Chapter Sixteen #3
“I’ll never tire of this.” The duke withdrew his hand as he settled his body between her thighs.
As contractions continued to flutter in her core, he fit the head of his shaft to her opening, and with a powerful flex of his hips, he buried himself deep, so very deep, irrevocably joining them, and he didn’t stop until he’d joined them far past physical intimacy.
Her moan blended with his, and they were once again one entity. “You always know exactly what I need.”
“Because we’re well-matched, and we belong together. Never think otherwise.”
She lost another piece of her heart to him.
As he claimed her lips, he moved with forceful yet languid strokes she felt all the way to her soul.
It was exquisite, that slow, deliberate coupling, where each long thrust brought shuddering sensation through every nerve ending.
It was much different than how they’d last come together, and she rather adored that they weren’t as dull as to enjoy relations the same way every time.
Emma matched his rhythm and gave herself up to his mastery.
He paused, still joined tightly with her to look into her face.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done this past week or so.
I’m so damned glad you wished to help me instead of rail at me after I spirited you off.
” Remarkably, there were tears in his eyes.
“Thank you for seeing something in me that I couldn’t see for myself. ”
“It was always there, just hidden beneath feelings that no longer served you.” She clung to his shoulders and urged him down more snugly over her, wanting to go ever closer to him, to feel him against every part of her.
“But I knew you were truly as gone as you wanted me to believe.” He shifted positions, and the new angle hit her passage differently.
Raw need shivered through her, furthering quickening her response.
Then the rhythm changed as urgency made itself known.
Through it all, he held her gaze. Desire and pleasure reflected in those stormy blue depths, along with admiration, but as she peered closer, new emotions formed in those pools that stole her breath.
Was he even aware of the fact he’d finally let down his guard?
It was amazing to see love burgeon and watch his true feelings reveal themselves.
Hope bloomed in her chest, and it took very little for her to fall down, down, down that slope toward the same end.
In that brief glimpse, she spied his soul, touched it with hers, and pieces of her were exchanged with pieces of him until they were indeed made up of each other.
They’d been meant for each other since that long ago day in a different ballroom only they’d both lost sight of the original goal—to love each other.
It was all too much and went so deep that her body reacted before her mind could.
“Oh!” Emma broke, fractured, disappeared into a vortex of swirling white light that vaulted her through endless joy that could only be found with this man.
When she would have cried out in ecstasy, he kissed her, took the sound as a part of him, and he thrust into her quivering channel again and again and again until he found his own bliss.
Witnessing that joy on his face in the dim illumination of the outside lanterns sent her over that edge once more, and she surrendered, falling, tumbling, pinwheeling with him.
“Christ, Emma, you wear me out.” His shaft pulsed and jumped.
Warmth filled her core. Then he collapsed on top of her, his weight pleasing and solid and oh so comforting.
“You, my remembered duchess, were made to be loved,” he whispered against the shell of her ear.
“And I will do that as many times as you’d like, for I don’t plan to leave you any time soon. ”
“Oh, Cecil.” Tears of happiness welled. She sobbed, caught up in feelings so great she pressed her face into the crook of his neck to muffle the sound, for the night had already been full of so many emotions.
Immediately concerned, he lifted his head. “Is all well?”
“Yes, of course, but you can’t go around shooting men who show an interest in me. Sooner or later, you’ll gain a reputation.”
“Fair enough.” He nodded.
“Good.” She lifted a hand to caress the left side of his face. As she tried to find words, she kissed the strong column of his neck. “Have we laid a solid foundation between us, Cecil? Because I don’t wish to become so lost in you if things will tear us apart…”
“Hush, sweeting.” After he lifted off her, he settled onto the bench beside her then set his clothing back to rights. “There is something I would say to you.”
“All right.” She quickly tugged her bodice into place and then smoothed her skirting over her legs, placing her feet back onto the warming brick. “Go ahead.” Had she finally gotten through to him after all this time?
“Very well.” He eased the fur-lined blanket over her person then slipped an arm about her. “I love you, Emma.” Nothing but honesty shone in his eyes. “Most ardently and quite desperately, in fact, and I promise that I will never toss away what we have out of fear, out of insecurity, again.”
Her heart trembled to hear those words after so long.
“I love you too, Cecil. So much that it hurts at times.” She took his hand, threaded their fingers together as she burrowed closer into his body, nearly drunk on his protection, the safety he offered.
Drawing his hand to her mouth, she pressed a kiss to the back of it.
“Will you remain married to me so that we might have a true life together, come what may?”
“I will and be happy to do so, until death parts us.” He then took her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. As he peered into her eyes, Emma nearly melted into a puddle. “You made me a whole man, Emma, now the next thing I’ll ask of you is to make me a father.”
“Truly?” If her heart raced any faster, she might expire on the spot. “You want that and everything that comes with it? And you’ll be the duke we all need you to be?”
“I will endeavor to do that to the best of my ability, and with you by my side, I believe I’ll have a fair chance.” Slowly, his grin faded. “I’ll fail at times, though.”
“We all do. That’s being human.” She slipped her arms around his middle and held him close. “But that doesn’t mean you’re worthless. It means you are trying and living.”
“Indeed.” He rested his cheek on her head. “The future is both exciting yet terrifying but I’m ready to meet it.”
“So am I.” And she could finally release the breath she’d been holding since he’d left her all those months ago. “I can’t promise that every day will be a good one, but I can promise that I’ll be there for you on the bad ones as well.”
He wrapped his arms around her. “That means so much. Thank you.”
Slowly, Emma closed her eyes and with a sigh, she snuggled into his warmth.
At the end of a tempestuous two years, she’d won her husband back, and in many ways—including traveling—they had come full circle.
It was rather lovely to be back at the beginning and this time knowing they were headed in the correct direction.
Together.