Page 15 of The Cruel Duke’s Bride (The Duchess Dilemma #2)

CHAPTER 15

D eep down, Gideon didn’t think she would do it.

Amelia had shown her true colors as of late, revealing herself to be far more rebellious and stubborn than he’d initially thought. She was not afraid to challenge him head-on—when she wasn’t trembling like a leaf before him. And he struggled to recall the last time she’d regarded him with anything resembling fear.

What he could remember, however, was the overwhelming desire that had consumed him the previous night when thinking about her, driving him to seek release just to banish her from her mind. He had envisioned her in merely her undergarments, picturing her undressing until she was entirely bared before him. It had been a fleeting indulgence during a moment of weakness.

Seeing her now, the memory of that night came rushing back to him.

He swallowed past the lump quickly forming in his throat, captivated by the gentle sway of her hips as she approached the dining table. The indigo dress clung to her curves snugly, the small slivers of skin it revealed flooding his mind with insatiable desire. He leaned back in his chair, unabashedly studying her from head to toe, his gaze lingering a second too long on her bosom.

Gideon truly did not expect her to wear the dress once she realized how provocative it was. He was also secretly pleased that she had chosen to challenge him once again.

“Good evening, Your Grace,” she greeted, her tone laced with frost. She gracefully seated herself opposite him.

Gideon shifted, acutely aware of his body’s reaction to her. He was conscious that if she dared to peek beneath the table, she would be privy to just how profoundly her appearance was affecting him.

“You… you wore the dress,” he remarked, his voice gruff.

“You seemed to desire it,” she answered simply, as if that was reason enough.

Gideon’s brows shot up in surprise. “And when have you ever taken my desires into consideration?

“Since I’ve learned that you will always find other ways to assert your dominance.” Her voice was sharp and icy. All that did was make him want her more. “I am merely acquiescing to you.”

“That takes the pleasure out of it,” he pouted. “However, I must admit, you do look absolutely ravishing.”

Amelia shot him a glare, but it seemed she was unable to stop her lips from quirking upwards for a fleeting moment. “I suppose it was too much to believe that your invitation was born out of a genuine concern for my well being.”

“I assure you, I did invite you out of genuine concern. I have no intention of letting you waste away while you’re here. If you start losing weight, it might give others the impression that I’m treating you poorly.

“And you only care about what others believe, don’t you?” she muttered under her breath.

“The opinion of others weighs heavily on my position, unfortunately. And I have no intention of being subject to improper rumors.”

Amelia regarded him with a frown, but Gideon made a point to avoid her gaze. When the first course of white soup was served, he discovered that his desire for food had significantly diminished. His cravings were directed elsewhere entirely.

“So, our little incident on the balcony must have really bothered you,” she said after a while.

“Wouldn’t it have bothered anyone?” he asked in return. “Not everyone is like you, Amelia, ready to gamble with their reputation to secure a marriage.”

She didn’t rise to the bait the way he’d thought she would. Instead, she calmly said, “You know nothing of my motivations. Just as I know nothing of yours.”

“What motivations could I possibly have? Marriage was the last thing on my mind.”

“I’m not referring to marriage. I’m talking about your alter ego—the Masked Rogue. I simply cannot fathom why any sane person would do the things you do.”

Gideon tried not to let her question ruin his mood. “That is none of your concern.”

“I beg to differ.”

Gideon reclined in his chair, regarding her evenly. “And what about you, dear? Will you continue to pester me about such inconsequential matters while you reveal so little of yourself?”

“Inconsequential?” For the first time since he’d met her, Amelia laughed. Actually laughed. The lovely sound dissipated his rising annoyance. “I would hardly call a renowned Duke transforming into the notorious Masked Rogue come nightfall an inconsequential matter. But fine, what would you like to know?”

Gideon found himself momentarily stumped. He racked his brain for the right question to ask, keenly aware that she might only retreat into her shell if he pushed her too far. This was the most loose-lipped she had ever been while around him, and he intended to make the most of it.

