Page 20 of Ravished by the Beastly Duke (Regency Beasts #1)

CHAPTER 20

E veline watched as his eyes roamed over her body. She could tell he imagining what she would look like underneath all the fabric.

His movements were fast, calculated, as though he were in a hurry.

When he closed the distance between them, Eveline expected that he would tear her clothes off her.

Instead, he kissed her again.

There was a pull between them, and with every twist of their tongues, Eveline felt such yearning that she never thought possible.

The yearning consumed her, and she wanted more of him. She longed for him, for his touch, and while he was touching her, she wanted more.

Heat built up inside her, and it coursed through her, from her hair right down to the soles of her feet.

And when he finally attacked her dresses, it was a welcome relief.

Her breath quickened every time his fingers grazed her skin while his hands unfastened her clothes.

Finally, he was able to divest her of her dress, and it pooled around her feet.

Now, she was standing in front of him, clad only in her shift and stays.

He got to work once again, divesting her of the rest of her clothing, one after the other. When he attacked her stays, she shivered. It was intoxicating, being undressed by someone she was irredeemably attracted to.

However, when her shift slid down her body, she was suddenly nervous.

No one had ever seen her completely naked before, and the thought of him seeing every bare inch of her scared her.

What if he found her body unattractive? What if her insecurities were indeed real?

Her heart pounded, and she could not bear to look at him. It would break her if she saw him unimpressed by her body, which would confirm that all the insults she had received about her figure were true.

She wondered for a moment if he saw her body the same way she saw it—the extra folds on her sides, her soft stomach, her less-than-firm buttocks.

Her imperfections were laid out for him to see without a scrap of fabric camouflaging them, and it unnerved her.

She covered herself up with her palm. And yet, for every part of her body that she covered up, there was more that she could not.

“Eveline, let me see you.”

His words, like smooth honey, washed over her.

Slowly, she pulled her hands away and let him drink his fill.

He took two steps towards her, and she could not help but look at him.

All her fears melted away the moment she glanced at his face. Instead of disappointment, what she saw was adoration.

“You look… beautiful,” he murmured.

This was more than Eveline had ever expected, and at that moment, the last of her fears faded away.

When he finally touched her, it was warm and intimate, and his hands felt eager on her naked body—just as she had imagined.

When he leaned in and kissed her neck, her breath hitched.

“Your body is perfect,” he whispered against her skin.

She believed him.

When he ran his fingers down her neck towards her chest, her skin tingled. And when he cupped her breasts, a bolt of pleasure shot through her.

She watched as he lowered his head to her breasts and sucked on her nipple.

Her body thrummed with pleasure that she never knew was possible.

A moan escaped her lips. When his tongue lapped at her flesh and his teeth nibbled on it slightly, she felt the heat coil in the pit of her stomach.

And when he cupped her buttocks, shivers ran down her spine.

She staggered back, unable to take it anymore. She wanted him right then.

However, there was the matter of his clothes.

“These must come off,” she whispered as she moved to unfasten them.

With a wicked smile on his face, he held her back, and in the blink of an eye, he had divested himself of his clothing.

She gasped as she saw him— all of him. Her heart beat faster as she gazed upon his magnificent body.

His muscles might as well have been sculpted by God himself, and his body was beyond beautiful. His body was a testament to the raw, vigorous military training that he had been subjected to for more than half of his life.

She could not believe that the man standing right in front of her was hers .

The muscles of his arms were taut, and his firm chest was covered by tufts of dark hair.

He looked like he could break her with ease, and yet she knew she could trust him with her life. She knew he would protect her even if it was the last thing he would do.

Her eyes traveled further down, from his chest to his abdomen, which was flat but taut on the edges.

However, it was the scars on his sides that undid her. His scars were white and prominent, and they attested to his strength, making him even more irresistible to her.

He was one of the strongest men she had ever met. A man who, despite everything he had survived, still stood strong in front of her, vulnerable, trusting.

She traced her finger over the lines, simply fascinated by them. He did not resist her touch.

As she touched them, her stomach tightened with desire and awe.

He shivered under her touch, and she had never felt more desirable, more powerful than at that moment.

It was incredible that a single touch from her was enough to make a man as strong as him, a man who had fought battles, tremble.

And just further down, she spotted his member. It was more beautiful than she had ever imagined, and just looking at it, she forgot to breathe for a moment.

Her fingers ached to touch it, to feel it, and to finally take it inside her.

Just the mere thought of it made her hot all over, and she blushed.

