Page 74 of From Duke Till Dawn
Alex pulled back suddenly, then hauled her to standing. In moments, he stripped her to nakedness. They discarded the last of his clothing, until they were both nude and panting beside the bed.
He gripped her arms as he pulled her against him, kissing her savagely, deeply.
They separated, long enough for her to lie back on the bed. He positioned her so that her hips were at the edge of the mattress, and he held her legs. Her breath caught as he stood between her legs, positioning himself at her entrance.
He thrust into her.
She gasped, flinging her arms wide to clutch at the counterpane. Much as she wanted to lose herself in sensation, she kept her eyes open as he moved, stroking in and out of her. The firelight shone on his chest and the flexing muscles of his arms, highlighting the movement of his shoulders as he drove into her. At first, he went slow, taking each plunge with deliberation. Then his movements grew faster.
Primed already, the need for release rose within her. She moaned in demand.
He moved quickly, manipulating her so that she lay fully on the bed. Like a beast, he crawled over her, and like an animal claiming her mate, she wrapped her legs around his waist. He braced himself on his elbows as he slid into her waiting, willing body. They cried out in unison.
“Now you tell me what you want,” he ground out. “Tell me you want me to fuck you.”
“Fuck me, Alex.” She could barely speak.
“Like this?” He thrust hard into her.
“Yes.” She moaned.
“You want my cock?” He thrust again.
“God, please!”
“As my lady wishes.” He began to fuck her, just as she’d demanded. Steadily and fiercely. Each thick stroke was felt everywhere. There was no part of her untouched.
Yet it wasn’t enough. She needed everything. Her release danced just out of reach. She made a small sound of frustration.
“You need more,” he rumbled.
And then he spun them around so he was on his back and she straddled him. He gripped her hips and stared up at her, the tendons in his neck standing out, his jaw sharp.
“Take what you want.” He thrust up and heat spiraled through her.
She braced her hands on his chest and began to ride him. Her clit rubbed against the base of his cock, he was deep within her, and she never knew anything this perfect. It was consuming and humbling and miraculous, and she threw herself into the completion of her pleasure.
Release came like a thunderclap, reverberating deeply. She cried out as she arched her back. Smaller climaxes echoed as she continued to move, until there was nothing left.
Alex groaned and pushed his hips up. A few more pushes, and then he pulled away just enough to slide free from her body. His seed jetted out, hot, and he growled with satisfaction.
Spent, she rolled off Alex, and lay beside him, their bodies cooling. She rested her hand on his chest, feeling it slow from its frantic pounding. He gripped her hand and brought it to his lips.
How could she have known? She and Alex had gone to bed before, but it wasn’t like this, where they were fully themselves, free of disguise and subterfuge. Though she’d had lovers in the past, never had she known the connection she shared with Alex. They were open and honest, at this moment. Because he was stubborn and true and proud, and her body and heart craved him with an intensity that stole thought, robbed her of breath.
She’d willingly discarded her armor. Now, unprotected, Cassandra realized that she’d sealed her fate. And one day, soon, she would have to leave him.
Consciousness gripped Alex in a sudden rush. His eyes flew open and he inhaled sharply, like a man surfacing from deep water. The sight of his own bed’s canopy greeted him. A thought pressed at the back of his mind—he needed to learn something, to settle his concern over something... But what? His heart pounded.
Turning his head to the side, he saw Cassandra asleep beside him, curled gently into herself. His heartbeat slowed, assuaged.
She didn’t leave.
Clear, bright pleasure rose within him. He’d expected her to flee again, but she hadn’t. She’d slept beside him the whole of the morning, into... What time was it?
The clock on the mantel revealed the hour to be close to four in the afternoon. Shards of yellow sunlight scattered across the floor, sneaking through narrow gaps in the curtains to glimmer on the carpets.
Alex let his head fall back onto his pillow. Good God, he hadn’t slept so long or soundly in weeks, possibly even months or years. But after making love with Cassandra, he’d fallen into an enchanted sleep. Alex had never known such a well-deserved exhaustion, having given the whole of his energy to pleasuring her.