“Why were you so desperate to marry me?” he asked at last.

Amelia’s blue eyes flicked to him, clouding over with confusion. “That is what you wished to ask? I thought you had accepted that I was simply after the title of a Duchess.”

“Is that the real reason?” he pressed gently.

Amelia held his gaze for a moment longer before she shook her head and returned to her meal. “No, I do not care for the title. But I wished for anything to get out of my uncle’s home.”

“Why?” A thought occurred to him and instantly darkened his mood. “Did he… hurt you?”

“What?” She sounded surprised. “No, not at all. Well, not physically at least. My uncle was the kind of gentleman who barely acknowledged my existence, as long as he was fulfilling his responsibilities as my guardian. My aunt and cousin, on the other hand…” she trailed off.

Gideon’s mind cast back to the dinner he had attended with Amelia’s extended family. The viscount had maintained a veneer of politeness, but his wife and daughter had left Gideon with a bad taste in his mouth. His grip on his spoon tightened, his dark mood worsening at the thought of those women mistreating Amelia in any way. He couldn’t quite fathom why he was so affected by this. “They treated you unfairly.”

“Unfairly is too polite a word for it,” she responded, her laughter light yet carrying an edge of bitterness. “But it matters not now. It is in the past. What matters now is the present… and you.”

“Me?” He didn’t think it possible but… his heart skipped a beat. Amelia held his gaze boldly and he felt ensnared by her periwinkle eyes. For the first time in his life, Gideon was at a loss of words, his mind faltering.

“Yes, you.” She tilted her head slightly. “I cannot imagine the towering, intimidating Duke as a young boy. What was your childhood like?”

The question was innocent enough. Gideon could see the genuine curiosity in Amelia’s eyes and found that he didn’t have the strength to end the conversation.

“It was… like any others,” he answered noncommittally.

Amelia’s brows furrowed. “Like any others? That is quite the ambiguous response.”

“Well, that is because there is not much to tell. I was brought up in a particularly wealthy household with the knowledge that I will one day inherit my father’s title.”

“And you consider that like any other childhood?” Amelia asked with a light giggle.

“Is it not?” he replied, feigning ignorance. Amelia tilted her head back with a peal of laughter.

“I do not mean to take your words as jest,” she said, attempting to stifle her titters. “I’m just trying to imagine a young Gideon, solemn and dutiful, with eyes only for his future dukedom. Did you not have any friends?”

“I had only the one, the Earl of Janesbury. Though back then, he was the second son of his father, and so, free from the heavy expectations I faced. I could never relate of course. I still remember the day he confessed to me about how he dreamt of becoming a private investigator. Can you believe the nerve of him?”

“Oh, the audacity to dream outside one’s station!” Amelia played along, eliciting a genuine smile from Gideon. “When next I see him, I shall have to give him a piece of my mind.”

“You mean you shall defend my honor?”

“I shall defend the honor of the young Gideon Terrell who did not dare to dream.”

Gideon pushed aside the somber thoughts of the dreams he’d once harbored as a child, dreams that had been lost along with the passing of his younger brother. For now, he wanted to soak in the present and cherish the peace and pleasure he felt in Amelia’s company.

“But I must ask, Gideon,” she went on, sobering up. Gideon felt the lovely moment begin to fray—as if her next words might shatter it entirely. “What would your family think if they learned that you moonlighted as someone as contemptible as the Masked Rogue?”

The slow pleasure and anticipation that had been subtly weaving through him dissolved into fury. Finished with the first course, the maids drifted into focus to remove the dishes and replace them with the second. Another few moments passed by as they exited the room once more. Gideon seized all the time given to quell his anger but it only grew as the seconds went by.

She didn’t know anything about him. Out of pure ignorance, she truly dared to question and pass judgment over him? What if he revealed the truth of his motivations to her? That, had it not been for the cowards that he so relentlessly pursued now, his father and brother would still be alive? Why did he feel so tempted to expose his deepest wounds just so that she might understand him better?

