Page 115 of A Duke in the Rough

He spun back to Simon, who grinned like a fool.

Simon leaned in, lifting a finger and keeping his voice low. “A few words of advice. Kiss and touch her?—”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Simon narrowed his eyes. “I wasn’t finished. Everywhere. Don’t rush, although God knows you’ll want to. Make it about her.” He winked. “And do try to keep it down. Some of us are actually trying to sleep.” With that, he strolled back to his room, a soft chuckle following in his wake.

Relieved to hear the soft click announcing that Simon was safelysequestered back in his room, Drake closed his own door. He resisted the urge to bang his head against it and instead leaned his forehead against the cool wood and sighed. Not quite how he envisioned his first time with Honoria.

His body warred with his conscience. What if it had been anyone other than Simon who had heard them? How could he do that to her?

“Drake?”

At the sound of Honoria’s sweet voice, he reconsidered her wild idea. He steeled himself for a night of disappointment, preparing to tell her to return to her room.

Until he turned. The thought flew from his mind, and his heart stopped, rising up into his throat at the sight of her spread like a feast upon his bed. And truly, he was a starving man. When had she . . . ?

She propped herself on her elbows. “Burwood?”

What?He shook his head to clear it. “I’m sorry?”

“At the door. It sounded like Burwood.” Her nightdress had slipped down one shoulder, exposing creamy skin. He’d seen her shoulders before. That very evening, in fact, thanks to her provocatively low-cut ballgown. But somehow, the sight of her on his bed was very different.

Drake’s tongue clung to the roof of his mouth, and he could only nod. The weight of Simon’s words slammed into him.Don’t rush.And the man was right about one thing; Drake wanted to. Years of pent up longing and desire battered his willpower, like an enemy army laying siege to a fortress. The only thing that would stop him was Honoria.

But Simon’s other words seeped through Drake’s lust-fogged brain.Kiss and touch her.As if he didn’t know that—want to do that already.Everywhere.

Careful not to trip and fall, making a fool of himself again, Drake bunched the linens in his hands. Lifting them from the floor, he stalked toward the bed.

Every muscle in his body tightened. Exhilaration? Fear? Both? A low growl formed in the back of his throat, and Honoria’s eyes widened.

The last thing he wanted to do was scare her. He was terrified enough for the both of them.

Control yourself, man!

He eased onto the bed beside her, willing—what he hoped was—a reassuring smile to his lips.

He cleared his tight throat. “Now. I suggest we begin with kissing.”

The furious poundingof Honoria’s heart as she’d crept toward Drake’s room earlier paled in comparison to the explosions occurring in her chest at that moment. She feared her heart would burst right out from her ribcage.

“Yes,” she choked out. “Kissing sounds wonderful.”

Gently stroking his knuckles against her cheek, he smiled. “We’ll learn this together. But I need you to do something for me.”

“W-what?”

“Relax. And tell me what you like or don’t like.”

“I like kissing.”

His eyes grew hooded as he leaned over her. “Good. So do I.” Moving his hand to the back of her head, he pressed his lips against hers.

She didn’t know what to do with her hands, so she slipped them around his shoulders. His bare skin against her fingers intoxicated her. Muscles rippled and bunched under her hands as he shifted his arms and propped himself on his elbows above her.

A smattering of hair dusted his chest, and her fingers itched to see if it was soft or wiry.

“You can touch me anywhere you like,” he whispered, his breath brushing against her lips.

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