Page 40 of The Duchess and the Beast
Virtue knew it was up to her to bridge the final gap. Sebastian’s head was bowed, his body tense, not from anger but from the sheer terror of being truly vulnerable. Recognizing the weight of the moment, and the trust Sebastian was placing in her, Virtue knew she must act. It would be on her to take the final step. For him. For her. For their marriage.
With a breath that was as much for her own courage as it was for calm, Virtue reached out slowly toward the mask. Sebastian grimaced and stiffened. Yet, he made no move to stop her. He remained motionless, a statue poised on the edge of transformation, as her fingers reached around to the nape of his neck and gently touched the laces. Another shudder.
Carefully, and with reverence, Virtue loosened the laces. Her touch was light, gentle. She lifted the mask away, setting it aside, revealing Sebastian’s face fully to her gaze for the first time.
Sebastian held his breath, his eyes cast away as she took in the sight of him, unmasked and vulnerable. She did not gasp at what she saw. Rather, she smiled, for he was even more handsome, more perfect than what she had ever imagined. Porcelain skin to match the other side of his face. Dark eyes, as she had known. A strong chin with a set jaw and a sharp nose. So perfect to behold that she barely noticed the scar that ran from his forehead down the side of his face, narrowly missing his eye and curving under his chin where it faded. That was all it was. A mere afterthought on the canvas of his visage.
“Just as I thought,” she said simply.
Still not looking at her, Sebastian muttered, “I warned you. I warned you.”
She laughed gently. “You did indeed, and I hate to say it, Sebastian, but you could not have been more wrong.”
“What?” His head snapped up, his eyes meeting hers at last. She could see the years of pain behind them. And the disbelief.
“You once told me that you found me beautiful, but I confess, I am a little disheartened,” Virtue began, her voice playful yet sincere. As Sebastian's frown deepened, her smile widened. “It seems to me that you are the truly striking one in this marriage, which leaves me wondering what I bring to it.”
“Don’t mock me,” he muttered, reaching out to swoop his mask in a quick, defensive motion.
She swiftly pulled it out of his reach. “I am not mocking you.” Reaching up, she carefully rested a hand under his chin, forcing him to meet her gaze. “You bear a scar, yes. But truthfully, I hardly notice it.”
“You... you don’t?”
She shook her head. “Of course not! And if this is the oh-sodreadfulmark that has compelled you to conceal yourself from the world for all these years, well, to be perfectly honest with you, it may be my turn to laugh at your expense.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “You are wonderful, Sebastian. More handsome than I could—”
He was on her.
Virtue was midway through speaking when Sebastian leaned forward abruptly and pressed his lips against her own. A kiss that took her by surprise, such that she nearly pulled back, and might have had his hand not cradled the back of her head, holding her close. It was enough that she came into herself suddenly, understood what was happening, and then gave in to it. She melted into his embrace, her body flush against his hard muscles. Her fingers tangled in his dark locks, hands grasping onto anything they could clutch.
Her lips burned as he kissed her; as if a fire was brewing between them. Those lips then opened and his tongue pushedinto her mouth, lapping at her own tongue while his teeth began to nibble and bite. As their kisses grew more passionate, the tension between them reached a fever pitch. Sebastian's scent, a heady mix of sandalwood and spice, filled her senses, inflaming her desire. He glided his hand down her back, drawing her even closer still. They continued to kiss, her breathing catching in her lungs, making her body swell, making her melt, for that was how hot it suddenly seemed.
If it wasjusta kiss, Virtue might have been satisfied. A huge step forward for them both. But the manner in which he kissed her, the way he held her, she knew right away he would not let it end there.
Suddenly, the beast returned. Sebastian’s hands roved from the small of her back to her waist. His kisses trailed down her neck, his tongue teasing her pulse points. Virtue gasped, tilting her head to give him better access as her hands wandered over the broad expanse of his back, surrendering to the sensations he evoked in her. His fingers pressed into her thigh, causing her to shiver with anticipation. Both his hands, claws they were, swept her up and lifted her forward in one smooth motion, and then pushed her onto her back. She gasped as he mounted her, his eyes never leaving her heaving bosom.
“Do… do you still want this?” he rasped heavily, his voice was a dark caress, stroking over her senses.
Virtue shuddered, her only response a wordless nod to her consent, her eyes never leaving his.
A wicked smile curved his lips. That more than sufficed for him. He began to undress her, his nails clawing over her silk-clad skin. He slashed at her gown and shift both. Lips sucking and kissing. Teeth biting and nibbling. With each inch of exposed flesh, Virtue's arousal grew, her nipples pebbling against the sheer fabric before it was torn from her waist above, revealing her creamy skin and full breasts. Breasts exposed, Sebastian took a moment to admire them; her nakedness, he seemed to drink her in, licking his lips hungrily. That look in his eyes, the want in them... for a moment there, she might have felt a spike of fear for the savage brute that leered at her.
Swiftly discarding his shirt, his knees suddenly kicked her legs apart and he fell forward with the force of a gale. He captured one of her nipples between his lips, sucking and biting it with a savage intensity that had Virtue gasping in a mixture of pain and pleasure. Tongue lapping and teasing. Hands latching everywhere they could. One found its way around her throat and tenderly encircled it, while the other grabbed her by the hair and pulled it back. Virtue cried out at the sensation, back arching off the floor. She was on fire for him, consumed by a raging inferno of passion that only he could extinguish. Her hands fisted in his hair, keeping him close as he lavished attention on her breasts, sucking and nibbling until she thought she might find her release then and there.
Somehow, Sebastian's caresses grew bolder, more insistent, as if he could no longer tame his lust. He grasped her breasts roughly, kneading them, leaving the imprints of his calloused fingers on her milk-white skin as he took her lips once more.
She trembled in his arms, and taking the opportunity, he pinned her beneath the weight of his muscular frame, leaving her no room for escape or hesitation. The entrancing feeling of being dominated by him sent shivers up her spine, causing her pulse to race faster than ever before. She felt powerless under his strong grip, yet all the while liberated by the raw passion that consumed them both. Her hands roamed over his broad muscular chest, tracing the contours of his pectorals and the chiseled ridges of his abs, sending tremors of longing through her fingertips.
“Sebastian...” she moaned as he sucked her right nipple until it stiffened. The sound of her moans only served to inflame his passions further, and with a growl of hunger, he moved his attention to her other breast, lavishing it with equal fervor.
He snarled as he started kissing down her waist next. Hands roving to join them, they grabbed her exposed thighs and squeezed. She moaned as he kissed past her belly button, but in his lust-filled passion, he nipped at her thigh.
"Ah!" Virtue moaned suddenly, her body tensing beneath him as pain momentarily replaced pleasure on her face. The sound was like a dagger to Sebastian's heart, cutting through the haze of lust that had enveloped them both. His head shot up suddenly, releasing her, and that visage of savagery momentarily disappeared.
“Why did you stop?” she gasped, her heart still racing to catch her breathing.
“I...” He pulled back slightly. “I am sorry,” he exhaled, his voice thick with remorse.
“Whatever for?” she propped herself up on her elbows.