Page 29

“You were not supposed to come here, mouse.”

Beatrice smelled whisky and leather, the aroma wrapped itself around her and pulled her into him.

“Yet here I am.” Her own voice sounded husky and foreign to her own ears. She liked the way she sounded.

“You do not know what you’re asking for.” He took the slightest step forward, their toes touched.

“I’m asking for a Duke to follow through on his word. What is a Duke worth if not his word?”

A small devilish smile formed on Graham’s lips. “You are a cheeky little thing, aren’t you?”

Beatrice tilted her head as she kept his gaze. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips. She watched as his eyes dropped to track the movement.

She leaned into him.

“What are you going to do about it?”

The Duke’s eyes flashed right before his lips crashed down on hers. Her hands instinctively went to his hair. Graham’s hands reached around and cupped her bottom, pulling her up his body.

Throwing caution to the wind, she wrapped her legs around him. He groan of approval rumbled into her mouth, sending shockwaves through her body.

Graham carried her to the sofa and sat. He reclined back in the soda causing the top half of her to lean onto his lean chest. Her legs settled on either side of his lap as they continued the kiss.

She shifted to loosen some of her skirt that was caught underneath him.

She felt the growing length beneath her she gasped.

At her reaction Graham pushed up against her causing Beatrice to moan into his mouth. His brought one hand up to guide her head to the perfect angle as his tongue warred with hers.

She could never control her hands when she was with him. She never felt like she had enough of him. Her mind whirled at the opportunity that was literally sitting underneath her.

Graham pulled her head away and looked up to her. His eyes were wide, his lips were swollen and his hair was tousled. Her throat and lips suddenly went dry. It should be illegal to look that good.

“What is it?” Her words were whispers between them.

Graham sat up with her still on his lap. He brushed a hand over her cheeks, his eyes searching hers. But for what?

He held her head ever so softly, titling it. He brought her head down to his for a tender kiss.

Beatrice jolted within his grasp. She pushed her tongue into his mouth, wanting the fight, the emotion, the push and pull she had grown accustomed to.

He pulled his head back and slowly shook his head ’no.’

Her eyebrows furrowed as he brought her back for another tender kiss. Her emotions were spinning out of control. She had expected rough, she had expected danger. She did not expect intimacy.

This time it was Beatrice that pulled away. She studied his eyes, trying to dissect the man in front of her. Graham was confident, arrogant, opinionated, and formidable. But the man before her was soft, kind, passionate. He was the man from the tavern.

Her heart thudded against her chest. She did not give the Duke enough credit. There were more layers to him than he allowed anyone to see. Anyone except her.

A tear formed in her eye. He raised a long finger and brought it to the corner of her eye to catch it before it fell.

Her breath caught in her throat as she leaned against him and kissed him. He brought his hands around her back and pulled her closer. His hips pushed up against her, this time it was his own delicious moan that filled the air.

Instinct had her slowly moving her hips back and forth. His grasp tightened around her. Pride bloomed within her. With every variation she made, he countered and together they created a movement that grew from subtle movements back to the frantic motions that begged for something more.

Graham’s lips were on her throat as she threw her head back in bliss. When she brought her head back down her eyes landed on the book he was reading and she had a thought.

She brought up her hands to his head to stop his kisses. She peered into Graham’s eyes, past his different layers, and saw a glimpse of what this man could be to her.

Overcome with emotion she laid a soft kiss on his lips. His eyebrows quirked up as she pulled her skirt out from underneath her, allowing her to shift backwards on his lap.

She leaned forward and placed several kisses on his neck. Graham’s eyes closed as he rested his head on the back of the sofa. A slight smile appeared on his lips. Those luscious lips. She kissed them one more time before kissing down his neck and onto his collarbone.

Graham hissed and raised his hips against her.

Liquid heat began to pool in her core and it fueled her movements.

She didn’t let the notion she had no clue as to what she was about to do stop her.

She was just basing her movements off of what he did to her that night in the opera box and threw her luck to chance that that was something that could be reciprocated.

