Chapter Four #2
A queer sort of squeeze went through her heart.
“What a lovely thing to say.” It was difficult to discern which of them moved first, but one moment she was sitting there, looking at him, and in the next, Cate was in his arms with his mouth on hers, and he encouraged her to lie backward on the soft leather of the sofa.
The book of poetry and prose slipped off her lap to tumble to the Aubusson carpet, unheeded.
Good heavens, what was this quick and strong attraction between them?
And God help her, she didn’t want to resist. In fact, she encouraged the duke’s overture, for his kisses were sublime and she wished to see how far he would go.
Was he a gentleman or could he rise to a rogue if given the proper motivation?
When he slipped a hand beneath her hip and another beneath her head, Cate’s eyes fluttered closed as she reveled in the feel of his body over hers and his lips moving on hers.
Why am I so taken in by the strong, hard feel of a man’s body?
The scent of his cologne teased her nose, the softness of the hair at his nape, the electric glide of the tip of his tongue along the seam of her lips all worked to usher her toward an undoing of sorts.
Her hands drifted to his cravat and quickly loosened the knot, and a sigh of utter bliss escaped her.
I suppose I’m always destined to be embroiled in scandal.
“This is insanity,” he whispered against her lips, but there was a slight hesitation as he cupped her breasts through the fabric of her dress.
“Perhaps, but it is also undeniable.” She urged him onward, for that tension between them needed clearing before they could go forward with anything.
“It’s maddening, but that doesn’t mean I’m above exploring it.” As he spoke, the duke resituated them both so that they reclined on their sides with him wedged behind her between the high back of the sofa and her. “Yet, I shouldn’t…”
The rumble of his voice in her ear sent shivers scudding over her skin. “Because it’s exploiting our working relationship or because you are a widower?” Daring much, she took his hand and placed it over one of her breasts.
He followed unspoken instructions wonderfully well, for he slipped his fingers inside her bodice, and the second he brushed those digits over her nipple, the bud pebbled. Sensations zipped through her that made her gasp. “Perhaps a bit of both.”
Words escaped her at that moment, for the more he bedeviled the tip, the more waves of heated need swept over her.
When he left off to ease that same hand beneath her skirting and skimmed his palm over the outside of her thigh, a sigh left her throat.
The callouses on his fingertips and palm spoke to labor, and that made her even more curious.
But before she could ask him about what he did to create them, he put a knee between her thighs, and then he took full advantage by easing his hand through the curls hiding her sex. “Scarborough… Barr… I… Ooh…”
That was the moment he encouraged the button at her center out of hiding and he brushed a fingertip over that nubbin.
He shifted position again so he could play with her other nipple with his free hand, and as he did that, he fit his other hand more tightly against her sensitive flesh.
She put her hand atop his, guiding him to where she wanted him, and he did such an admirable job of applying various bits of friction to her swollen button that her eyes soon crossed from the flood of sensations.
“What sort of hold do you have over me that I’ve known you less than an hour, and here I am, violating your body like this?” Confusion and desire graveled his voice as his breath warmed the side of her neck.
“I don’t know.” Her breaths came in pants, for she could hardly concentrate on anything but his fingers on her button and nipple, sliding, stroking, circling, rubbing. “But it’s caught me in its grip as well.”
He didn’t answer with words. Instead, he applied himself with bedeviling that nubbin to within an inch of its life.
Unrelenting pressure stacked and built within her, searching for an outlet. She moved her hips in time to his, and there was no mistaking how interested he was, for the hard evidence of his desire pressed into the curve of her arse.
“Oh… Barr!”
Faster his fingers worked, and before she knew what was happening, that release broke over her and she was pitched over the edge with a galloping heartbeat and heat dancing over her skin.
When she inhaled to cry out her completion, he leaned close and took the utterance into himself with a kiss.
Relief shuddered through her, for she didn’t want the servants rushing in.
As she came back down to Earth, she gave into a shiver and relaxed in his hold. “For a man who says he hasn’t done this recently, I’d say that showing was quite something.” In fact, her words were still rather breathless.
“Ha.” But he grinned and then lifted off her. “I appreciate the praise.”
