Page 20 of Sweet Duke of Mine

COMPLETION

T he instant Daisy spoke the words out loud, sending them up to the stars, she couldn’t summon them back. Her meaning went beyond that room, beyond that moment.

She wanted whatever he was willing to give. Did that make her weak? Did that make her immoral?

And having just experienced a banquet of pleasure, did it make her greedy?

If the answer was yes, she didn’t care.

Her body still trembled in the aftermath, warmth spreading through her body like golden honey. She should feel spent, sated—but instead, a new kind of hunger had awakened inside her. One that had nothing to do with desire and everything to do with him. His touch, his weight, his whispered words against her skin.

She had spent a decade pretending she didn’t need this—didn’t need him. And yet, here she was, reaching for more.

And she did not make this decision lightly. It was practical, logical, and rational, because she refused to live the rest of her life with regret .

They might only have one day, a few weeks, or even months. He was different, as was she.

But also because a flicker of hope still burned, deep, deep inside.

Firstly, he’d been left behind her house—which was nothing short of a miracle. And he’d lived.

Another miracle.

And then, he remembered her— he remembered loving her.

Dare she imagine it was fate that brought them back together?

“All of me?” Alastair stared down at her, looking determined, but oh, so very sweet. It was the same face she’d always loved, hardened and chiseled now. But he was Alastair.

Alastair.

She didn’t need all the details to know he’d collected a handful of scars. She had scars of her own.

And yet, here they were. In her bed. Loving one another.

Lovers and friends. He’d already tugged his shirt over his head, kicked off his shoes, and shucked his trousers. He was here.

With her.

And she didn’t want to waste a single breath of this moment.

“All of you,” she whispered, tilting her chin up, savoring his closeness, not taking a second of this for granted.

Alastair’s eyes darkened as he exhaled a ragged breath. “You have all of me, Daisy. I think you always have.”

She trailed her fingers over his shoulders, down the strong planes of his back. “I know.” Even when everything told her she’d lost, her heart kept beating for him.

His lips brushed the curve of her throat, then lower, tracing a path of fire down to her collarbone. “You know?” He nipped at her skin .

A thrill rippled through her, sharp and sweet. “I know.” Had she always known?

He captured her lips again, and this time, his kiss was deliberate, consuming. Slow and sure, like he was memorizing every inch of her with his mouth alone. As though he had all the time in the world to rediscover her.

Daisy arched against him, heat pooling low in her belly. “You didn’t take this much time the first time.”

He groaned, nuzzling the hollow of her throat. “I was a fumbling fool. Desperate.”

She hummed. “And now?”

His lips curved against her skin. “Still desperate.” His hands slid lower, possessive, reverent. “But wiser.”

She felt the evidence of that wisdom pressing insistently against her thigh. With a sultry smile, she slid her fingers down, wrapping them around his thick shaft.

Memories of silken steel flooded through her.

Alastair shuddered, his breath coming in harsh pants. “You’re going to undo me.”

“It’s only fair,” she murmured. “Isn’t it?”

His laughter died into a groan as she guided him to where she needed him most, teasing him, teasing herself.

She had never forgotten that afternoon of loving. If she had, she’d never have known what she lost.

But she, too, was wiser now. She knew that perfect moments like this one were fleeting. Even the most powerful love could be shattered.

But love could also be magic.

Alastair pushed inside, and every cell of her body came alive.

Magic. The depths of the deepest valley followed by the pinnacle of the highest mountain.

He withdrew and then went deeper.

Fate .

She moved with him, cherishing each sensation, each kiss, each touch, each stroke and thrust. And again, while embracing everything about him, a second round of tears escaped. Tears of awe and joy.

The world beyond them ceased to exist.

The walls, the bed, the sun—everything blurred, faded into insignificance. There was only this. Only them. The desperate rhythm of their bodies, unspoken emotions crackling in the air.

They moved together purposefully, holding one another’s gaze even when the intensity made it feel impossible. His green eyes burned into her, searing straight to her soul, the golden flecks burning.

“My love, my Daisy,” he rasped, his voice thick with emotion.

Alastair drove into her, deep and sure, each stroke unraveling her more than the one before, drawing her closer to the edge.

She clung to him, touching his face, gripping his shoulders, feeling the slick heat of his skin beneath her fingertips.

Oh, how she needed this.

Oh, how she needed him.

And when this second wave of pleasure crashed over her, she shattered into a thousand pieces. She came apart willingly—crying out, arching beneath him, her body pulsing around his.

He followed with a shuddering groan, deeper than ever before, releasing inside of her body, his entire frame tensing as he surrendered to the ecstasy of it.

For long moments, neither of them moved.

She smoothed her hands around his neck, over his shoulders, her touch featherlight, soothing. And when she wanted to say something, anything…

Words escaped her.

His weight settled over her like a loving blanket. She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her lips to his damp temple.

She would always love him.

No matter what came next, no matter where fate led them, this would always be true.

A cloud drifted across the sky, covering the golden sunlight right before they drifted into sleep, lost in the moment where nothing else existed.