Page 76 of The Good Duke
Suddenly, it was too much.
“Because you’d press my nose in it, Your Grace?” she hissed and flew the rest of the way over to him. “You are embarrassed having me, a spinster charity case, about around your fancy friends?”
Surprise lit his eyes.
At being called out? Good, let him have a taste of what that felt like.
“Well, let me tell you,Simon,” she stretched those two syllables into four, “I knew you since you were a scared boy without a friend to your name, except me. So, I will not have you, now that you are a powerful duke, go about treating me as though I’m lesser than you or anyone.”
He eyed her like she’d gone mad. “Is that what you believe?”
Persephone drew back.It wasn’t?
Simon dusted a long finger over the curve of her cheek in a satiny, soft caress. “You think I amembarrassedof you?”
“You a-aren’t?” Her voice lightly trembled.
“I wasn’t. I’m embarrassed that Pruitt was here and that he knew immediately.” Simon spoke in a soft murmur like the first warm spring sun had emerged and melted the frost previously coating every word he’d uttered this day.
“Knew wh-what?” she managed.
Simon reached her. “He knew without a doubt I wanted to kiss you.”
Her breath hitched until she realized—“You’re making light of me.”
“I wish I were,” he murmured huskily. “Because then, Persephone, I wouldn’t have this overwhelming desire to kiss you and to do it right this time.” He grinned a wolfish smile that even Red Riding Hood wouldn’t have failed to miss. “Which is why you should run.”
Persephone’s heart hammered.
Only the other voice in her head spoke louder, reminding her that he’d delight in her cowardice.
“You are trying to scare m-me,” she said.
Simon curved a possessive hand about her waist. “I’m telling you to leave, love. This is your last chance. Unless you want me to lay you over my desk and kiss you like you’ve never been kissed before.”
Run, Persephone. Run.Every instinct urged her to take heed and follow that warning he gave.
A battle of the wills isn’t what keeps you rooted to this spot, and you know it.It’d been the very promise he’d made in that demanding, possessive way.
“Very well, Persephone, you’ve been warned.” And with a fierce growl, he wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her into his arms. He covered her mouth with his in a fiery, explosive meeting that bordered on violence.
She’d never, however, been afraid of Simon, nor did she intend to start now. That was the only reason, the absolute only reason, why she surrendered herself to his embrace and kissed him wildly in return.
Liar. You’ve been hot for him since the moment he stood from his bath, resplendent in all his naked glory, like the all-powerful god Poseidon emerging from the seas.
He grunted his approval and then sank his fingers hard into her hips, punishingly.
Persephone whimpered. And she wanted to be punished by him in this vulgar way.
As if hearing that silent, wicked yearning, and never breaking contact with her lips, Simon caught both of her wrists in his strong hands, and just as he’d promised—warned—he stretched her out across his desk and plundered her mouth; he swept his tongue in and devoured Persephone.
She should draw back. Instead, she found herself melting against Simon.
She’d been kissed, and often, by her first and only love.
And mayhap she was a wanton for yearning for this embrace. For, instead of shoving Simon away and slapping his face and storming out of this household, she whimpered and struggled to meet each lash of that hot, burning flesh against the tip of hers.
But he was a pirate, plundering what he deemed his, and God forgive her, she was all too happy to surrender it all.