She pushed further back, letting her legs slip off the sofa. She lowered herself to a kneeling position in front of him when his eyes flew open.

He jerked up with his hands on his belt.

“What are you doing?” His eyes widened as his breath caught in his throat.

Seeing the surprise cross his face, emboldened Beatrice’s ministrations. He was always one step ahead of her that to be able to give him pause made her feel victorious.

“Repaying the favor, Your Grace. I can say I will never be able to witness another Opera without the memories of your mouth of me.”

Graham slowly closed his eyes as he laid his back to rest of the sofa. Beatrice’s fingers lightly swept along the waist of his pants causing goosebumps to erupt across his lean stomach. He shifted under her touch, his muscling quivering underneath her touch.

Beatrice licked her lips as she moved her fingertips just underneath his waistband.

Graham’s eyes flew open and his hand slammed down onto hers.

“Stop. You mustn’t do this.”

Beatrice looked up to him with a raised brow. “But I want to. You did it for me, I want to do the same for you.”

Graham’s pliable body had gone rigid underneath her fingers.

She searched his eyes as her heart dropped.

“Oh God. Is this something that women do not perform?” Embarrassment didn’t just wash over her, it crashed into her, it annihilated her, it broke her.

She scurried to her feet, her hands covering her face.

“I am so sorry. We were kissing and I saw the book, which reminded me of the opera scene, which reminded me of where you… um, kissed me and I thought perhaps I could do the same for you.”

Beatrice separated two of her fingers allowing her eye to peak through. Graham stood motionless, his face of mixture of confusion and something else Beatrice couldn’t quite put her finger on. Regardless, she had a feeling she wouldn’t like it if she could name it.

“No.”

Beatrice groaned into her hands and backed up.

She felt Graham’s hands land roughly on her shoulders. “No. I mean, yes, that is something that is done. No, you are not doing it.”

It took a moment for Graham’s words to sink in.

“Did I offend you?” Her voice cracked.

Graham lowered his knees to look in her eyes. “You did not offend me.”

She found some comfort in his words and lowered her hands. She pushed out a breath when she something he said caught up with her.

“Wait. If it’s something that is done, why can’t I do it? You did it for me.”

Graham dropped his hands from her shoulders, before rubbing his face with them. Frustration colored his features.

“What I did was different. You don’t need to do that.” He sighed. He suddenly sounded exhausted, which annoyed Beatrice to no end. She hated being treated like an unruly child.

“Last I checked I wasn’t if I should. I understand that in my inexperience I may have fumbled a bit, but you have to admit I am a fast learner, you said so yourself.”

Graham fought a smile which relaxed some of the tension throbbing within Beatrice.

She took a step closer, testing her limits. “I was always an eager student.” She ran a finger up his chest.

His hand grabbed her finger and removed it.

“No.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I don’t understand. Do you not like that?”

Graham barked out a laugh. “No. I enjoy it very much. But…” his words drifted off.

“Not from me.” She finished for him.

His eyes softened and he reached out. Beatrice threw off his advance and took a step back.

She bit her inner cheek to stop tears from falling. She had given this man too much of herself to grant him the honor of seeing her broken by his words.

She squeezed her eyes shut and groaned. “And to think I thought there was more to you than the show you put on for other people.”

Graham dropped his eyes.

Good. He should feel ashamed.

“You are what they say. Mean. Unruly. Dangerous. A caution to women.”

Graham lifted his head and stood taller. She watched as he stood motionless, only his throat moved with his swallow.

She shook her head once. “Consider yourself let go from our arrangement.”

Beatrice thought he took a step forward but she had already turned quickly to run from the room. Without thinking, her body carried her down the back hallway steps and out the door she came through. She had no idea if anyone was there, if anyone saw her. She no longer cared.

If she was caught then she would cement her future as a spinster. She could survive the pain a scandal caused. She swiped at the tears that fell as she ran all the way home. She was doubtful anything could top the pain she was feeling right now.