Page 20 of The Duke’s Goddess (Duke Dare #2)

“Love is the most powerful force in the world.”

—Joan of Arc

TO SAY SHE WAS shocked was putting it mildly. He loved her? He wanted to marry her? Not just protect her from the scandal? It was too good to be true. Therefore, it couldn’t be true. Maybe he was lying to her? Exaggerating the truth? Hyperbolizing his feelings? When she thought about him, his deep blue eyes, casual demeanor, but caring soul, she knew he had the capacity to love. But how could she be sure he loved her? And so suddenly.

“How do you know you love me?” Joan asked with caution.

He ran his hand through his hair before he looked up and answered her. “I haven’t been with a woman since we started talking. Wait. Before you say anything to that, yes, that is a long time for me. And yes, there is always an opportunity for me to take a woman to bed. But since being around you, I haven’t even looked at another woman. I don’t want anyone else. I didn’t realize it until we kissed. And then we had the incident with Lord Tamely. When his hand was on you, all I could think was mine . I didn’t want anyone else to have you. I wanted you. I wanted to protect you. Want to protect you.”

“I don’t know what to say.” Joan’s heart flapped wildly in her chest, but still, she couldn’t say yes to him yet.

“I see hesitation. Tell me what’s stopping you.” The words were curious, but his tone was demanding. Desperate.

And she knew she needed to be honest. If nothing else, they had been honest with each other, good communicators for the most part. She shouldn’t hold back now. “You’re a rake,” she finally said and instantly regretted as she watched his face fall.

He held her hands in his, sincere eyes pleading with hers. “That part of my life is over. If we marry—when we marry—I’ll be faithful to you. You are the only woman for me.”

She knew it to be true. Even saying he was a rake now had felt wrong. She had seen anything but a rake over the last several days.

“I believe you James. I know you are loyal. You put your friends first in your life. I’ve seen it firsthand. I know you have a good heart.”

“Why are you not saying yes then?”

“And I need to tell you something that might change your mind about everything.” She shuffled her feet avoiding his eyes.

“Tell me,” he coaxed her. “You can tell me anything.”

With a deep sigh, Joan said, “I’ve been harboring a secret from you.”

She watched as his brows furrowed into deep creases and he clenched his jaw.

“What kind of secret?”

“It’s about the duke dare.”

“What’s the duke dare?”

Joan covered her face. “I’m so embarrassed. I don’t know if I can tell you.”

“Just tell me. It can’t be that bad.”

“It is…” the words sounded muffled through her fingertips.

Gently, James pried her fingers away from her face. “Tell me, Joan.”

“Promise you won’t hate me after I tell you. Even if you withdraw your proposal, just promise me we can still be friends.”

“Friends? Given how I feel about you, I’m not sure I’ll be able to do that—”

“Just promise me, please, James.”

He nodded. She wanted to press him for a verbalized promise, but considering the grim look on his face, the nod would have to suffice.

It was easier to say it quickly, so Joan let the words tumble out, “My sisters and I dared each other to pursue a duke this season.”

And then she waited.

“And?”

“And?” she mocked. “And I’m a terrible person for attempting to snare you into marriage based solely on the fact that you’re a duke. I mean, not that my sisters are terrible people. They’re wonderful. But they have noble intentions. Although I suppose I’ve heard it said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions…never mind that. This is about me. I’m a terrible person.”

James threw his head back and laughed.

“It’s not funny, James.”

He was doubled over now, holding his side.

Finally, he managed to say, “Joan, your innocence is delightful.”

“I can be wicked.” She wasn’t sure why she was advocating for that, but there it was, out in the universe. It was worth it because the gleam in his eye told her he was happy to hear it.

“Yes. I know.” He winked.

“Joan, darling,” her name plus the addition of the affectionate moniker sent a warm breath through her body. “Did you try to snare me?”

“Well, I guess not really.”

“That’s good to hear,” he said with a heady smile.