She looked up at her husband, and she found him watching her so intensely that her skin prickled. His expression was dark, but his intent was evident in his eyes.

“You are simply magnificent,” she whispered.

A wicked smile curved his lips, and the next moment, he lifted her off her feet.

She giggled when he laid her on his bed, which she had shared with him on another occasion—an occasion that was very different from this one.

Her eyes did not leave his, not for once. His eyes ran over her body, and his tense muscles told her that his restraint was only hanging on by a thread.

He leaned down, and while she thought he would kiss her, he instead kissed her neck and collarbone.

It was slow and soft, as though he was savoring her. When he ran his tongue and lips down her throat to the valley between her breasts, she arched her back, craving to be closer to him.

Each kiss he planted on her body led him further towards her core.

And when he finally dipped his tongue in her folds, she whimpered. She buried her fingers in his hair, holding him in place while she bucked as the weight of her pleasure held her down.

He tormented her until she was writhing beneath him. She gasped and trembled when she finally found release.

She watched the wicked smile on his face widen while she lay beneath him, panting.

She only had a moment to catch her breath before he claimed her lips once again.

When his hand moved to his manhood, she was ready, her core clenching with anticipation.

She had heard tales of what the first time was supposed to be like, and yet she felt relaxed. She trusted him, knowing that he would never hurt her.

However, when his member finally found her entrance, she tensed up.

She gripped the bedsheets, anticipating the pain that was sure to come.

Her heart fluttered in her chest as he rubbed himself against her entrance.

“Eveline,” he said, his voice hoarse with need. “Do you want me to continue?”

Eveline smiled and nodded. She had never been more certain of anything than now. She knew she wanted to give her all, all of her body, to this man, who made her happy beyond words.

When he finally pressed into her, she felt a stretching sensation that was quickly replaced with discomfort.

She gasped, and her hands moved instantly to his shoulders.

William stopped to look at her, and she could see in his eyes that it hurt him even more to cause her such pain.

“Shall I stop?” he asked.

Eveline shook her head. “I want this,” she said simply.

He kissed her, and this time it was slow, soft, and soothing. When he moved again, the discomfort was replaced with something else, something more .

She felt full.

She soon began to move with him in perfect harmony. And the pain was now long forgotten in the waves of pleasure that followed.

This sensation was different. The pleasure was like nothing she had ever felt. She locked eyes with him as they moved. The moment was all-consuming, intimate.

She clung to him, and when he looked down at her, she was overcome by emotions.

She was finally and truly his. Her body welcomed him, and when she heard a groan escape his lips, she could not have been prouder.

It was a miracle that her body was giving him so much pleasure, and even the thought of it sent a chill down her spine.

He groaned again, and his breathing quickened.

As he thrust into her again and again, wave after wave of pleasure shot through her, pooling low in her core until she could no longer hold back.

The sensation made her hot all over, and her toes curled and uncurled.

When she was just about to reach her crescendo, she pulled him in deeper. The feeling that came next was all-consuming, and he quickened his thrusts.

“William,” she whispered, not quite sure why she called his name.

As he thrust deeper, harder, her pleasure built up to the tipping point. She knew then that it was only a matter of time before it consumed her.

She could no longer think, her breath trapped in her chest, and with one final thrust, she tipped over the edge. Her back arched, and she moaned. Her fingernails dug into his skin, but she did not give a care.

For a moment, everything else disappeared, save for his grunts above her.

He suddenly claimed her lips with such ferociousness that shocked her. The next moment, he grunted loudly and fell on top of her. He rolled off her and then gathered her in his arms. It was then that she noticed that her body was shaking.

William pressed a sweet kiss to her shoulder, and she could not help but smile.

Even though she was utterly spent, her mind was still reeling from the pleasure she had just experienced.

Her breathing was still unsteady, and her whole body tingled. She felt a dull ache in her core, but it was also incredibly satisfying. The ache reminded her of the beautiful moment she had shared with her husband.

Even as she slowly drifted off to sleep, the last thought on her mind was the intimacy they had shared. How brazenly brave she had been through it all.

And now she felt no ounce of shame, only satisfaction.

She had bared herself to him, in her most vulnerable state, and he had rewarded her with more pleasure than she had thought possible.

It was the first ray of sunlight that woke William up the next morning. He could not help but smile as stared at his wife, sleeping soundly in his arms.

The curtain danced as it ushered in the morning breeze. He watched her sleep, as he simply could not take his eyes off her. She was curled up against him, her warm skin pressed to his. He had his arm draped over her so that he could feel her warm breath on it.

