Page 115 of The Duke's Indecent Match

This time, they remained on their sides as he took her slowly, tenderly moving within her already well-used bottom, his cock sliding back and forth on the cum he’d already filled her with.He stroked her pussy, drawing little circles around her clit, until they tumbled over the finish line of ecstasy again.

Afterward, he rang for a bath.

All in all, it was one of the most enjoyable mornings he’d ever had, even if it had not gone quite as anticipated.He wished it could last forever, but of course, it could not.Eventually, they had to leave.

Face the real world.

He wanted to make his wife as happy as she made him… but in order to do that, he had to face—and forgive—the man who had wronged him so egregiously.

42

Nathanial

Arriving at the house the Littles had rented for the Season, Nathanial took a deep breath, tapping his cane against the stone walk beneath his feet.It was difficult not to feel a certain way about visiting his in-laws, especially without his wife as a buffer.

But it was necessary.

Just as he wanted Kalina to put him first, that meant putting her first as well.

And that meant finding a way to rub along with his father-in-law.

Taking another deep breath, he lifted his chin and went to knock on the front door.It took less than two minutes for him to be escorted inside to where Mr.Little was in the library.The older man stood as Nathanial was shown in.

Though Kalina resembled her mother far more than her father, there were some similarities between them, mostly in their movements.The way Mr.Little stood calmly waiting, the slight hint of worry in his brow.If Nathanial had not gotten to know his wife so well, he was not sure he would have caught the concern in Mr.Little’s expression.

“Your Grace.This is an unexpected honor.”Mr.Little gestured to the leather chair across from the one he’d been sitting in.“Would you like to sit down?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Mr.Little nodded at the butler, dismissing him.To the right of Mr.Little’s chair was a tray with a decanter and several snifters on it.

“Brandy?”

“Please.”It sure as hell could not hurt, and it might even help.

After pouring Nathanial a generous amount and handing it over, Mr.Little added a bit to his own snifter, which had not yet been finished.It was another sign of the other man’s nerves, which strangely helped Nathanial to feel more relaxed.Since the first day, he’d felt as though Mr.Little had no regrets and was completely self-assured in the correctness of his actions.To see him less than fully confident was strangely reassuring.

Nathanial took a sip of his brandy before speaking, as he was uncertain of where to begin.He’d had the entire walk over to think about it, and had not been able to come up with exactly what he might say.

Especially since part of him had expected Mr.Little to be blustery and defensive from the start, not nervously welcoming.

They sat in silence for a long moment.

“Well.I thought perhaps it was time for us to speak,” Nathanial said finally.“Man to man, as it were.”

Mr.Little nodded slowly.

“I suppose you want an explanation.”

“I would appreciate one.”He did not think the man would be able to explain things in such a manner that Nathanial would agree with the actions he’d taken, but he did want to know what had driven the man to act.

“I knew Kalina was aiming for a duke.Lady Astrid and Tiffany were clear about that and their support of her.We all understood your desire for your daughter to outrank your father and why.But considering Montagu’s interest in her at the house party… why me?Why resort to such a possibly ruinous tactic?What if I had not done the honorable thing?You risked everything you were working toward, everything Kalina had done for your goal.Why?”

The question came out more forcefully than he’d intended, and he found that he was angry not just on his behalf, but his wife’s.

She deserved more from her father.

Mr.Little studied Nathanial for another long moment, as though he was formulating his words, and Nathanial clenched his jaw against saying more.If he did not give the man the opportunity to speak, he would never get his answers.But it took some effort because he wanted to shout at the man.