Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Nora squirmed in Godric’s arms, her breathing becoming erratic as he kissed her even harder.
It felt as though her lungs were filling with fire rather than air, consuming her from the inside out as his hands roamed up and down her body. He caressed and traced each and every curve, gripping the soft swell of her buttocks and nuzzling against her bosom before he began to tug at her clothes.
The promise of what was to come made her eager and receptive, and she arched into his heated touch, moaning during their shared kisses, taking everything he was ready to give her in stride.
Now that she was here, in his embrace, receiving the bits of his affection and attention he was willing to give away in this moment, Nora had become all too aware of how much she had yearned for him.
She did not know how she had managed to go days without the insistent press of his lips on hers, could not remember why she had been angry with him the week before.
All she knew were the waves of desire threating to pull her beneath until she was smothered and sated.
“Despite how much you love to rile me up, I am in awe of how beautiful you are, each time I lay my eyes on you,” Godric whispered, running his nose along the curve of her jaw, leaving wet kisses along the column of her neck.
“Every time our paths cross, it takes everything in me not to bend you over my knee and discipline you until you have learned not to cross me. And then I want to take you, again and again until my name becomes a prayer on your lips and yours has been forgotten.”
Nora felt a sudden flash of desperation sink into her and she clutched at his clothes, scared that like before, he would simply leave her wanting.
As though he read her mind, Godric smirked and leaned down to kiss her, each brush of their lips together eating away at the thoughts in her head.
In moments, all that was left was her desire and the awareness of the growing wetness beneath her legs.
“Do not worry, princess. I promised that I would give you what you needed. You did really well today, and you deserve to be rewarded.” Godric told her softly, using the hand that was braced at the base of her neck to pull her in for another kiss.
As his mouth moved hotly against hers, she felt him tug loose the ribbon that had been used to tie her hair back. He pulled back suddenly and when she tried to chase after him, he pressed his thumb to her lips and tutted.
“Patience, princess. Let me take care of you.”
His words left a trail of warmth all over her insides and as she tried to open her eyes, she felt something soft settle over them and a knot being tied behind her head.
Nervously, she reached up to touch the blindfold, her heart skipping a beat when he took hold of her hand and pressed a to her knuckles.
“Do you trust me?” he asked, his voice sounding even deeper now that she could not see him.
Nora wished she did not. She wished that some part of her was closed off to him and his advances, that she could resist him or ignore the parts of her that had begun to long for him for days on end.
But in truth, she was gradually becoming exactly what he had claimed her to be on that night at the dinner party.
His to ruin.
“I do,” she sighed after a few seconds.
“Good. Now, let me take care of you,” he repeated.
Without her sight, everything felt a lot more…
intense. She was nervous, so much that her wild heartbeat seemed to echo in her head.
And she was overly aware of every sensation – each press of his lips to her neck, the scrape of his teeth over her nipple as his tongue rolled around it and tugged as he sucked.
As his hands pushed up the skirts of her dress, she felt incredibly exposed, but also overwhelmed by the need boiling over within her.
“Oh, look at you,” he exhaled, trailing a finger experimentally from her hip down her thigh, only to dip between her legs. “So lovely. So hungry. So needy.”
“Your Grace –”
“My name, princess. If you want something, ask for it properly. Use my name and I will give you everything you’d ever dreamed of.”
Nora tried not to squirm as his fingers circled her entrance, her legs trying not to close and trap him there.
“G-Godric… please… more.”
She could hear the smile in his voice as he drew closer, his breath hot against her face as he said,
“Of course. Anything for you, my dear.”
And then he pressed his finger deeply.
Nora gasped, her hips bucking off the soft blankets that covered the floors in a reflexive bid to escape the sudden rush of pleasure. But she did not get far. He placed a hand on her hip and held her down as he pulled his finger out and thrust it back into her.
She moaned, clawing at the blankets as he set a harsh pace moments later, adding another finger before he began to work it in and out of her.
Nora writhed beneath him, desperate and weak in the face of her pleasure he continued to deliver, her lips parting beneath his in a way that was almost hungry.
She could feel it coming, the breaking point. She reached out for the duke, only for him to pin her hands above her head with one of his, while the one within her slowed to a stop.
“W-Why?” Nora sobbed, frustrated as the end slipped out of reach.
“I quite like the look of you like this. Desperate, flushed, aching just for me. The only thing that would make this even better would be if you begged me to give you what you want.” She heard Godric remark, sounding as though this was nothing more than a leisurely activity to pass the time.
Nora could feel her insides ache with the need for a release, and she could not help the pathetic whine that broke past her lips.
“Please,” she begged, her hips still shaking in search of something to grind against. “Please, Godric. Please, please – give me what I need.”
His lips found hers again and his kiss was enough to sate her momentarily as he whispered,
“Gladly.”
His fingers were in her again, exploring her walls eagerly and tugging her close to a release once more. Just as the breaking point in, he thrust his fingers in and out roughly, using his thumb to work her slippery nub and Nora could swear she saw stars.
Her body jerked off the blankets as she gasped, every muscle and fiber within her careening with the explosive nature of her pleasure. A hand had slipped free of his hold, and she used it to bring herself closer to him, feeling even more consumed the heat within her.
He let go of the hand that had been restricted and cradled her in his arms, gently stroking her hair as he took off her blindfold, pressing chaste kisses to her lips.
Her heart danced strangely within her chest as he held her close, his scent flooding her head until she could think of nothing else but him.
And for a moment, spurred by greed, she wished the moment would last forever.
“You need to return home, lest your father grows concerned.” Godric said suddenly.
Nora knew better than to argue, but she was not ready to leave his arms yet.