His frustration mounting, Gideon made a grab for the knife, intending to stab into the roasted duck before him. In his haste, he misjudged the distance and sliced his finger instead.

“Gideon!”

Amelia sprang from her chair faster than he could grasp what had just happened. She gently cradled his hand, now bleeding profusely, worry stark on her face.

“We need to stop the bleeding,” she said urgently, sinking to her knees before him. Without any hesitation, she seized the hem of her skirt and ruthlessly ripped the fabric’s seams before wrapping it around his bleeding hand. Gideon’s eyes fell to her now-exposed legs.

“Is it painful?” she asked, lifting her gaze to meet his. Genuine concern shone up at him. Gideon couldn’t recall the last time someone had shown such genuine care for him and it swiftly dissipated any lingering annoyance he might have had.

She didn’t know. She was blissfully unaware of the turmoil she was stirring within him. Gideon opened his mouth, knowing that he was supposed to give a response of some sort. But his throat went dry, and his gaze was drawn to the enticing curve of her décolletage.

“Gideon…” The whisper of his name was what undid him in the end. Acting on impulse, he leaned in and captured her lips with his own.

For a second, she went breathless. But then, Amelia responded with a soft moan, her passion mirroring his own desperation. Only then did he realize that she had been craving this almost as much as he did, that her body had been longing for his touch the way his had longed for hers. He tugged on her elbow, gently coaxing her onto his lap. She willingly obliged, looping her arms around his neck, her lips moving against his with a clumsiness that belied her lack of experience.

But he led and she followed. He teased her lips apart with his tongue and then wrestled with hers, his yearning consuming him whole. He didn’t care about the meal at this point, didn’t care about her inciting words. Gideon’s only need was to feel her, to claim her entirely as his own.

She matched his fervor, though there remained a hint of coyness behind her actions. Unknowingly—or perhaps quite deliberately—she shifted her hips against his lap, and his arousal all but tore through his breeches.

He had to have her. He had to have her now.

With a surge of desperation, he got to his feet, lifting her effortlessly in his arms. She was surprisingly light, and he carried her to a bare section of the table with ease. He gently set her down on the white tablecloth, all the while keeping their lips locked in a passionate embrace. Amelia’s hands roved, one cradling his face, the other tangled in his hair. Yet Gideon found himself unable to restrain his own hands from exploring every inch of her soft body.

He artfully hooked a finger under the neckline of her gown and tugged lightly. One breast bared, revealing her pert nipple. Amelia gasped, jerking away from him in surprise.

Her eyelids were heavy with lust as she lay vulnerable on the table. Spurred on by the sight, Gideon closed the distance between them and gently lowered his head to lavish attention on her breasts. His gaze remained locked on hers, searching her face for any sign of uncertainty or fear. If he spotted even a sliver of hesitation, he would back away, no matter how difficult it might prove.

Amelia remained perfectly still, her azure eyes intently fixed on his. When his lips closed around her peeking nipple, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she exhaled a soft sigh, her head tipping back. That was all the encouragement he needed.

He tugged at her gown once more, freeing her other perfectly round breast. Gideon pinched her nipple lightly, taking pleasure in how she squirmed under his touch. He didn’t cease his slow torture, pinching and caressing one nipple while he suckled on the other. Amelia writhed beneath him, shifting back and forth against his thigh as if her need was too much to contain.

Driven by her reactions, Gideon’s desire to pleasure her intensified to new heights. He longed to hear her cry out his name, to see her body convulse in ecstasy beneath him. He could not think of any other time he had ever felt anything like this. Even her rich lavender scent was intoxicating, overwhelming his nose, driving him to the brink of madness. Though his arousal strained painfully against his breeches, he wouldn’t allow himself release yet. He desired to pleasure her first.

His uninjured hand ventured below her gown to the creamy skin of her inner thigh, eliciting a sharp gasp from her lips. She tensed, but she did not ask him to stop. Instead, she subtly parted her legs a little wider. A silent invitation.