“I’ll have you know that if I was intending to snare you, I would have done an excellent job of it.”

“You know…come to think of it…without even trying, you did trap me more than once…the boat, the garden, the terrace. You’re a right venerable vixen.” James tapped his finger on his chin playfully. “And you did ensnare my heart…”

“I did?”

“Yes. That’s what I’ve been saying, Joan. I love you.”

“I thought perhaps you were just saying that to get me to marry you.”

James laughed. “First of all, yes, I am trying to get you to marry me. But that’s because I love you. Second of all, I would never just say those words. I’ve never even spoken those words aloud to anyone.”

“You haven’t?”

“Not a soul.”

“So it’s just me, then?”

“Yes. It’s just you, Joan. Only you.”

The heat she had been suppressing, the joy she had been tampering down, the hope she had neglected…she let it all out now. She threw her arms around James’s neck and let the tears fall.

“I love you, too, James.”

His hand rubbed her back in slow circles, as he whispered into her ear the question she was expecting him to ask, “Why do you love me?”

“I love you because you are caring. Brave. Strong. You are loyal. You have a strong moral compass. Don’t laugh. It’s true. You may have your own sense of right and wrong, but you have one. You can’t convince me otherwise.”

“I wouldn’t even try.”

“Good. Because I love you for who you are, James. I want—” she stopped herself, unsure of whether or not she should share her vision of the future with him.

“What is it? What do you want?” He pressed a soft kiss against her neck.

She let him kiss her a few more times until she cupped his face and held her forehead to his. With a whisper, she said, “I want to have children with you, James. I want to show them all the love in the world. You will make the most magnificent father. You will teach them to take chances. Find happiness.”

With the pad of her thumb, Joan brushed a small tear falling from the corner of James’s eye. “I want to have little Jameses running around.”

“And little Joans,” his raspy voice added.

She nodded. “Yes. Perhaps even several of them, all together. We will be the happiest family. Full of love and joy.”

James squeezed his eyes shut. “Yes. That’s what I want with you.”

“Show me you love me, James.” Joan leaned back on the grass, pulling his face down with her.

“I’ll show you every day, darling.”

“Show me, now.”

His eyes roamed her body, and her breasts heaved in response. She could feel her nipples hardening.

“I want it to be special, darling.”

“It is. We just confessed our love for one another. Please. Don’t just say it. Show me.”

The palm of his hand cupped her jaw. The other brushed a hair behind her ear.

“I cannot deny you what you want.”

“Never?”

“Never.” He rolled over and hovered over her, elbows on either side of her ears. His head ducked down, and he placed a chaste kiss on her jaw. Then the chasteness disappeared as he continued kissing her. Down her neck. Beneath her ear. Under her chin. Down her collarbone.

“Do you want me to show you how much I love every part of you?”

“Yes, James.” She panted, “Every part of me.”

He slipped a finger below the bodice of her dress.

“I can see your nipples are hard. Is that for me, darling?”

Pleasure ribboned through her from her core to her breasts. He was controlling her with hardly a touch. Her insides were no longer attentive to her. They listened only to his warm breath, his soft touch, and his words.

Should she be appalled at his crude language? Perhaps, but she was enthralled.

“Yes, it’s all for you, James.”

“Good. Then I’ll thank them for their attentiveness.” His tongue swept over her turgid nipple. She cried out.

“Be as loud as you want, Joan. There’s no one to hear us.” When he licked her nipple again, she moaned an inarticulate sound.

“I do love to make you feral, darling.”

“I’m not,” —a ragged breath clunked out of her— “feral.”

“I’ll have you calling my name and moaning sounds you never knew existed.” A soft pinch to her nipple. A swirl around the tip of her nipple. A suck. He pulled her breast into his mouth, gave a little bite. His hand was sliding up her dress, playing like a feather against her skin. Crossing over her knee, dancing along her thigh. Her inner thigh.

