Page 14 of Taken by the Icy Duke (Marriage Deals #3)

Chapter Fourteen

D iana’s hands trembled and her breath caught in her throat. She could feel Gilbert standing behind her, and could sense the spring-like tension in his body. Every beat of her heart felt louder than the hushed atmosphere surrounding them.

She turned to see Gilbert standing a mere pace away, his expression charged with a raw, primal need she had never witnessed in him before. The glow from the flames dancing in the hearth pronounced the angles of his face and illuminated the intent in his eyes.

Diana’s body responded in kind, quivering with unrestrained excitement, yearning to touch him, to explore the contours of his face and his muscular frame. She could feel the energy bristling between them.

Without a word he crushed her to him, pulling her hips against his, his fingertips sinking into the flesh of her skin as she melded into him. She could feel his manhood pressing against her belly, so urgent was his need. The stubble of his chin brushed against her hair, loosening strands as she lifted her face to his.

A thousand questions hovered at the edge of her mind—uncertainties about him, about them—but in that moment she could only focus on his touch. Even her recollection of their earlier embrace in the corridor paled in comparison with the fiery intimacy she now felt with him in the quiet, lamplit space.

“Diana,” he murmured, his voice low and husky as he fought for willpower.

She wanted to speak, to say something clever or confess the wild desires that stirred within her, but words failed her in the moment. His mouth sought hers, crashing against her lips and stealing her breath away as he kissed her. His beckoning tongue searched for hers, tasting and exploring her waiting mouth.

His fingers felt like fire against her skin as they trailed along her back, sending shivers of anticipation from her neck to her buttocks. His warmth and raw, male magnetism made her ache for more. Tilting her head back, she searched his face and saw a hunger that mirrored her own. A carnal need throbbed deep within her groin, begging for release.

A deep sigh escaped her as she surrendered herself to his kiss, wrapping her arms around him and drawing him even closer. Time seemed to stand still as they lost themselves in each other.

His gentle yet urgent hands explored every curve of her body. She could feel his desire pulsing between his legs as he tangled his fingers in the fabric of her dress. When he huskily whispered her name, Diana found herself echoing his intensity, meeting each kiss and touch with equally unbridled zeal.

Her hands roamed greedily over his arms and shoulders and dug deep into his thick, dark hair. The more he gave of himself, the more she wanted. She relished the way he claimed every inch of her and found it was impossible to hold herself back.

Breaking away for a moment, he pressed his forehead against hers, breathing hard before whispering her name again as though he needed to remind himself who she was. Diana responded with a barely audible “yes” before he kissed her once more. She felt as though he was devouring her, so consumed by his frenzied caresses and kisses that she thought she was dissolving into him.

Their intense longing and fascination seemed to fill the entire room. As his kisses trailed along her jaw and up to the sensitive spot beneath her ear, she could not contain the moan that escaped her lips. Gripping his shoulders tightly, she abandoned all reservations, reveling in the fiery moment that enveloped them.

He lifted her to her feet, gripping her thighs as she wrapped her legs around him. With just a few rapid paces, he lowered her down on the settee, settling himself between her legs.

The fabric of her gown fanned out beneath her, the many layers of silk and muslin a tantalizing barrier that both frustrated and heightened the anticipation. She whimpered as his member ground against her sensitive spot, and grasped his shoulders in reply.

As if sensing her faint hesitation beneath the rush of desire, he pulled back slightly, his gaze tender with concern.

“Are you certain you wish to continue?” he asked softly, his thumb caressing her cheek.

“Yes,” she whispered, her voice trembling with anticipation as she nodded impatiently. “I want this. I want you.”

Every thud of her heart reminded her that this was new, uncharted territory, yet she could not deny how her body yearned for his touch.

Gilbert reached for the row of buttons along the back of her gown and deftly began to unfasten them. With each undone clasp, the edges of her bodice loosened, revealing glimpses of her chemise beneath.

The thin muslin barely concealed the curve of her shoulders, and when the fabric slipped lower, exposing the delicate slope of her collarbone, Diana shivered, partly from the cool air, but mostly from the fire coursing through her veins.

He paused to press a kiss against the tender skin, pulling the neckline of her chemise down to expose one of her breasts. Diana arched towards his warm, wet mouth as he teased the delicate skin of her nipple. His hand firmly held her waist as she tensed with desire.

A cry escaped her lips and she wrapped her fingers in his hair. She felt the surrender, one she offered freely to the man she could no longer think of as a stranger.

“I have wanted you since the moment I laid eyes on you,” he murmured so quietly that she nearly missed it, the tenor of his voice sending delicious shivers down her body.

Emboldened, she reached for his coat. Her fingers fumbled at first, but he steadied her hands with his, guiding them so they could work together. Garment after garment fell away—his coat, his waistcoat, and at last the crisp fabric of his shirt—until the firelight finally revealed to her the contours of his toned, muscular chest. Tentatively, she pressed her palm to his skin, feeling the powerful rhythm of his heartbeat beneath her hand.

Gilbert slid his hands beneath the loosened gown at her hips, pulling down the garment until it pooled around her feet. The heat of his palms on her waist made every nerve in her body spring to life.

Diana let out a shaky breath when he kissed her again, causing a more fervent degree of desire to soar through her. Their mouths moved in a dance that grew bolder with every passing second, drawing them together in a blur of soft sighs and whispered names.

When they finally broke apart to catch their breath, Diana looked at him through half-lowered lashes, her cheeks thoroughly flushed. She was acutely aware that only the thin fabric of her chemise remained. In the flickering light, the potency of Gilbert’s gaze laid bare the full force of his desire.

