Page 37 of Her Rogue of a Duke

She blinked down at him and slowly nodded. “Yes,” she whispered. “All right, but what…?”

Before she could ask her question, he deftly pushed aside the fabric of her dressing gown. Lowering his head, he tenderly explored her with a devotion that left her breathless. As his tongue delved into her most intimate area, she let out a startled cry and her hands clawed at his hair, her fingers digging into his locks. For a fleeting second, he wondered if she might push him away, but instead, she only drew him closer.

With a devilish grin, Joshua steadied her thighs with his hands, holding her in place as he lavished attention on her tender folds. His mouth and tongue worked in harmony to elicit moans and whimpers of pleasure from her lips, and her passionate sounds only served to fuel his own desire.

“Joshua,” Francesca gasped above him. “This… this is too much… I… I don’t know how much I can take.”

Raising his head slightly, just enough to take in her beatific expression, Joshua looked up at her, his voice husky with passion. “You taste so sweet, Francesca, like the finest honey…”

She tightened her hold on his hair and drew him back into her, making it clear she would rather have him doing everything else but talking presently. Joshua’s chuckles were muffled as he resumed his feast. Her prim and proper upbringing appeared to be crumbling in the face of her natural desires.

Perhaps that was what drew him inexorably back to her. Francesca was unafraid to surrender to the pleasures he offered. Where other ladies might carry shame, even within the confines of matrimony, Francesca harbored none where it concerned him. She never showed regret for their moments together, nor did she flee from their connection in such intimacy. While she might resist their mutual… pull in other circumstances, when they were like this, touching and kissing each other in ways she had never experienced, her honesty with him was unguarded.

Beneath his persistent ministrations, Francesca was growing soft and wet. The pressure of her thighs around his head grew visceral, an instinctive reaction to the waves of pleasure coursing through her. He could sense she was nearing her peak, and he wanted to push her to her release one time like this, knowing it would not be their last for the night.

Lifting his head again, he turned his gaze up to her. She was a vision of aroused beauty, her cheeks flushed with desire, her eyes heavy-lidded and sultry. Her passion-glazed lips were parted and her breaths came out in short gasps. The front of her dressing gown had fallen open enough to reveal her generous bosom, adorned with the green pendant nestled seductively between her breasts. Joshua allowed himself a moment to admire the rhythmic rise and fall of her breasts for several seconds before dragging his eyes back up to meet hers.

“Why... why did you stop?” she whispered, her eyes jaded with longing.

“I just… wanted to take you in,” he responded with a soft grin, his light exhales of breath tickling her and causing her to shiver adorably. “I needed to see just how much you were enjoying this.”

She bit her lip and nodded. “I am. It is incredible. I never knew... I never imagined something so wrong like this could feel so... amazing.”

“Oh, my sweet Francesca,” Joshua replied in a husky whisper. “There is so much more that I can show you. So much more to experience between a man and a woman. I want to show you everything. That is, only if you desire.”

She appeared momentarily hesitant, but then nodded slowly. “Yes. Yes, I want you to show me. Show me everything.”

Joshua swallowed, stunned. Did she truly understand the invitation that she had just laid out for him?

“Everything?” he whispered. “When you say everything...”

Francesca's eyes glazed with nervousness, but she replied, “I mean everything, Joshua. I want to know what ittrulyfeels like when a man makes love to a woman. I want... I want you to be the one to give that to me. You have already awakened sensations in me I never knew existed. And I want this too.”

What man could possibly turn down such an enticing request? A stronger one than he was, he knew that for certain. A part of him cautioned against this step, a whisper of conscience reminding him that she wasn't truly his... not really. That he was stealing this experience from her husband, whoever he may end up being.

But the mere thought of another man bringing Francesca this ecstasy filled him with a fierce, irrational jealousy. His fingers dug into her thighs as he wrestled with a surge of possessiveness.

Perhaps he was stealing her innocence from her unknown future husband, but Joshua decided he did not care. This was her choice. Her gift to give, and she was choosing to give it to him.

And he was not going to refuse.

Greedily, he lowered his head once more, this time his tongue resuming its dance with renewed fervor… renewed vigor. Francesca’s response was immediate, a throaty moan, her hips seeking a respite from his ministrations, but at the same time, ushering him closer, urging him deeper. As his lips found the tight little bud at the top of her sex, he released one of her thighs and slipped a single hooked finger inside her entrance.

“Joshua… wait!” she cried out, her hips now undulating against him.

But Joshua did not stop. He did not think he could if he tried. His movements were a seamless ballet between his hand and mouth, every touch designed to heighten Francesca's pleasure.Her release built rapidly, within moments, her body quivering and shaking under his devoted attention as she cried out his name in a crescendo of ecstasy. Joshua drew out her climax for as long as he could, only relenting when she pushed against him, her voice breaking with intensity.

“Joshua, please!” she nearly sobbed. “It is too much… too sensitive…”

With a satisfied grin, he showed her mercy, lifting his head and releasing her. Francesca cupped his head in both her hands and drew him up to her, latching her lips to his in a greedy kiss. She was ravenous, clinging to him and dragging him down with her as she lay down on the lounge.

Joshua untied the sash of her dressing gown, gently parting the fabric to reveal her in her full, breathtaking beauty. He cupped her creamy breasts in his hands and circled his thumb over her berry-pink nipples, eliciting a sharp hiss of breath from her lips as she arched her back.

“You are a Goddess,” he murmured against her lips, his voice a seductive whisper.

Bending down, he captured one nipple with his mouth, suckling gently… insistently. She moaned softly and threw back her head. He lavished equal attention on her other breast, swapping between them at just the perfect second to drive her wild with desire.

Beneath him, her legs parted invitingly, her body grinding against the fabric of his trousers.