“Wait.” Not ready to give up the closeness of him, Cate reached for the waist of his breeches. “Let me return the favor.” And it would allow her to have a look at him. From the bulge that had pressed against her backside as he’d pleasured her, he would be magnificent.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to thwart you in that endeavor,” he said with a surprising wink as he left the sofa. “That was a bit of insanity, though.”
“It was.” As if he’d dumped a bucket of water on her, ardor cooled, and she came back to her senses.
Surprise mixed with residual satisfaction as she righted herself and tidied her clothing.
It was all quite odd, for she hadn’t encountered a man who’d made such an impression on her so quickly, and certainly not one she had allowed such intimate access to her body like that.
Still, she gained her feet, though her knees were a trifle weak.
The two times in the past when she allowed her body to make decisions for her instead of her brain hadn’t worked out well.
So why had she done it again with the duke? It couldn’t happen again, not even for academic research and interest. Did she want to ruin yet another friendship and paying position by repeating the same habits?
“Forgive me for this, Scarborough.” Cate held up a hand, palm outward. “We need to put forth some rules before we start.” Did she refer to the work she’d been commissioned to do or something far more pleasurable?
“Fair enough and I agree.” He retreated to the nearest bookshelf and leaned and shoulder against it then crossed his arms at his chest. “Regardless of what’s between us, this connection that burns like fire and flows like lightning, I refuse to take advantage of you or the work I’ve asked you to do. ”
Slowly, she nodded. “What if I wish to do that with you?” Why couldn’t she control her tongue or her urges? To be fair, it had been a few years since she’d done anything scandalous with a man, but that was no excuse.
I am such a failure… or a wanton.
“You are quite refreshing, Miss Pickwick, I’ll give you that.” His chuckle tickled through her chest, but it was the desire in his eyes as he gazed at her that set her ablaze again. “There will be other times.”
Did that mean he wanted another intimate session between them? How intriguing.
“That being said, my first reason here is my appointment as your translator.” Remembering the Egyptian book, she retrieved it then gently placed it on one of the small occasional tables.
“I’ll stay on for as long as the job takes, and hopefully by the end, you’ll prove satisfied with my discoveries. ”
“Fair enough.” He nodded then pushed off the shelf. “Shall we say every day except Sundays? To start around one o’clock?”
“That would be lovely and gives me the opportunity to take breakfast with my father in the mornings as well as work around my times at the lending library.”
“Yes, of course. Did you wish to start today or tomorrow?”
“I will do a bit today, but I’m afraid my mind isn’t truly on my work.” Heat went into her cheeks merely to hint at what they’d gotten up to.
“Understandable.” He couldn’t quite hide his grin. “As for my expectations, well I don’t know how long a translation of a whole book should take, so I leave that up to your expertise.”
She snorted. “I don’t know how much of an expert I am. If I’m stumped at a passage here and there, I might need to consult my father or someone else.”
“Only your father. I don’t wish to tip my hand with this book should I decide to offer it at auction.”
“Agreed.” As the last residual trembles from the release subsided, she stifled a sigh. “Where shall I set up?”
“Oh, uh, you can make use of the library, of course, or if you require a proper desk, my study is across the hall on this level. Feel free to move there.”
“Won’t you have use of it?”
“Not during the hours you’ll be in residence. Besides, I am working on finishing bits and bobs of renovation to the townhouse just now, so I’ll be in and out. Don’t wish to disturb your concentration.”
Ah, so that was why he had the callouses. “Very well. Thank you, Your Grace, er, Barrington.” Such a lovely and majestic name.
“It is my pleasure, for you will do much of the work. I’m afraid I’m a bit of a dunce when it comes to reading hieroglyphics or Hieratic.”
“I can teach you,” she managed to blurt, a second ahead of her brain.
“I might pop in between bouts of renovations.” He tugged a watch from his waistcoat pocket. “Speaking of, I need to scoot. Ring for tea or anything else you should need, and if you have a question, I’ll be primarily in the drawing room, but any of the servants can fetch me for you.”
She nodded and then took another glance around the library. “For the moment, I’ll start my work here, but I can’t promise I’ll stay in the library for the duration, for I’ll probably need to work close to a candle.”
“You have cart blanche while here… Catherine.” Then he was gone in the next second, while she stared at the spot he’d just vacated.
Odd, but she rather liked the sound of her name from his lips.