“He would need to be present for that to happen. He prefers to spend his days and nights gambling away the family fortune and that does not leave him with much time on his hands to do much else. Asking him to care for the only child he still has living in his home would be too much.” She grumbled petulantly.
“Still,” Godric pressed. “You have been gone for quite a while. You do not want any more rumors to arise. Go home and rest.”
Reluctantly, she pulled away from him, taking her ribbon when he handed it over. As she tied her hair away haphazardly, she rose to her feet and tried not to look him in the eye, unable to ignore the way her heart seemed to be falling apart.
“Goodbye,” he said softly, but that only made things worse.
Quickly, she adjusted her clothes and scurried out of the room, not bothering to respond to any of the staff who greeted her as she ran out of the estate.
She did not stop until she was back in her father’s room once more, safe behind the locked door of her room. Only then did when she was on her bed, her hand over her wildly beating heart did she allow herself to confront the feelings swirling within her.
She thought about Godric, how she had gone from barely tolerating him to missing him when they were apart. She longed for him every moment, yearned for his touch, his voice, his kiss.
And all the men paled in comparison to his confidence and self-assured nature.
“Oh no,” Nora sighed, tears filling her eyes. “I think… I think I’ve fallen for the duke.”
The realization hit her quite hard because she could not believe what had happened. Even more so, she could not point out when this change had occurred. She could not understand how either, and it confused her greatly.
How was she to deal with this? What was she to do?
The idea of pretending not to understand the yearning within her heart felt like a death sentence, as did the thought of ignoring these feelings and going forth to wed someone else. She just could not imagine letting another man hold her like Godric had.
For some reason, she knew no one would compare to him. None would ever make her feel the way he had.
And no matter how much she tried to put the matter out of her mind, she could not seem to completely ignore the situation.
Sleep eluded her because her thoughts were filled with Godric. She needed to talk to him, to tell him how she felt. Laying in the dark of her room, she felt smothered by all that she had realized and she knew no good would come from letting herself worry about it alone.
Resolutely, she climbed out of bed and donned a dressing gown.
“I must speak with him,” she muttered as she fumbled around in the dark for her shoes. “It does not matter ow dangerous and scandalous it might be. I need to tell him how I feel.”
Just like she had done countless times before, she snuck out of her house, managing to avoid being found as usual, and she began to walk to her brother’s estate.
Much like her home, she was quite familiar with Cecil’s house as well, due to the fact that she practically lived there ever since her brother moved in. She knew that there was a window on the ground floor around the back that had a broken latch and more often than not would not shut all the way.
She peered through the gap, ensuring that there was no one in the hallway before she opened it quietly and slipped inside.
“We must deal with that treacherous bastard as soon as possible.”
Godric tried not to sigh outwardly, instead downing what was left of this third glass of whiskey and willing himself to have some semblance of patience.
“It is simply not right,” Luther continued, his voice filled with hatred and spite.
“Why does he get to live a full life? Why was he be given the chance to raise his children, to even witness one of them marry into a higher status than she was born with, whilst my brother and his wife rot a way in a grave? Why are we still tormented by the memory of those we’ve lost while he continues to live so carelessly? ”
It was nothing Godric had not heard before. He was all too familiar with the grief fueled rambling that overcame his uncle during nights like these when he was a tad too lonely and usually, he simply allowed Luther to speak until he was satisfied.
But tonight, his uncle’s visit had been unexpected and unwelcome. Godric was growing irritated at the older man’s incessant need to barge into Godric’s life whenever he felt like it, even more so on a night he wanted to savor the taste of the woman he had pleasured.
His mind was consumed with thoughts of Nora, his lips still recalling how she had greedily accepted the kisses he had offered, how her body had yearned for his touch relentlessly.
Godric had hoped for a quiet evening that would give him the chance to formulate a plan on what to do about her.
He was growing too attached to her, too familiar with her smile and her moans, too eager to banter with her. He needed to do something about it all.
But then Luther had arrived, clearly disturbed and drunk and Godric could not turn him away, after all, the old man had raised him. That was the same reason why he entertained the mindless rambling, even though he had long since grown sick of hearing it over and over again.
“I wish we could make him face his crimes soon,” Luther hiccupped.
“We do not have enough proof for that,” Godric said for the third time that night, his patience wearing thin. “If we do not handle it right – the way we intended to from the start –”
“We do not need any more than what we have! You and I know he did it! Gregory Millington murdered your parents, and he has the nerve to waste his own life away after he stole that of our family! We must end him soon. I cannot – I fear my brother has not been able to rest because his killers still walk free. And we know is responsible. We must bring him to justice, Godric. For the sake of your parents.” Luther pleaded.
Godric sighed, getting ready to implore his uncle to leave his home. But before he could speak, he heard a sound from the hallway. He turned around sharply to peer though the half open door, but there was nothing and no one there.
An uneasy feeling crawled up his spine and he faced his uncle quickly, eager to be rid of him.
“We have a plan for a reason, uncle. We must follow it so things are done properly, so that he will not get a chance to escape. We will bring him to justice. I am certain that no one can escape their fate. My parents’ killers will soon be faced with the consequences of their actions.
In the meantime, you need to rest and stop passing time with your spirits.
You are growing far too old for such silliness.
” Godric scolded, reaching for his uncle’s glass.
Luther paused, staring at his now empty hand and then he sighed.
“You are right. Perhaps I should retire for the night.”
“Absolutely. I will see you to your carriage.”
Luther walked out without requiring much assistance, and when he had embarked on his carriage, he asked Godric,
“Are you still with me? Do you still want to avenge your poor family?”
Godric nodded, “You know that I do.”
Luther sighed and patted his head clumsily, settling back properly.
“Good man. Your parents would have been proud.”
Godric lingered outside long enough to watch the carriage roll out of side before he returned inside the house, the unease he had felt earlier growing.