Page 94 of How to Seduce a Duke this Autumn
Finally, the last button slid free, and the gown loosened completely. For a brief moment, it clung to her shoulders, suspended, before slipping down in a soft whisper of fabric. The breeze tugged at the edges of the silk as it floated to the tiled floor, pooling in a shimmering ring around her feet. Adam couldn’t look away. She stood before him, vulnerable but unafraid, and the sight of her—for all her quiet strength and beauty—left him shaken.
“You’re…” He paused, his voice catching as a flood of words fought to escape his lips. But none seemed to do her justice. “You’re exquisite,” he murmured finally, the words barely louder than the hum of the wind around them.
Charlene’s smile wavered, her lips parting slightly as she released a breath she’d been holding. Her nervousness was apparent, but so was her resolve. She trusted him. She had given herself to this moment fully—just as he had.
Carefully, Adam bent down, his fingers brushing against the soft fabric now resting on the floor. His free hand reached for her waist, anchoring her as his other arm moved beneath her knees. With a deliberate motion, he lifted her into his arms, the movement slow and sure. She gasped softly in surprise, her arms instinctively circling his neck.
“Adam…” she murmured, her voice trailing off as her cheek rested gently against his lapel.
“I’m here.” He repeated her words from earlier, his voice roughened with emotion. His grip adjusted slightly, pulling her closer so their bodies fit seamlessly together. The feel of her warmth against him—the weight of her trust in his arms—was something he never wanted to forget.
Charlene shook her head faintly, her hair brushing against his jaw, but she didn’t speak again. Instead, Adam felt the soft press of her lips against the edge of his collar, a quiet affirmation that sent a new surge of heat coursing through him.
Without a word, he turned, carrying her toward the settee tucked beneath the rooftop’s trellised covering. Each step felt measured, his focus entirely on the woman he held and the wild rhythm of his heartbeat that seemed to echo hers.
When they reached the settee, Adam eased her down carefully, the carved wooden frame creaking faintly beneath their weight. The moment of separation—a brief pause as he stood back—was almost unbearable, but he needed it. He needed to see her, to take in the quiet vulnerability she wore like armor.
Charlene’s arms rested against the edge of the settee, her gaze searching his. The soft lantern light brushed against her bare shoulders, highlighting the curve of her collarbone and the slight rise and fall of her breathing. And yet, it wasn’t just her beauty that held him captive. It was the quiet strength in her expression, the way she didn’t flinch or shrink under the weight of his attention. She was here—not just physically, but utterly present in the space they shared.
Slowly, Adam lowered himself beside her, his fingers brushing lightly against her arm as he leaned closer. His free hand reached for hers, gently lacing their fingers together.
“Charlene,” he whispered, his voice breaking slightly. “There’s no part of me that isn’t yours.”
She exhaled a laugh, one that seemed more like relief than anything else. And then, as if to answer, she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his. The kiss was softer this time, less fevered but no less consuming. It wasn’t just passion—it was a promise, an unspoken understanding that neither of them was holding back anymore.
Adam’s hand slipped to the curve of her back, steadying her as she leaned into him. Slowly, he trailed his fingers upward again, feeling every shiver that coursed through her beneath his touch. She was all warmth and softness, and he was so utterlylost in her that he felt he might never find his way back—nor did he want to.
Time seemed suspended as they sat together, their breaths intertwining, the rooftop retreating farther into shadow. Adam held her closer still, his hand pressing against the small of her back as his lips found hers again. He couldn’t bring himself to pause. Not when every touch of her fingers, every tentative press of her lips against his, was a revelation. And as the night unfolded, Adam knew he would never forget the weight of this moment—the undeniable clarity that she had, and always would, hold every piece of him in her hands.
