Page 82 of Duke

I’M JUST LIKE HER; a wanton with a sex drive that rivals any man’s. It’s a good thing there’s no one else for miles, because my body hums with some frequency that wasn’t there before.

It crackles over my skin, lights my eyes and… holy shit; my reflection in the mirror. My body is a roadmap of marks left by Duke’s touch. Nips from his teeth, chafes from where his beard scratched my soft skin. And worst of all—are the marks he left that you can’t see like the slight burn between my thighs.

My butt still feels full, from where he pleasured me in ways I never knew I wanted. Squatting to pee, I wince; feeling both the afterburn mixed with a deep satisfaction of being claimed and mated with a man of Duke’s caliber. Even a lukewarm shower and spraying myself with ice cold water down there only relieved the sting for a few minutes. Caught up in the moment the pleasure and pain was a high, now I’m just wrung out.

The skin between my thighs is raw. The man was an animal. He loved me like a man consumed by lust. I couldn’t get enough. If it weren’t my first few times—damn I would want him ramming up in me all night, not stopping. Hell, I’ll buy him the Viagra myself. Not that he’ll need it. My man, my stud, my love, my everything. I can’t believe this is happening; that we’re finally together. I don’t know what came over me. Why I pushed him past his limit, bringing up Spence. I guess a small, selfish part of me wanted to hurt him for putting me through so much shit. Even if he couldn’t control all of it.

“Shanna?” He knocks softly on the door, “You okay baby girl?”

“Hey,” I open the door meeting his dark eyes burning with concern.

“Come here.” He tugs my hand and leads me down the hall into the great room where a large fire blazes in the hearth.

“This place is beautiful. Where are we?”

“At the base of Saddle Mountain I bought this place a few years back when I needed solitude, sometimes the crowds get to me.” He leads me to a blanket laid out in front of the fire.

“Sit. We need to talk.”

“I know,” I sigh letting the warmth of the flames ease my nerves.

He takes a brush and starts combing through my wet strands. His touch is gentle and slow. I look at him over one shoulder, “Take off your shirt.”

He quirks an eyebrow but does what I ask.

“That’s better,” I murmur resting my head back against his cut abs. He resumes sliding the brush through my damp hair. I sense whatever he wants to say is heavy. He’s hesitating, searching for the right words.

“I’m okay. Last night was a lot. I saw a lot of crazy shit growing up in the MC… ”

“Bullshit. You’re not okay. You could’ve died last night.”

“But I didn’t. He did.”

“Fuck. I should’ve been there!” He growls throwing the brush down.

“I’m fine. I handled it.” I turn in his arms. He’s trembling. Shaking. “Shush, baby. I’m right here. Nothing happened to me.” My arms stroke down his back. He needs more comfort than I do and I’m the one who stabbed a man. I hold him tight, feeling his rapid heartbeat and shaky breath.

“Duke?”

“You don’t understand.”

“We were so close to not happening, cherry.”

“Like ever?”

“Don’t be pissed at me baby.”

I pull back, looking him in the eyes, afraid of what I don’t know.

“Please tell me you didn’t keep something important from me. You know how much I hate that shit. I spilled my heart out to you; telling you everything that Pops and Meat have done to piss me off over the years. And they still treat me like I’m twelve.”

“Ah, fuck. I had to baby. It was too twisted, even for an old bastard like me. Your mom and my dad had an affair.

“I know. Pops told me a while ago when he told me he was in love with your aunt.”

“Yea, but when she got pregnant with you—she couldn’t be sure who the father was. It was in her journals. I ripped the pages out before you found them.”

“I want them back.”

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