Page 153 of Dukes Are Forever
And her gaze dropped to the silk.
He could almost see the memory strike her, those wicked green eyes warming. Adele sucked in a sharp breath, and Malloryn emphasized the moment, stroking his thumb softly over the tension in the cravat; a sensual rustle he felt inside him as his callused thumb snagged on the silk.
It felt like her skin beneath his touch.
It felt like her surrender.
The last time they'd played this game, it had been her hands bound by the cravat.
Her arms tied above her, pinning her wrists to the bed.
Her pleas soft in the air as he buried his face between her thighs.
And they were both suddenly there in that moment, his cock hardening behind the placket of his breeches.
"You son of a bitch," she whispered, moving in a sharp flurry of skirts.
He stepped between her and the door. "Now that," he said, "is a rather unkind assessment of my mother."
"Assessment?" she hissed, trying to step around him. "That's all you have to say? You think you can come in here and seduce me and I'll forget everything?"
Sometimes it seemed like the only way he could breach the distance between them. "It's never bothered you in the past."
One fist lashed out toward his chest, and he captured her hands, holding her there with minimum force. A storm of anguish broke her cool mask, and his gut clenched, for he'd never,everseen Adele so undone before. He wanted to take it all back in an instant.Whyhad he said that?
I don't want to hurt you.
But he didn't know how to say it, not in any way she would understand. All he had was this.
And he captured her face with one hand, his mouth slanting to capture hers. Adele's mouth softened momentarily, and a flood of relief swept through him, his tongue darting out—
Then her hurt was gone, obliterated by rage as she fought him. Malloryn found himself with a wildcat of pure fury in his arms, one that fought only to free herself. Silk ripped as she twisted, and he let her go, unnerved by the maelstrom of emotion on her face. Adele staggered back into the wall, one hand splayed over the wallpaper, her face shocked as their eyes met.
No, her gaze said. And it wasn't in the playful challenging way she sometimes looked at him.
It was in agame overkind of way.
Thenoechoed through him like a knife. He had this horrible feeling he was losing her, but that made no sense, because had he ever had her? Malloryn moved, but the second he lifted his hand, she scrambled away and he was left frozen and awkward, not quite knowing where to put his hands.
They ended in some sort of stalemate, with her trapped in the corner and Malloryn staring helplessly at her.
"You win," she gasped. "You win. I can't do this anymore."
"Can't dowhat?"
"This.... This marriage!"
A tear slid down her cheek, andfuck, his gut plummeted to his feet, because Adele didn't cry. Adele didn't break. And yet, somehow he'd pushed her too far and he didn't have a fucking clue how he'd done it, or what precisely he'd done.
"Adele," he whispered.
"Don't touch me!"
Malloryn sucked in a sharp breath, his hands in the air in a sign of surrender. Again he felt that punch to the gut. Or maybe it was higher. "What do you want from me?"
"The truth!"
"I'm telling you the bloody truth! I don't know what this is all about. Why are you so angry with me?"
