Page 62 of Wedded to the Cruel Duke

Well, she wanted that almost as much as she wanted him to kiss her once more.

“Fortunately, we managed to find each other,” she told him simply.

“Fortunately.” He walked over to her and reached for her hand. He led her to the small chaise by the hearth and raised an eyebrow when he saw that it was already occupied.

It was only then that she realized that Whiteson was still quite comfortably curled up in the pillows.

“I did not have the heart to leave him out in the rain,” she admitted, biting on her lower lip. “He looked so miserable when I came out to feed him earlier.”

“You have been feeding him?” he asked her, surprise written over his handsome features.

She nodded. “Every single day.”

“Well, no wonder he has gotten so humongous,” Charles muttered, pulling her to sit beside him on the sofa while carefully avoiding Whiteson.

Phoebe looked up at him. “What do you mean?”

“I meant,” he enunciated, “that I have been feeding him every single day as well.”

“You… have?”

“Well, he would not have gotten so plump from catching mice all day, my dear.”

At that point, she could not help but burst out in laughter, drawing an incensed glare from the feline on her chaise.

“You are right!” she agreed, laughing heartily still. “He is looking rather like a stuffed pillow right now!”

She found herself leaning into her husband as his arm draped over her shoulders. It felt like the most natural thing in the world.

“Can I keep him, then?”

“Who?”

“Whiteson,” she looked up at him hopefully. “With the downpour and everything, I must admit that I am loath to let him go. And look at him! He looks to have adapted rather well, don’t you think?”

Charles regarded the feline thoughtfully for a moment, before saying, “You are an awfully fortunate creature that you have found a powerful benefactor.”

Warmth bloomed in her chest at his words. “I am not powerful. Not at all.”

“If you can make me do things that I have never before considered doing,” he told her huskily, “…then, there are many who would say that you are extremely powerful…”

She flushed and shyly raised her eyes at him. “And what if I ask you to kiss me? Like the way you did—”

Before she could finish, his lips crashed into hers, claiming her with an urgency that took her breath away. His hand tangled in her hair, holding her close as his mouth devoured hers. Phoebe melted into the kiss, the heat of his body pressing against her, but she didn’t have time to catch her breath before his hands were moving again, this time with a boldness that made her heart race.

Charles’ fingers trailed down her back, then deftly found the buttons of her gown. The sound of the fabric parting filled the room as he slowly undid each one, his fingers grazing her skin, sending shivers down her spine. He slipped the materialdown over her shoulders, revealing the thin chemise beneath. His hands didn’t stop there; they roved over the sheer fabric, molding to the curves of her body.

“Charles…” she breathed, her voice a mix of anticipation and a warning she wasn’t entirely sure she meant.

His lips left hers, trailing down her jaw to the delicate skin of her throat. “Tell me to stop,” he murmured against her there, his voice dark and low.

“Ooh,” she gasped as his hands slipped beneath the thin fabric of her chemise, one hand splaying over her bare back while the other found the soft curve of her breast. The sensation was electrifying and her body arched to his touch.

“Shall I stop?” he murmured. His tone was almost teasing as his thumb brushed over the hardened peak of her nipple, eliciting another breathless moan from her.

“Don’t you dare,” Phoebe whispered, surprising herself with the boldness of her own words.

He chuckled softly as his fingers tugged at her chemise, pulling it down further until her breasts were bare before him. He lowered his mouth to the exposed swell of her breasts, kissing her with a tenderness that belied the hunger in his touch. The sensation of the cool air against her heated skin only heightened the intensity of the moment. Every nerve in her body was alive with anticipation.