The sunlight filtered into the room, and the orangish glow lit up her face.

He planted a kiss on her forehead as he tried to memorize her face. He wished to remember her like this—warm, soft, and at peace. He instinctively pressed her to him, as though to protect her.

He could not help but wonder about the night before. He could not get the image of her face out of his head. How her lips had parted, inviting him in. How her body had trembled under the weight of the pleasure that racked her. How her eyes had devoured his body when she had first seen it.

Certainly, he could not forget how his body had responded to her. He could still feel her touch, soft and smooth as silk. Her body had moved in rhythm with his as though they were made for each other.

And when she had finally whispered his name, he totally submitted to her. Hearing her whisper his name while whimpering had unraveled him.

Even now, as he remembered, he could feel himself getting hard once again.

For a moment, he closed his eyes as the events of the previous night replayed in his mind. Her soft whimpers and the way her hips had bucked against his. He could still remember how her body had taken him, hesitant at first but ultimately welcoming. And the satisfied look on her face afterward…

As he opened his eyes, he finally admitted it to himself.

He was in love with this woman. Irrevocably in love with her.

He finally welcomed the ache in his chest as he planted kisses across her shoulder. There was no use denying what he knew to be true.

Even though he had not said the words to her yet, he had expressed his love to her with his body. And he could only hope he could do it again and again for the rest of his life.

“Hmm,” he murmured as he sniffed her. She smelled heavenly.

At that moment, she stirred, wiggling her buttocks against him.

William swore under his breath, as he could feel his member rise to attention. He sighed in exasperation as he silently willed it to soften.

He saw her smile in her sleep, and he couldn’t help but chuckle.

He knew he loved her because he wanted her to smile like that for the rest of her life. He wanted to protect her, even from himself.

A sudden wave of fear shot through him, and his heart lurched.

What if he ended up hurting her? After all, love had a way of hurting people.

He realized early that his mind was reeling, and therefore, he gathered his thoughts quickly.

He took a deep breath to compose himself.

His wife’s words from the previous night echoed in his mind. She had reassured him, and yet he could not ignore the nagging voice in the back of his head that whispered that he would hurt her.

He knew that he was in love with her, and maybe, for now, that was all that mattered.

He was now willing to put all the horrors of his past behind him. He had allowed his past to control him for far too long. He was finally done letting it deprive him of joy.

It was now time for him to live for his present… and for his future.

He glanced at her again.

Together, he and his wife would create their future together. A future that would be free of bitterness and abuse, unlike his childhood.

He could not help but be grateful to his wife. She had shown him what was possible, and now, because of her, he knew he could enjoy a fruitful life.

His heart skipped a beat when her eyes finally fluttered open.

She yawned and stretched as she regarded him, a smile forming on her face.

“How long have you been staring at me?” she asked, giggling.

“If I am being honest, ever since you slept,” he teased.

Eveline’s eyes widened in mock shock. “And why, pray tell, would you stay awake simply to watch me?” A teasing smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

William shrugged. “Perhaps to protect you?”

“And what would you be protecting me from?”

“Trolls and witches who roam the night, looking for duchesses to abduct,” he deadpanned.

She gasped dramatically. “Oh, how shall I ever repay you for being gracious enough to protect me.”

“Perhaps a kiss on the lips?” he suggested.

“That I can certainly do,” she responded.

“Or, perhaps, a taste of your forbidden fruit,” he added, pointing at her legs.

Eveline threw back her head, laughing with reckless abandon.

“Oh, you are the most corrupt Duke in all of England,” she proclaimed.

“That is a rather heavy accusation, Duchess,” he murmured. “I hope you have evidence to back it up.”

“What happens if I do not have evidence?” she asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Tie me and lock me up in your dungeons?” She gasped suddenly. “Oh William, do you have a dungeon?”

“In fact, I do, and I shall lock you in until you fall in love with me.”

“And what shall you do to me, then?” she asked as she wriggled out of his grasp.

“I suppose it would be better if I just show you,” he purred.

In one swift motion, he flipped her onto her back.

“Oh, Your Grace,” she gasped dramatically. “Whatever shall you do to me?”

“Nothing that you don’t like.”

He took one of her breasts into his mouth and kneaded the other while she wriggled beneath him.

And with that, the day had a rather pleasurable start.

Even as he wrestled playfully with her, William knew this was how he wanted his days to start—giving pleasure to his wife and worshipping her body.