deepened the kiss, expertly teasing her lips and tongue with his, until she could scarcely remember her own name.

One large hand moved over her body, gently exploring her shape, the curves of her breasts the dip of her waist, the swell of her hip.

She curled her hand around the strong column of his neck, and turned towards him, arching into him, aching to feel his body against hers.

He slid an arm beneath her, holding her close while his other hand swept the skirt of her gown upwards and stroked her thigh.

Heavenly.

They slowly drew apart. The heat in his gaze sent fire running along her veins.

‘I want you naked,’ he said. ‘And your hair down. But we have to return to the party.’

‘I know. I want you naked also.’

She reached down and unbuttoned his falls and pulled his shirt free. ‘But this time, we will have to make do with… Oh…’ He was huge and hot and so very ready. She caressed him, feeling the weight of his balls, the hardness of his shaft.

She glanced down but the lamp cast shadows and his shirt got in the way.

She shifted down the bed to see him better. He really was a big man. She curled her hand around his shaft and moved with long slow strokes.

He gasped and caught her hand, stilling it. ‘Making do is not really my style.’ His voice was hoarse. ‘But I will make an exception, since we have so little time.’

He pressed her back against the pillows and came up on his knees astride her hips and caressed her breasts through her gown with one hand, while the fingers of his other hand played among the curls of her quim. He found the centre of her pleasure with his thumb and pressed and flicked and…

She fell apart.

Even as she felt the rush of bliss, he thrust into her and passion began to rise all over again.

She captured the cheeks of his bum in her hand and felt the muscles contract beneath her fingers as he stroked her insides with his hard length.

His pace increased, hard and fast and he reached between them to…

‘Yes,’ she said as her body tightened unbearably at his firm touch.

‘Yes. There.’

He groaned, pressing harder and faster, in time to his thrusts.

She tipped over the edge from excitement to release. And he came with her, moving aside at the last moment to spill his seed into the tails of his shirt.

He collapsed heavily onto the pillows, one arm lax across her chest, and they lay panting in harmony.

‘My goodness,’ she whispered. ‘Twice.’

He groaned softly. ‘Nearly didn’t. Was hard to wait. Too many days of wanting you. Too damn hot.’

She giggled.

‘It isn’t funny.’

Such a serious man. Even in this. ‘No, it is hilarious.’

‘Oh, God,’ he said, and chuckled.

She laughed.

They both dissolved into laughter, holding each other .

Gradually their laughter subsided.

For a moment she thought he had fallen asleep.

‘We must go,’ he said.

‘Yes.’

‘Would you—?’

As strange sort of joy filled her. ‘Yes.’

‘I mean, would you meet me here again? I need to make this right.’

‘I said yes, did I not?’

‘Oh. When?’

‘One afternoon next week. I will let you know which day.’

‘I do not know if I want to wait a whole week.’

Nor did she. She hadn’t known that such pleasure existed. Her first husband had been a disaster in bed. Too old. Too sick. Her second had certainly enjoyed himself, and she had wanted to please him. At first. But now she realised how selfish he’d been.

If only she had met Xavier first.

She sighed.

‘Having regrets?’ he asked, frowning.

‘Yes. I’m regretting we have to hurry back.’

‘But we must.’

He was his usual stern self, already standing up, tucking in his shirt and buttoning his falls.

He reached over and helped her off the bed.

She glanced in the mirror to pin up some stray tendrils of hair. Her lips were rosy from his kisses. Her gown a little crumpled. She smoothed the creases and turned to face him.

‘Ready?’ he asked.

‘Yes.’

The sooner they left, the sooner they could return here.

‘I will remove the to let sign first thing in the morning,’ he said.

‘Perfect.’