Page 22 of Her Beastly Duke
He was taken aback when she lowered her rapier and laughed heartily. She raised a brow. “We are at war then,” she said.
“Only as far as the overwhelming need to protect my interests. I may employ a bit of sabotage if necessary.”
“I see.”
The corner of his mouth lifted in a smile. “It is all fair game.”
“As your opponent, I have no reason to comply withyourmoral standards.”
“War, you said. I would have you remember that not all wars are won. Sometimes, one side just suffers greater losses.”
“Well said—"
Briar lunged forward, but instead of one attack, she made a series of movements, trying to get the better of him. Julius was expecting, and he was parried, but she was much quicker than he anticipated. She countered him when he feigned inside and then attacked from the outside. She thrust, and he parried until he heard her ragged breathing. Back and forth they went as the heat rose through his body. Briar was playing to win, and she remained focused, but Julius’s mind wandered. Her agility made him curious about what it would be like to … Briar moved forward, and Julius stepped back, almost losing his footing.
She was, without question, a formidable adversary. Her grace and poise did not go unnoticed. Briar had more skill, speed and power than most of the others he had fenced with. He came into this game thinking he would win, and it was a foregone conclusion. He was wrong. She was determined, knew what shewanted, and she was going after it. It was refreshing … and alluring.
He really liked her. Damn. Such a pity she was not—
“I am far more than you expected. Am I not?”
Julius grinned. “In more ways than one.” He needed to focus on the game, but she kept intruding on his thoughts. This was not a usual occurrence when he played.
Enthusiasm settled in his stomach and he was enjoying the movement. The game was exhilarating, and it lifted his mood. Briar quickly thrust with three motions of the wrist, her arms straight, reaching toward Julius’s chest as she stepped forward. She lifted the rapier in line with her temple to prevent a counter thrust before she recovered to the guard, the rapier in a straight line toward him. It was a strong move that was well executed, and Julius could not have done it better himself.
He made no move and patiently waited. Briar attacked, and Julius parried. She thrust again, this time from inside to the outside of his rapier, but he effortlessly flicked it away.
A thin glow of perspiration misted her forehead. Julius could imagine its salty taste. Her breath came in short gasps.
“Are you tired?”
A smile flashed, and her eyes twinkled. “Perhaps I should ask you. Do you wish to concede?”
“I pay homage to your skills, Briar, but I am not ready to concede defeat.”
Julius attacked, and their rapiers tangled again. They engaged with carte, the points downward. Briar lunged backward, and Julius plunged his rapier under her elbow to her flank, turning his wrist upward to create an angle from the wrist to the point of his sword. He dropped his left hand under his right to avoid being hit as he thrust, although Briar parried him again.
Bloody hell!
Brows furrowed, he wondered why his signature maneuver did not have the desired effect. It served him well in the past, and he never imagined it would not work. It was time for him to bring the game to a close, so he decided to step up the intensity. They went back and forth until he found the opening he needed to attack and counter in quick, strong movements, yet so did she. Unlike their first game in the library, now they were both aggressors, and he seemed to be getting the short end of it.
They were both sweating and panting hard. He was enlivened in a way that he had never experienced while fencing. There was a tightening in his breeches. He was aroused. Briar took advantage of his distractions, and with a few quick moves, she stepped forward and had the rapier at his chest. When she lowered the weapon, he retrieved it and placed them both in the sheath.
She stood in the same position, waiting for her breathing to recover. Julius closed the gap between them. He leaned in and kissed her forehead, hot and salty yet sweet. He took a step back and gazed at her, certain her lips trembled. He could feel the tension between them. Unmistakable. He wanted this woman who looked at him as if he was the only man in the world. Her breathing was shallow, her eyes bright, her cheeks flushed, and her round breasts were straining against the fabric of her yellow dress. He wanted to ravish her lips, but for a moment, he remained transfixed.
Briar reached up and gently stroked his scar, her eyes never leaving his. Her soft hands made him forget that he had ever felt pain when cold steel sliced into his flesh. Her fingers were soft and silky, and they gently threaded the full length of the damaged flesh. She did not pull away from him, and there was no look of disgust. He looked into her eyes, dark and cloudy. He recognized it instantly. Desire. She wanted him to kiss her just as much as he wanted to do it. The realization caused his heart toskip, then beat far too rapidly, falling out of its usual rhythm. He need not have been concerned she would turn away from him if he tried to kiss her.
He should not, must not. He was powerless.
Julius’s head moved toward her, and Briar instinctively tilted her chin to meet him. He stopped breathing when his lips touched hers, a supple, tender caress. She did not open to let him in, and he licked her lips, immediately thrusting his tongue inside when she made a small gasp at the sensation. He ached for her. A low growl rumbled in his chest, echoing his hunger. He just could not be gentle any longer. Deep inside, something powerful was pulling him along, and when he heard her soft mewl, he lost the last fragment of restraint, the last thing holding him together. Julius pulled her into his arms and crushed her against him as he drank in her taste.
He was leading, but by God, did she follow.
Her hand moved from his face to the back of his neck, gliding through his hair, drawing him close. Julius traced her lips with his tongue before he sucked on her bottom lip, sighing his pleasure. Everything in his world collapsed around him. It all fell away, and there was only Briar. He moved his mouth along her cheekbone, down to her jaw, before he nuzzled her neck.
“You taste so damned good.” He hoarsely whispered.
A soft gasp escaped her as her hand tangled and pulled his hair. He took a deep breath … pure pleasure, and he found her mouth again, unable to get enough. His hunger drove him, a hunger he did not know he possessed. He must stop lest it devour him.
