Page 60 of A Bride for the Cruel Duke

And this time, she believed him fully.

* * *

They climbed into the carriage together, this time sitting beside one another rather than across. Anthony had held her hand as he had led her back through the street, and Caroline hadn’t even thought to deny him. As for sitting so close, so that she was almost on top of him? Again, Caroline hadn’t given it a second thought. It simply felt right to do.

“Did you enjoy tonight?” Anthony asked once the carriage started forward.

“I think you know that I did.”

He was smiling. So strange for him, but a commonality across tonight. “I assumed as much. But it’s still nice to hear.”

She snorted. “Perhaps I should have been more obvious.”

“It would not have hurt.”

She looked at him with a flat expression, one that was meant to be dismissive of his comment. Humorous also, as she could tell that he was joking. However, she found that the time for such things didn’t quite suit, because despite the jokes and the humor, she truly was that grateful for all he had done.

More than that, Caroline wanted to show him how grateful she was. Earlier, she had been worried about the notion of sleeping with Anthony too soon. And not because of what he might do, but because of how she might behave. That she would enjoy it. That she would want more. That she would become obsessed in ways that Anthony could not possibly match, forcing his hand and pushing him away as she so feared would happen in the first place.

Not anymore.

He cares for me. I can see that now. And I know that because of this, no matter what I do or where this night leads, that will not change. So, why do I keep on fighting it? What is even the point?

“Thank you again,” she said.

Anthony smiled at her. “Anything, Caroline. Despite what you might think of me, I want you to know—” And she was on him.

She reached up and took his chin in her hand, turned his face, and moved her lips to meet his. Anthony’s eyes went wide in surprise, but he was quick to succumb as he leaned in and kissed her fully on the lips. A growl emitted from his throat. His body turned rigid, and he moved forward quickly. And what started as a kiss... predictably, soon devolved into so much more.

Which was the plan, if I am to be perfectly honest.

Anthony wasted no time in taking control of the moment. As they kissed with passion, he moved his arm around her, scooped it under her leg, and then lifted her onto his lap so that she was straddling him. Her legs spread and she sank down, and his hands then took her face and held it as he continued to devour her lips and mouth and face.

From there, one of his hands found the back of her neck and grabbed it. The other was around her throat once more. He growled again, turned her head away as he began to kiss and suck her neck as she started to move her hips for no other reason than it felt so good to do so.

His hand at her throat moved down to her waist. Then it cupped her breast, and she heard him moan. He grabbed at the front of her gown, held on tight, and with a mighty roar he ripped it open as if it was paper. Her breasts spilled out and Anthony buried his face in them.

Caroline leaned back, her eyes shut, as Anthony’s lips found her right nipple, and then her left. He moved between them, sucking and licking and nibbling. They turned hard in his mouth. There was pain... but it rolled through her body as pleasure. She moaned, letting him hear and feel what he was doing to her.

His hands then found her buttocks. He pulled her forward, helping her hips to grind as he squeezed. Again, they started to kiss; a messy thing, lips mashing, tongues wrestling, saliva dripping down their chins.

“Caroline…” Anthony pulled away slightly as she kissed down his neck. “I do not know if we should…”

“Should what?” She continued to kiss him.

“Is it not too soon?”

“Too soon? It is too late, by my count.”

Anthony pulled back further and looked at her. There was confusion in his eyes, a sense that he wasn’t sure if he believed her or not.Oh no…Had she gone too far? Had she misread the situation entirely? For a second, she worried that she had…

That was when his eyes hardened, and she saw the hunger behind them. Determination as a decision was made. One that she knew was perfectly in line with her own. Anthony moved quickly, lifting her effortlessly and flipping her onto the seat with her legs in the air. Then, just as quickly, Anthony slid down from the seat and crouched between those legs so that they were on his shoulders. Her eyes were wide, and she opened her mouth to speak.

“We had a deal,” he said to her, a smirk on his lip as his hands began to stroke her thighs above her dress. He gripped them, squeezing… “A promise. Are you trying to break it?”

“I…” She wasn’t sure what to say.

He smirked as he held her eyes, his hands moving up the skirt of her dress, pushing it down her thighs and exposing them. “I told you, I wished to court you, did I not? Five chances to prove that I am not what you think.”

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