Gideon answered her call. His fingers gently traced the contours of her inner thigh, moving with a tantalizing slowness. Drifting upwards. Inch by inch. Soon, he felt the first few soft curls at her intimate core and had to rein in his desire to explore further. Instead, he desired to tease, reveling in the shuddering breaths she drew with each delicate brush of his fingers.

With a lone finger, Gideon went a little further, all the while maintaining his seductive pressure on her nipple with his lips. He was blessed with the wet touch of her slickness and he was almost certain she would push him away. He prayed that he was wrong, that Amelia wanted this as much as he did. And his prayers were answered when she grasped his head against her breasts as if she was begging for more.

Gideon had never felt anything like this. He’d had his fair share of sensual experiences, and yet they paled in comparison to the intoxicating spell Amelia had cast upon his senses. With a feather-like touch, he caressed the sensitive nub in between her legs, enjoying the way she writhed into his touches. She was so ready, so pliant in his arms that it took all his strength to keep from tearing her gown off on the spot.

Instead, he pressed a finger against her entrance and she gasped, tensing just a little. Gideon almost pulled his hand away, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable in the slightest, but she suddenly grasped his hand, keeping it where it was. Gideon understood what she wanted, understood that she was simply incapable of saying the right words right now.

He longed to hear her sweet gasps and moans. He longed to hear her scream his name, with bated breaths and a tremble in her voice. And it took all his strength to be patient.

Delicately, he slid a finger inside her, and he lifted his head, wanting to witness every nuance of pleasure that danced across her face. Amelia’s eyes fluttered to the back of her head as she succumbed to the waves of pleasure, her body arching gracefully against the table like a goddess. His finger moved with a gentle yet determined rhythm, curling inside her, committed to drawing out every drop of pleasure. He wanted to take his time with her, to ensure he would leave an ever-lasting imprint, so she would never forget this moment.

Slowly, he began to pick up the pace, enjoying the way her breasts shook from the force of her euphoria. She dug her nails into the table, the tablecloth twisting beneath them.

Witnessing her contort in such beautiful agony finally unbuckled Gideon’s restraint. With his spare hand, he bunched up the skirts of her gown and dipped his head between her thighs, his lips hovering just above her most intimate area.

Amelia’s eyes widened. “Wh-what are you… oh my God—”

Her words were instantly silenced as Gideon’s lips pressed against her pearl and began to suckle and lick her delicate folds, sending waves of pleasure shuddering through her body. Her fingers tangled into his dark hair tightly, her knuckles white with tension.

Feeling her muscles quiver around him, Gideon quickened his pace, his tongue and finger working in tandem to bring her to the very edge of ecstasy. Amelia’s breaths grew more and more ragged, until she fell heavily against the table, abandoning her pursuit of his hair entirely.

The sight of her flushed face and the sound of her desperate breaths only served to heighten his own arousal.

A hand clamped to her mouth—as if she was trying her hardest not to scream.

Gideon felt a surge of desire to hear her, to encourage her to let go. It was his castle, her castle. She could do as she pleased.

But then she shook, letting out a choked gasp. Gideon pressed another finger inside her and picked up the pace, pressing his other hand gently against the bottom of her stomach, feeling the waves of her release. Amelia’s leg shuddered from the force of her climax, a wrangled cry escaping her lips before she finally settled.

As her body relaxed, he withdrew his hand, a satisfied grin playing on his lips as he took in her dazed expression. “How do you feel?” he asked.

Amelia blinked, recognition flooding her eyes. Suddenly she sat up, face stricken with horror.

Gideon hardly had the chance to say anything before she hopped off the table, hastily fixing her gown.

“What’s the matter?” he asked worriedly. “Did I hurt you?”

She stopped in her tracks, giving him a look that cut him straight through his core. After that beautiful experience together, how could she look at him with such… panic?

“Your hand,” she breathed. “You should get it dressed.”

Gideon didn’t know what to say to that and Amelia didn’t stick around to hear anything even if he did. She hurried out of the room, leaving him alone, his hand still bloody and his arousal painfully unattended.