“I have dreamed of you,” he breathed, his voice tight with restraint. His hand slid along her spine, drawing her closer until she could feel the warmth of his chest against hers.

Her own thoughts were a whirlwind as she tilted her head back, exposing her neck to him. He traced his lips around her jaw, finding the sensitive hollow beneath her ear. As he continued his ministrations, his warm hand slipped between the apex of her thighs, and his fingers sought out the sizzling space between her legs. She spread her legs wider, gasping when his fingertips slid along her intimate opening.

She found herself mirroring his urgency, her own hands hungrily exploring the expanse of his bare skin, tracing the lines of his arms and back. The sound of the crackling fire became a distant backdrop to their soft exhalations and murmured endearments. Shivering with anticipation, she released a quiet whimper when he drew back his hand, signaling that she longed to surrender to the moment.

Gilbert used his knees to push her legs further apart and lowered himself between them. Guiding himself, he slowly slid his rigid, throbbing member inside her, pressing his forehead against hers; his ragged breath indicating how forcefully he was trying to hold himself back.

Diana tensed and held her breath as he filled her, unaccustomed to the pressure of his large shaft as it met with her maidenhood. She looked up at Gilbert with a modicum of trepidation.

“You are doing well,” Gilbert whispered gently to her, panting against her lips. “Relax, it will help.”

Diana kissed him and wrapped her arms around his neck, lifting her hips towards him, conscious of the tension in her groin. The need within her ached and burned, wanting more of him despite the unfamiliar discomfort.

With agonizing slowness, Gilbert slid more deeply within her, taking the measure of her, then groaning. “I cannot wait any longer,” he breathed, moving his hands to grip her hips.

“Then do not,” she urged.

“Are you certain?” he asked, and she nodded in eager agreement.

He paused only briefly, then slowly began to move, gauging her response. Diana winced as he broke through her maidenhood and pushed himself inside of her more deeply.

Their careful rhythm gradually quickened as her body softened beneath his, and the initial pain gave way to an increasing, electric sizzle that soared through her body and urged her to match his pace.

They moved together rhythmically, their unspoken emotions entwining with their physical connection, their breaths mingling in the quiet intimacy of the room. The firelight flickered across their joined forms, shadows playing on the walls like echoes of the passion that burned between them.

Diana groaned and writhed as the force of her release reached its pinnacle and overtook her like a volcanic eruption. Her slick, sweaty body bucked and she felt herself disappear into a starburst of indescribable pleasure as her orgasm overcame her corporal body.

Gilbert’s groan reverberated through her as he, too, reached his limit. She could feel him rising, his grip on her tightening, before he suddenly withdrew and pulsed his seed into his shirt.

They lay still for a time afterwards, listening to the crackle of the fire and their shared, uneven breaths. Gilbert brushed a strand of hair from Diana’s damp face, his eyes kind and searching. “Are you all right?” he asked in a hushed voice, his concern evident and genuine.

Diana nodded, offering a faint smile that was equal parts reassurance and lingering awe. “Yes,” she murmured, her fingers tracing lazy patterns along his back. “I think…I am.”

Gilbert pressed a lingering kiss to Diana’s temple, his breath warm against her moist skin. His movements slowed, his hands steadying her trembling body as she adjusted to the aftershocks that moved through her.

The quiet intimacy that followed—his thumb brushing gently over her cheek, and his gentle caresses along her arm and belly, made her throat constrict with a sense of newfound peace and satisfaction.

Diana rested her head on Gilbert’s chest, her fingertips tracing lazy patterns along his skin. She marveled at the contrast between his strength and the tenderness he demonstrated to her through his touch. She had never felt so exposed and yet so strangely secure.

“You are trembling,” Gilbert whispered, pulling a blanket from the back of the settee to drape over them both. He held her close, his hand sliding soothingly along her arm.

“I am all right,” Diana replied, offering him a warm smile. “I think… it is just everything.”

Gilbert lifted her chin gently, his dark eyes searching hers. “Everything?”

Diana hesitated, then nodded. “This moment, this… connection. It is not what I expected.”

His brow furrowed slightly. “Do you regret it?”

“No,” she said quickly, her voice firm despite her lingering vulnerability. “Not at all.”

Relief softened his features, and he pressed a kiss to her forehead before leaning back, his arms still wrapped loosely around her. “Neither do I.”

As Gilbert pulled her closer, his hand drawing soothing circles along her arm, Diana let herself relax against him, savoring the warmth of his body and the sense of connection that still lingered.

Diana allowed her thoughts to wander, amazed that this man—who had once been little more than a stranger—now felt so essential to her.

She glanced up at him again, noting the faint sheen of sweat along his brow and the way his lashes cast shadows against his cheekbones. In that moment, she felt a surge of something undeniably potent; an emotion she dared not name but could no longer ignore.

“Gilbert,” she began softly, her voice catching slightly, “do you think… this… us… can be more than it is now?”

He stilled, his gaze turning serious as he studied her face.

“Diana,” he said slowly, as if weighing each word, “what more could I give you than this?”

His question made her suck in her breath as she endeavored to think of a response. He had shown her pleasure and passion, protected her with his name, and showered her with gifts.

“I do not know,” she breathed, unable to articulate her desire for something deeper, some connection to his heart.

He held her more tightly, pressing another kiss into her hair as the firelight dimmed and the night deepened. Diana wished to believe that their union might grow into something real, something more than duty and necessity.

Though questions lingered, she pushed them aside, though she knew nothing was settled beyond this desire that had bound them. They had this moment, and for Diana, it was more than she ever expected to share with the man she had wed out of necessity. And if she still yearned for something more than just the physical connection, she told herself she could explore that longing another day.