The air felt heavier now, thick with sensation and possibility, as Charlene leaned into him, her leg curled around his hip. Each shift of his touch sent waves of fire coursing through her, unraveling every bit of composure she had left. Adam’s hands were firm and warm, one pressing against the small of her back, the other steadying her hip. There was nothing rushed in his movements, only a deliberate tenderness that somehow made it all the more maddening.
*
She knew sheshould stop—knew that by every measure of propriety, this was entirely inappropriate. The heat of his lips, the deep pull of his gaze, the way her body betrayed her with every arch and tilt—it was as though all her years of carefully guarded manners had been stripped away, leaving her vulnerable, exposed. And yet, she couldn’t bring herself to push him away. She didn’t want to. The thought of stepping back, of separating her body from his, made the air catch painfully in her throat.
“Charlene,” Adam murmured, his voice low and edged with a depth that sent a delicious shiver down her spine. His foreheadrested against hers, their breaths mingling in the small space between them. “Tell me if you’ve had enough. Just say the word, and I’ll stop.”
She trembled at the tenderness in his tone, her fingers tightening in the fabric of his coat. Her guilt threaded through the haze of desire, whispering warnings of impropriety—the kind her upbringing had ingrained in her. But his touch… Oh, he was undoing her, piece by piece. Every slight shift of his hands, every heated brush of his lips, was unlike anything she’d known she could feel.
“I should stop,” she whispered, though her voice lacked conviction. Her lips, traitorous and unsteady, brushed his as she breathed the words, heavy with her reluctance. “I should tell you to stop.”
Adam tilted his head slightly, his lips finding her jaw as he whispered, “Then tell me.” But he didn’t pull away. His voice carried not a hint of pressure, only the promise to honor her choice. “Do you want me to stop?”
Her breath caught, his words filling her ears and igniting something intoxicating in her chest. Her teeth grazed her bottom lip as her hesitation wavered. The consequences—everything that could come from giving into this moment—flashed through her mind. And yet all she could focus on was the solidity of his body against hers, the intoxicating scent of cedar and spice lingering on his skin, the warmth of his hands that made her feel held, cherished, craved.
“No,” she finally admitted, her voice a quiet thread of honesty, trembling but clear. Her hands slid up, tangling in the curls at the back of his neck as her resolve unraveled entirely. “I can’t ask you to stop.”
Adam groaned softly, a sound that reverberated through her, sending flames licking down her spine. “You have no idea what that does to me,” he murmured against her skin, his lipsbrushing just beneath her ear. The combination of his words and his touch sent her heart into a frantic rhythm, a surrender she could neither resist nor deny.
His hands shifted, one settling along the curve of her waist as he pulled her closer, the other splayed firmly over her back. Her middle pressed flush against his, and the sensation made her gasp, a desperate sound that only further inflamed the tormenting hunger she felt building within her. She tilted her hips instinctively, seeking more of him, more of the delicious tension that was quickly overtaking her thoughts.
“Adam,” she whispered, unsure whether it was a plea or a prayer. Every inch of her own body was betraying her good sense, moving of its own volition as her leg tightened around him. Heat pooled low in her stomach as she gave herself over fully to the pull of him. “I’ve never…”
He stilled just slightly, his brow furrowing as he pulled back to look at her. Her admission, vulnerable and naked, hovered between them. But his gaze didn’t falter, his lips curving into a soft but teasing smile that set her nerves alight. “I know,” he said softly, tracing his thumb along the curve of her cheek. “And I swear to you, Charlene, I’ll take care. Of you. Of everything.”
The words broke something in her—a boundary she’d been clinging to but no longer had the strength to hold. Adam leaned forward, his lips finding hers again in a kiss that was slower this time but no less consuming. She responded instinctively, her body arching into his as though he were the only thing tethering her to the earth. Her hands roamed across his shoulders, memorizing the breadth of him, the way his muscles moved under her touch.
“You’re incredible,” he whispered against her lips, his voice thick with reverence and want. His hands moved to cradle the back of her head, his fingers tangling gently in her loose hair as his breath came faster, heavier.
