Page 39 of Daisy and the Duke
The push and pull of his hand against her and inside her was building to something that Daisy was desperate to understand. Tristan kept telling her that she was perfect and beautiful and to continue letting her body enjoy his touch.
“More, Daisy. Don’t hold back.”
She pressed harder against his palm each time, her eyes closed as she reacted to the new sensations. She was nearly frantic, and then a beautiful thing happened and she cried out as her whole body briefly felt warm and wonderful. She let out a long breath, and then another. Her cheeks were hot, her chest was hot. She tingled all over.
Tristan was watching her with an expression of pure lust. “You come so beautifully,” he said, his voice rough.
His breathing was uneven, and he looked almost feverish.
“Tris, what’s wrong?” she asked, returning slowly to reality.
“Nothing. Nothing except that I haven’t been with a woman at all since before…and watching you now is killing me.” He tried to laugh it off, but his jaw clenched, and she could tell he was hiding something.
“What do you need? Tell me, Tris, please.”
“I can’t, Daisy.”
“You need the same release, don’t you? That’s what this is all about, isn’t it?” Daisy suddenly understood a dozen different little things that she’d been half told, half warned her whole life. This is why men and women came together and married and spent their lives together; it was this chance to feel and give a sort of mutual pleasure that nothing else in the world quite matched.
Tristan looked decidedly less happy than Daisy thought he should. He said, “You deserve more than a…blanket in the woods.”
“Let me touch you,” she interrupted, thinking that there was far too much chatter and not enough doing. Tristan needed her to act.
Daisy reached for him, and at the falls of his pants, she encountered a heavy, stiff bulge under the fabric. At her mere touch, Tristan groaned with pleasure. He put his hand over hers, directing her in short, breathless tones what to do next.
But then a shout in the distance made Daisy freeze, holding tense and wary as a deer. Had someone seen them together? Would someone storm up, furious at the scene?
Tristan swallowed hard, both of them listening for any other sound to follow.
There was nothing, only some fading hoofbeats farther down the path.
“It’s all right,” Tristan whispered, his words hot breath in her ear. “Just folk passing by along the road.”
Then, before Daisy could do anything more, he moved away from her, farther into the shadow of the nearest tree. “This was a mistake,” he muttered.
Daisy breathed deep, her mind returning to the present moment, which was far less pleasant than the fantasy realm she’d just been lost in. What was she thinking, dallying with Tristan here in the woods? It was madness, and to be caught would be disaster for them both.
Daisy looked anxiously at the deep blue of the evening sky. More time had passed than she’d thought. It would be full night when she returned to the Grange. She stood up, feeling the cold air swirl around her. “It’s getting dark. I have to go home.”
“I’ll take you.” He gestured to Stormer, who was oblivious to everything going on.
“No! It would raise questions.” Such as where they’d been all alone. “I’ll walk. That’s what everyone expects.” She struggled to pull her gown straight again, realizing the buttons were still undone.
“I’ll fix them,” Tristan said, now standing beside her. “Turn around.”
She turned her back to him, and shivered a little as his fingers made quick work of the buttons, holding her gown tightly in place over the stays once again. How were these the same fingers that just wreaked such havoc in her body?
“There,” he said at last. “With your cloak over it, no one will see anything out of place.”
Feeling a little lost, she turned to find her abandoned marketing bags.
“You shouldn’t be hauling goods like a mule,” Tristan said, watching her. “You’re no servant girl.”
“No, but I’m happy to do what needs to be done for the Grange. And anyway, you were the one talking about burning all the traditions to the ground.”
He smiled, but didn’t look very happy. “When will I see you again?”
“I don’t know. Please, I really must get back. I’m sorry to leave like this…”
