Page 39 of Her Rogue of a Duke
Joshua knew better than to argue with her. When she had made up her mind about a matter, there was no changing it.
He cradled her face in his hand, his thumb caressing her cheek tenderly. “Very well,” he murmured.
Gently, he began to rock his hips, engrossed in the sensual contortions of her face. But after several thrusts, he graduallyquickened to a more urgent tempo. Francesca cried out and wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders, clinging to him and digging her fingernails into his back. He did not think she realized what she was doing, but he did not mind the slight sting. In fact, he relished the idea of bearing her marks. It seemed like her way of laying claim to him.
Joshua buried her face beneath the hollow of her ear, inhaling deeply the sweet fragrance of her skin, now glistening with the sheen of sweat.
“You are perfect, Francesca,” he whispered huskily into her ear. “You feel incredible… better than anything I have ever known. I could lose myself forever, in the pleasure of your luscious body.”
His words seemed to intensify her arousal. She thrashed her head back, her hair fanning out on the cushions and surrounding her like a golden halo.
She was the most beautiful sight he had ever laid eyes on.
She threw her head back, exposing her throat to him, and he latched his lips on her tender skin there and sucked. He wanted to leave his mark on her. Wanted other men to see it and know she was his. It was impulsive and foolish of him, he knew, but he could not stop himself. Outside of this moment, he had no claim over her, but at that second, she belonged to him… and he belonged to her.
Joshua could feel the tide of his own climax rising. It was only a matter of time, but he wanted her to reach her peakas well—wanted to synchronize their ecstasy. Slipping his hand between them, his fingers deftly found the sensitive bud that had unraveled her before and began rubbing it in tight circles. Her response was immediate and intense. She almost screamed, her nails biting into his skin with such force he thought she might draw blood.
“Let go, Francesca,” he growled. “I want you to fall apart in my arms.”
As if she were just waiting for his permission, she suddenly shrieked and her body jerked and convulsed beneath him. Tears streamed down her cheeks as a sob of overwhelming pleasure escaped her.
The raw, unguarded beauty of her becoming undone was enough to send Joshua reeling over the edge into the abyss as well. With a guttural snarl, he pulled away from her at the last moment. And as he slammed into his peak with a deep moan, he spent onto her stomach.
As satisfied as he was, he was also frustrated. He wanted to still be buried inside her… wanted his essence mixing with hers.
The image of Francesca, her belly swollen with his child, flashed in his mind, startling him.
He shook the thought away and nestled his face against her shoulder as his body came down from his release. A silent, serene calm enveloped them as they both struggled to catch their breath. With a mindful tenderness, he shifted their positions,ensuring she was comfortable beside him rather than beneath his weight. He wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her close against his chest.
After a few moments of quiet, he broke the silence. “Are you all right?” he asked at length in a small, gentle tone.
She lifted her face to his, a sleepy yet contented smile gracing her lips. “I am,” she assured him softly. “I am more than all right, Joshua. That was… indescribable.”
Joshua grinned as she snuggled closer to his embrace. He held her, stroking her back soothingly, feeling her relax deeper into slumber. He gazed down at her, admiring the gentle contours of her face and the way her eyelashes fell above her rosy cheeks. His heart fluttered. She was so beautiful… he did not know how he had never noticed it before.
A glint caught his eye. Absently, he reached down to the hollow of her supple breasts and grasped the broken stone of her pendant. Rubbing his thumb over it, he studied it closely. She always seemed to have it on, despite it being broken. What was its true significance? Why did she insist on wearing it instead of getting a new one?
But, strangest of all, why did the pendant seem so familiar to him? The more he studied it, the more certain he was that he had seen it somewhere before. Yet he could not quite place where or when.
It was one more layer to the mystery that was Francesca Nightingale, and Joshua found himself increasingly drawn into the quest to understand her.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Blinking open his eyes, Joshua noted the gentle sunlight filtering through the curtains of the Orangery. He had fallen asleep. Francesca was still cradled in his embrace, deep in slumber. Joshua was not entirely certain what time it was, but from the subdued quality of the light, he deduced it was still early morning. That was good. They would be able to make their way back into the manor without drawing too much attention to themselves, if any.
However, he found he was in no hurry to disentangle himself from Francesca’s hold. It was not until she began to stir that he dared to move at all. Gradually, she fluttered open her eyes, lifting her gaze to meet his.
With a tender smile, she murmured, “Good morning.”
Joshua returned her smile warmly. “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”
She nodded gently.
“Good,” he whispered, releasing her from his hold to sit upright. She followed suit, sitting beside him, and he cupped her face, unable to resist drawing her into a soft kiss. When he pulled away from her again, he murmured, “As much as I long to remain here with you, I…”
She exhaled softly. “I understand.”
How had things become so complicated between them? When had these feelings begun growing within Joshua? He could not say for certain when they had started, but he knew he could not acknowledge them out loud. He had no right to her… not in the harsh light of reality.