She was vibrating with need. With heat. Pulsating with desire. Ache.

Her moans were coming from all directions now.

“Do you like that?”

“All of it, James. All of it. I want you.” She was begging, but she didn’t even care. Her body was searching for some kind of release, and she knew he was capable of giving it to her. Guiding her to it and perhaps even more.

“You want me, darling? All of me? I’m quite big. Do you think you’ll be able to take all of me?”

“Yes,” she scream-whispered. “I’m taking all of you, James. I love every part of you.”

He unbuttoned his falls, and Joan tipped her head up to watch. She could see his arousal jutting out. He was large. She was completely unconvinced that she could take him inside of her, but she absolutely committed to having all of him.

Despite lying on grass, she felt as though she were swimming. That this wasn’t real. That what was about to happen couldn’t possibly be happening. He had been a notorious rake, and he was choosing her to spend the rest of his life with.

Women fought over men like this, and all she had done was be herself.

“Are you ready, Joan?”

She nodded, bracing herself for his entrance, and closed her eyes.

James tsked. “Open your eyes darling. Look at me. I want us to see each other’s pleasure.” As he was speaking, he slipped his finger into her.

“God, you’re so wet, Joan. For me.” He pulled his finger out of her and sucked on it. “Oh my God, you’re delicious. I need to taste more of you.”

Joan’s body was on fire. Her breasts arched to the sky as his tongue laved at her nub. She could feel his tongue thicken against her, warm tickles shot through her lips. More pleasure ached through her. Then his tongue narrowed and flicked at her pearl.

“James,” she shouted, flying off of the grass.

He hummed his elation. “That’s what I want to hear, darling.”

“James,” she whimpered, not knowing what to do with herself. She lowered herself back down and shot her hands into his hair.

“That’s right, hold me close. Where do you want me?”

“Just. Like. That.” Single-word sentences would have to do.

His hands plunged under her bottom, leveraging her closer to his mouth. His tongue thickened and pressed against her over and over and over.

“Yes. James. Yes!” She screamed. White hot pleasure ripped through her stealing all her strength. Her body went limp.

“Are you ready for me, Joan?”

“There’s more?”

James chuckled. “So much more. But just a bit more today.”

She fluttered her eyes open, staring at his cock where the tip was moist. “That’s a bit ?”

“It’s the perfect amount for you. If you’re ready.”

“Yes, James. I want you.”

He grabbed the base of his cock and pressed it against her entrance. The tip, where the moisture was, felt cold. But then she felt his heat. His solid heat.

She could feel him pushing into her. An inch.

He groaned and Joan felt her head loll to the side. He was perfection, and she was about to embrace him fully, in the most carnal way.

“More,” she pleaded.

“I’ll give it all to you, darling.” He pushed another inch, letting her body accommodate. She could feel his legs tremble and she knew it was taking all of his willpower to hold back.

“Now, James. I want it all. Don’t hold back any more. I love you.” This was the man she loved. That she would never stop loving. H er shoulders were large enough to carry many burdens. Protect her. And through it all he was resilient and willing to open up. She loved him for everything that he was, and she knew he loved her. This was true fullness.

He thrust into her to the hilt. She felt his body slam against hers. She cried out his name. Pure pleasure shot through every cell in her body.

“Yes, James. Again.”

With a grunt, he slammed into her.

“You’re so big, James. I can feel you everywhere inside of me.” She moaned at the pleasure pooling inside of her.

“God, Joan, I’ve never felt anything like this. You’re a goddess. Your pussy is magical. It was made for me. I need you.”

“Take me.” Thrust. “Take me.” Thrust. “Take me!” Thrust. She shouted.

Stars swirled around Joan’s head as a release tore her open.

James thrust one more time and grunted. His face shone the exact moment of his pleasure, and he was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her life. This was her life. Her future. Her love.

Joan turned to face him, half-lidded, she said, “In case it wasn’t clear, my answer to your proposal is yes.”