Page 57 of A Gamble with the Rakish Duke
“Now what?” she asked teasingly as she lay on the sofa, naked as the day she was born.
“I can’t make love to you when you are uncertain about the way forward,” he said, looking grave even as he undressed in front of her.
She bit her lip.
Her husband did not know it, but she liked looking at him. Every part of him. His beauty often distracted her from her problems, and she appreciated it.
“There may be things I am not certain about. But when it comes to this, I am certain,” she assured him, spreading her legs for him.
It was only then that he joined her. Their kisses were passionate, filled with something that had not been there before. Alexandra was certain of it as she tasted his lips and clung to his muscular body.
When Oliver entered her, there was something more. As if their souls had merged. With each thrust, he’d somehow reach a place he had not before, heightening her pleasure.
“Oliver…” She moaned his name as if it was a prayer.
“Yes, darling?” he asked, not stopping.
He dipped his head to lick her nipple as he waited for her response. Then, he focused on driving them both to the edge of madness. His grip on her hips was firm enough to bruise, but she did not care.
“Just be with me,” she whispered hoarsely.
He stayed with her, pounding into her with urgency as he sought his pleasure and hers. They had mastered this dance, clutching at each other as if they did not want the other to disappear. He even continued thrusting into her after they shuddered with their release.
In the aftermath, he rested his head on her chest. Alexandra ran her fingers through his hair, loving the feel of his skin on hers. Their heartbeats created a symphony, one she had been trying to ignore.
Finally, Oliver lifted his head, gazing down at her.
“Alexandra…” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion.
It was as if he was about to tell her something, perhaps something she was not quite prepared for.
So, before he could say anything more, she placed a finger on his lips, silencing him.
“Shh… not now,” she whispered, her eyes sparkling with a mix of relief and contentment. “Not now…”
When his eyes had closed and slumber had taken over, Alexandra wondered if she should have just let him talk.
The following morning, deliciously aching after their lovemaking, Alexandra woke up with a few realizations.
One, she called the intimate actlovemaking.
Two, she could not imagine returning to the countryside without Oliver.
Three, she?—
She stopped there. She did not want to say the words because that would make everything real.Painfullyreal.
She stood up completely naked, admiring her husband’s equally naked body on the sofa. An embroidered pillow covered his manhood, which made her giggle.
He was hers. She could no longer imagine a reality without him in it, and that made her throat constrict. A sob threatened to burst out, and she clapped a hand over her mouth.
What was happening to her? One moment, she was in the throes of passion. The following morning, she was happy and sated. Then, she was distraught all over again.
“A good morning to a beautiful woman,” Oliver said, his husky voice making her blush. “Stay like that for the day. Do not look for a gown to cover yourself.”
“And what will happen when we have guests?” she teased. “What about the servants? Do I show myself to them? See if they approve?”
He sighed as if he truly contemplated having her naked the whole day. Then, he rose from the sofa, took her gown from last night, and helped her into it. Slowly. Tenderly.
