Page 14 of Dukes Are Forever
And he laughed, as if her refusal to capitulate—even now—tore amusement from him. "Those weren't the diamonds, Adele."
"You don't know that."
Malloryn continued laughing even as he tugged her skirts down. Not a single lock of hair was out of place, and as she watched he took his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his fingers dry.
She buried her face in her hands.
Good gods.
How mortifying.
How... intense.
Even now, she was filled with such languorous release, she felt like she'd drunk two bottles of champagne by herself. She couldn't have moved to save herself, but luckily, she didn't have to.
"Well." Even Malloryn sounded surprised as he eased off her. "I was beginning to think my recollections of what happened between us in the Ivory Tower were remnants of the bloodlust. Or insanity."
All she could see was the looming shadow of his body as the carriage eased to a halt.
"Insanity?"
Was that her voice, so low and rough?
He shot her a dark, mesmerizing look. "Shall we not be honest for once? We can call it the effects of the bloodletting—upon both of us—but something happened that day. Something neither of us has been able to forget, no matter how much we tried."
She was destroyed. A mess. And her husband looked almost immaculate.
He swayed onto his knees, peering through the window. "Oh, how unfortunate. We seem to be home." There was a maddening twinkle in his eyes as he tugged at the sleeve of his coat, forcing it to settle perfectly against him.
"Home?"
"You appear monosyllabic, my love."
Argh.
"You took me by surprise."
"With my proposition? Or what just happened? Still thinking of diamonds? Or emeralds?" His voice was a purr of pure masculine contentment.
"An entire choker of them," she whispered, refusing to cover herself. Two could play at this game, and she hadn't missed the telltale bulge pressing insistently against her thigh. "Maybe I'll wear nothing but my diamonds when you visit my chambers. Would you like that?"
This time, it was his turn to look at her intently.
There,she wanted to crow.Take that, you arrogant ass.
"Maybe youcanteach me how to beg," she whispered, and let her gaze shift lower, to where his erection trained against his trousers. "Perhaps I'd let you. Would you like to see me on my knees, Malloryn? Wearing nothing but my diamonds?"
Adele rolled upright, tugging her gown into place.
Inch by inch, he'd put himself back together, though she doubted he'd been truly undone. Her words seemed to stir some devil within him, however.
"Perhaps we can discuss this inside in more detail?" A muscle flexed in his cheek as the footman opened the door. "Tonight."
She smothered a small, victorious smile. "I shall be all aquiver."
Malloryn stared at her for a second longer, then disembarked.
"Oh, and Adele?" He paused in the middle of the carriage doorway, reaching inside his waistcoat pocket for something. "This ends. Right now."
