Page 8 of A Slumber for a Duke

He rubbed his thumb across her thick lips, pressing gently to encourage the bewitching color to return. He cupped her neck and throat, which had produced such heavenly sounds. Gently, he massaged her exposed skin, thinking only to wake her.

Chapter 6

ROSECOULDFEELTHEwarm hands running up and down the various parts of her body, but her mind wouldn’t wake up. Her limbs weighed heavily at her sides, numb to any commands she tried to give them. It was as if she were wrapped in a cocoon with no escape, needing only time to expire. Her skin prickled as if her cocoon were tucked deeply away in a thorn hedge.

Shivers chased the warming hands up her spine and down her thighs, through her calves, and out her toes. Yet her body couldn’t get warm. It felt like an ice cube in her still damp shift.

After what felt like a hundred years, she felt a soft brush against her cheek, and words sounding like, “Don’t be afraid. I’ve got you. I’ll get you warm again.”

Words finally tumbled out of her mouth, “Take it off.” She was lying on the mattress, and she found that she could move her limbs, so she rolled onto her side and drew her legs into her chest.

“Leave it on, Rose. You need to keep warm.”

“I’m c-c-cold.” Her lips trembled. And she grappled with the damp fabric.

“It’s keeping you warm.”

“It’s wet.”

Rose felt the hesitation of the hands that had been rubbing her body. “I think you should leave it on, Rose.”

“Please,” Rose pushed a palm on the mattress but was too weak to push herself up. “Help me get warm.”

The hands that had been rubbing her, pulled her to a sitting position, and she rested her forehead against a vaguely familiar chest. The smell of mint and honey filled her nose again. After a sigh, he inched his fingers down to the hem of her shift and slowly tugged it out from under her bottom, then gradually over her head.

Her breath caught as she felt his protective hand on her back. Only one other man had touched her skin there, but it had never felt like this. It was as if a burning fiery shield had been placed at her back. Goodness. Nothing could harm her.

Her forehead bounced against his chest as she noticed his quickened breaths.

He must feel something too. She thought that perhaps only she had been life-shatterringly changed in their dance. That’s why she had felt compelled to leave. She couldn’t wait for him to reject her, or feel only half of what she had felt. Half wouldn’t be enough.

But the coldness prevailed. “J-j-Andrew, please, warm me up.” She pushed her fingers up to his neck, searching for the heat directly emitted from his skin. Air rushed out of him and into her hair as her fingers tickled his neck.

“You’re freezing.”

“You’re so warm. Here.” She knew it sounded wicked. And it was part wickedness and part sheer survival mode for her to grasp at more of his exposed skin. “And here. You’re warm here too.” One of her fingers found a way to go up his cuff. “I need more. Your skin is so warm.”

“I’m just doing this so you don’t freeze to death.”

Rose furrowed her brow, unable to completely hide her disappointment.

“Don’t think anything more of it, please.”

“I w-w-won’t. I’m the one asking you, you know?”

“Yes.” Andrew released the word on a long breath. “I know.”

Withdrawing from her hold, Rose whimpered at the loss of heat. He stood up and pulled at his cravat. Then his waistcoat.

She should turn away. She should look at her knobby knees, numb toes, or anything but…that. His bare chest where hairs curled and danced and traveled south. Oh, so far south. She shouldn’t look. That’s not what this moment was about. Yet, it was. Or it could be.

His hairs tempted her by disappearing under his breeches, and for a second she knew he was doing the right thing by keeping them on.

But then they dropped a bit, catching on his thick thighs. With a final tug, they slid down to the floor. There he stood, in Corinthian glory, in only his smallclothes. Her body was screaming at her in more ways than one to grab him and never let go. Forget just one dance. Take as many as possible.

Andrew cleared his throat. “Let’s get you warm.” Moving with great care, he eased himself onto the bed. Fully outstretched, he wrapped his arms around her waist and gently pulled her backside to his front so that he was curled around her.

She couldn’t help releasing a moan at the skin to skin contact that enveloped her, but she wanted more. She placed her forearms on his so that every possible inch was connected to him. His breath was warm at the back of her neck; gentleness exhaling and protectiveness inhaling against her. She shuffled her bottom to be closer to him. And then it was Andrew’s turn to groan.

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