Page 65 of His Stolen Duchess

“Best behavior!” the parrot squawked from behind Lysander.

“I was worried about the neighbors seeing, but this place is shielded on all sides,” Georgina said.

“Yes.” Lysander looked around at the tall trees separating the residence from the neighboring ones, then back to his wife.

She was in her bathing suit, appropriately covered, and all he could think about was what he had done to her in the coach the previous night. He could still taste her honey sweetness on his lips and feel her trembling body on his fingertips.

This is not the time or place for that. She must be taught how to… behave!

“Let’s begin,” he said. “There is still much to be done.”

“Yes, yes,” she replied. She stepped off the lake’s shoreline and headed into the water.

It had been some time since the last lesson, and he had not expected the sureness in her walk as she entered the water with barely a flinch. He hurried to catch up with her in case she ran into any problems.

“You have gained some confidence,” he noted as the water worked its way up his legs.

“I know that I’m safe when I’m with you,” she said. “Perhaps I was too harsh with my words last night in the carriage. I understood that you had to put Lady Eastbeck in her place. She really did mean to strike me. I could see it in her eyes.”

He stood toe to toe with her, the water now up to their waists. The way she looked at him now was the same way she had looked at him in the coach, right before he had opened her legs and pleasured her. He licked his lips a little at the thought of doing so again.

“I… am thankful for last night,” Georgina whispered. “I have never felt that way before. And I… I liked it. Very much.”

Lysander felt himself stiffen despite the chilly water. He wanted to run his hands over her body, to feel her wetness again, to elicit forbidden moans from her.

“Into the water,” he ordered. “No time to be wasted. You must learn to swim.”

Georgina looked him in the eye. “As you wish, Your Grace. Whatever you need me to do, I am under your command.”

That only riled him up some more. He was glad the water was up over his waist to hide his arousal.

“I command you to go deeper,” he said.

“Your wish is my command,” she said.

Georgina turned to the middle of the lake and walked out into it, her body sinking into the water as she walked.

Suddenly, she was gone. She’d slipped under the surface in one swift motion and disappeared.

Lysander leaped into action. He ran a few steps, then dove into the water, swimming furiously to where she last was. His hand found her, clasped onto her body, and hoisted her to the surface.

“I have you,” he said, holding onto her as he kicked his legs to keep them afloat.

“I don’t know what… one minute I was fine, and the next, I thought I might die.”

“You are used to our lake,” Lysander said. “You didn’t know the ground dropped away so suddenly. It’s fine, I have you now.”

Her face was an inch from his as she clung on for dear life, and he could feel her warm breath on his lips. He wanted to lean in and calm her, but he couldn’t get caught up like that again.

The previous night was enough. If they continued with that, as pleasurable as it was, it would only complicate matters.

“When you fall off a horse, you get right back on,” Lysander said. “I can feel your fear, but I am right here with you, and now that we know how deep the water is, I can make sure this doesn’t happen again. I’m going to let you go, and you will kick your legs to keep yourself afloat, all right?”

“No, please,” she begged, her fingers digging into his skin. “Please don’t let me go.”

He knew that the longer she left it, the more scared she would be to try again.

“Try it for me, and I will reward you,” he said.