Page 25 of An Accidental Bride for the Duke
She did not want it to stop. Which, she came to realize, was the point.
The duke pulled away, a satisfied smile in his eyes. “As I said, a reward for doing the right thing.” He licked his lips. “Now, are you going to continue to behave? To listen to me?”
“I think so…” her body was still trembling.
He laughed deeply. “If that is the case, perhaps another.” With his fingers still touching under her chin, he tilted her face and exposed her neck. Then, ever so gently, he leaned down and kissed her bare skin; it was soft and wet, and it sent a ripple of pleasure across her body.
“Oh…” she moaned.
“Do you like that?” he purred.
“I do.”
“Do you think you deserve another.”
“Yes.”
He kissed her again on the neck, lower that time, toward her collar bone. She moaned further, her knees buckling, all senses of rebellion dying inside of her because she did not want him to stop.
“You frustrated me earlier,” the duke purred as he kissed her again. As he did, his other hand squeezed her waist. “You know that, don’t you?”
“I do,” she moaned as he kissed her across the collar bone.
“Do you promise to stop,” he asked, his kisses moving up her neck and toward her face. His hand, which held her waist, moved to her front, pawing at the skirt of her dress.
Her eyes were wide now, her mind moving from his kisses to his hand as he brushed over her thighs and she felt it touch her womanhood.
“Do you?” he demanded.
“I do,” she said, almost begged. His kisses moved up again, finding her lips. His hand took her by the back of the head, holding her face so she could not pull away. “I promise,” she managed through kisses. “I promise.”
“I am not sure I believe you.”
“I won’t upset you again,” she said, thinking she had to do he would keep going.
“Maybe, maybe not,” he agreed. “We will see.” Then, he pulled back, dropping his hands and stepping away.
She gasped and lurched forward, trying to follow him. “What? What are you –”
“Giving you your final lesson.” His expression was stone. “And the punishment which I promised.”
Her heart was still racing. Her body was still trembling. “Punishment? But you said…” She shook her head, trying to clear it. “You said I was good. That I deserved a reward.”
He chuckled deeply. “I gave you three simple rules, and so far you have failed to follow them. Perhaps the next time you think to break them, you will remember this moment. And when you do, when you remember how it feels to be tempted and then turned away, you will stop and consider what I asked of you. And maybe then, you will behave for a damn change.”
That was when she realized what had happened. What he had done to her and why. And oh, how she hated herself for giving in.
She thought to be angry.
She thought to snap at him and demand that he not stop.
She thought… she thought…I don’t even know what to think. Never in a million years could I have predicted any of that.All Iris knew was that she wanted more.
“Good,” he said, seeing in her expression that she understood well enough what he had done and the reason for it. “Next time, behave, and we won’t have this problem.” And then, with nothing else to do or say, he strode past her and left the room.
And just like that, the promise she’d made to herself, foolish notions of avoiding the duke and acting as if he did not exist were shattered into oblivion. She wanted more of what the duke had just given her. More than that, she wanted him.
Just as he wants me too. Of that, I have no doubt.
