Page 59 of How to Love a Duke in Ten Days

He stroked his beard in a thoughtful gesture. “You’re prepared for me to make love to you, but not for a kiss with my tongue?”

“Precisely,” she lied. She was prepared for none of it, but could only endure so much. “That’s the whole of it. And, whilst we are on the subject of tongues, I’d also like to avoid cunnilingus.”

He shot up straight. No longer a lion at rest, but at attention.“What?”

“Cunnilingus,” she repeated carefully, consulting her notes. “It’s an oral sex act performed on a female’s genital—”

“I know what it bloody is,” he blustered. “I’m trying to figure out why in God’s name you wouldn’t want me to.”

She blinked at him, frantically composing a reason that made any sort of sense. Judging from the rather graphic explanation of the act, she’d assumed any man would be rather relieved not to perform it. The female sex organ seemed to be a confusing and complicated structure for pleasure. From what she could tell, most men were likely to find the entrance, use that for its intended purpose, and then be done with the whole business.

“I just don’t.” She knew her reasons were all incredibly ambiguous, but in her present state. Alone. With a man. And a bed. About to do what she was about to do… well, her brain refused to perform the proper functions.

Thank Jupiter she’d written everything down.

Agitated, she stepped down from the dais, putting space between them, and made an investigation of a lovely velvet chair near the fireplace. Though she couldn’t look athim for a moment, she could feel his eyes tracking her every move. “In fact, if you could refrain from licking me anywhere, I’d be obliged.”

“As a gentleman, it’s my duty to be obliging, though I’d like you to note my hearty objection on your list.”

Alexandra looked at him askance.

Where she’d expected to find ire in his reply, something else threatened.

Laughter.

However, when she searched him for any sign of mocking, she found his features disturbingly enigmatic.

He stood, as though sensing she wasn’t, quite yet, as ready for the bed as she’d claimed.

“I’ll keep my tongue inside my own mouth.” He gave a bereaved sigh. “Though you needn’t return the favor.”

At the implication in his eyes, her mouth, made dry as the Sahara by nerves, flooded with moisture. She’d read about such things, but it never had occurred to her until this moment thatshemight tastehim.

That he’d want her to. That kisses need not be contained to the mouth.

Did he want that? Did he expect that as part of the seduction?

Her mouth on him. Her tongue on his skin?

Did she want to?

“Your other conditions?” He stepped off the dais, stalking closer.

To avoid watching the graceful way his body moved—and because doing so had strangely stolen every other thought from her head—she consulted her notes, finding her spot. “I’d prefer… that we take our… that we disrobe.”

“That would be my preference also.” He was closer, disturbingly so, and she couldn’t manage to stop staring ather white-creased fingers as they gripped her pad with an almost violent desperation.

“Good. Good. We agree on that.” She made an affirmative mark next to the note. “Then, perhaps we could face each other? I am aware of other positions but I must insist—”

“For the first time, I agree that’s best.”

Her head snapped up. “For every time.”

At this, his lips quirked in a self-satisfied smile and Alexandra found her anxiety replaced by annoyance. “You’ll change your mind,” he predicted.

He didn’t know. She had to remind herself. He didn’t realize what she was doing. What these conditions avoided.

What her first time had been like.