Chapter Ten #2
He fucked her with the confidence of a man who knew exactly how she liked it. But she knew nothing of what she liked or what she needed. All she knew was this man treasured her—valued her pleasure above all else. He was a man who loved her.
The thought alone left her trembling, but she could not dwell on it. Reuben shifted his other hand to settle between her thighs. He teased her, pushing her pleasure higher and higher until she came close to combustion.
Every thrust, every spiral of pressure, left her gasping and panting.
Deep inside her, a powder keg came dangerously close to igniting.
She ground her hips against him, arching back and withdrawing only to meet the pressure of his hand at the apex of her sex, teasing and stroking with unparalleled skill.
“Evans, I—” She crested, grasping her release as he drove deep again and again, even as she came apart, her body tense and pulsing with pleasure. He continued as though determined to wring every last drop from her willing body.
Evans withdrew quickly, stroking himself until he found his own release coating his hand.
Cassandra glanced at it with a sly smile. She took his hand and lifted it to her lips. Holding his gaze, she licked his fingers clean, savoring the taste of him and the stunned look on his face.
When she relinquished her hold, he pulled her in by the waist and kissed her.
Whatever this was, whatever happened next, Cassandra could not bring herself to worry. Reuben Evans had opened a door that neither of them wanted to close. And she would be damned if she did not thoroughly explore this new delight.
The duchess was pursuing her pleasure, and nothing could deter her from this newfound passion.
*
Finally. The single word repeated over and over in his mind. After years of unrequited longing, he had finally claimed her. His duchess. His dowager duchess.
As the lust-induced haze slowly dissipated, Reuben’s wits returned.
Soft tendrils of hair lay against her cheek where they had pulled free from her coiffure.
A gentle blush painted her skin in a delightful afterglow.
He traced his finger along the curve of her neck down to her still-bared breasts, earning him a satisfied moan.
Cassandra was a goddess. An ethereal creature sent to lure him to sin.
And he would gladly follow her into the depths of hell if she bade him.
Whatever fascination he’d held for her before had now been solidified into a physical manifestation.
He cared deeply for her. He loved her. But such a confession had no place in this moment—not yet, at least.
Reuben cleared his throat and readjusted his clothing. Cassandra frowned as he hid his cock from view.
“Have you finished with me?” she asked, slowly mimicking his actions and repositioning her own garments.
He regarded her carefully before responding, noting how she easily readjusted her chemise to regain her modesty. Not as though she required it in his presence. He would have her naked at all hours of the day. Such beauty should never be hidden behind yards of muslin and wool.
“Hardly,” he replied, keeping his other thoughts firmly hidden away.
“Excellent.” She hooked a finger beneath his chin. “Come with me, Evans.”
Reuben followed her into the hallway, which was thankfully vacant of servants. The last thing he needed was the house ablaze with gossip. Two steps behind her, he kept pace, up the stairs and into her private chambers.
Inside, Cassandra closed the door behind them and leaned against it.
Her lips still bore the mark of their earlier passion.
Her eyes darkened with hunger. He traced the curve of her down to the floor and back up, his imagination painting a vivid picture of her wearing nothing but the coy smile upon her full, beautiful lips.
“You have further use of me, madam?” Reuben asked, remaining as still as a marble statue.
“I believe we have moved beyond propriety, Reuben.” She sauntered closer. “In this room, we are not mistress and servant. I am merely a woman and you are a man.” Her hand came to rest on his chest just over his heart. Her lashes fluttered as she met his gaze. “I want to hear my name on your lips.”
“Is that all, Cassandra?” His stance softened at the subtle hitch in her breath.
“No.” She slipped his tie from the knot. “I want you to remove your clothes.”
“Under one condition,” he murmured, leaning closer.
Cassandra pulled the tie free, letting the fabric flutter to the floor. “I am listening.”
“Allow me to remove yours first.”
Heat flashed in her eyes as she nodded.
With agonizing patience, Reuben reached for her.
As he peeled away the layers covering her body, he pressed reverent kisses to her pale skin.
The gown pooled at her feet. He methodically unlaced her corset before slipping it free, leaving her in only a chemise, drawers, stockings, and shoes.
His hands trailed over her curves as he knelt before her.
When his hand encircled her ankle, she caught her lip between her teeth and stifled a moan. Watching her reaction, he removed one boot then the other. His hands slid along the seam of her stockings, up and up, until they reached the garters tied at her thighs.
Cassandra’s breath caught and shifted from measured to erratic. He reveled in the ability to elicit such a reaction from her. As he rolled the stockings down, he caressed the length of each leg, noting the soft skin and trembling heat beneath his touch. Only then did he remove her drawers.
“Reuben,” she gasped as he gathered the hem of her chemise and drew it up, slowly rising to his feet.
Once he’d tugged it over her head and tossed it aside, Reuben lost all reasonable thought.
His gaze raked over her. Down, then up, and back again.
Words failed him. Cassandra was even more beautiful than he could have imagined.
From her breasts to the soft swell of her stomach to the delicious bounty of her thighs and the delight he knew lay between them covered in downy hair.
He licked his lips and a deep moan escaped him.
Uncertainty flickered in her eyes, but she made no move to cover herself. “I have done my part. Now you uphold your end of the agreement.”
“As you wish.” Reuben’s cock stood at full attention as he removed his jacket and set it aside on a chair.
Cassandra’s eyes sparkled with every flick of his wrist loosening the buttons along his waistcoat and then his shirt. He removed each item, placing it with the last. Silently, she watched with fascination as he stripped layer after layer. He toed off his shoes, leaving his trousers for last.
“Wait.” Cassandra stopped him when he’d reached for them. “Allow me.”
He lifted his hands in surrender, his cock aching from the slow torment.
Confidence infused every touch. She unfastened them with ease and slid them over his hips, allowing her fingertips to brush his cock, still covered by the thin fabric of his undergarments.
She sank to her knees before him as he had with her.
Once free of the garment as well as his underclothes, he stiffened.
Her hands rested on his hips. Her gaze fixed on his.
“Wha—?” The protest died in his throat as she took him in her mouth.
“Fuck.” He threaded his fingers through her hair as she took him deeper, sliding her tongue over the head of his cock and suckling.
She cupped him, her fingers encircling the base of his cock and squeezing.
Every stroke of her delicious mouth sent another wave of sensation through his body.
Pleasure radiated through him, echoing in the back of his mind.
The warmth of her mouth pushed it higher and higher.
He held her head steady, unhurried but with a building pressure.
If she persisted, he would come. Part of him wished to prolong the torment, but he had little patience left. There would be time later.
“Cassandra,” he ground out. His grip on her hair tightened when she refused to stop. He hissed when the gentle pressure of her teeth slid along the sensitive head. Finally, she relinquished her control. “As much as I enjoy this, I would much rather explore you.”
A pout formed on her succulent lips.
“I promise, you may torment me in all the ways you desire after I have had a chance to worship you.”
He aided her to her feet and swept her into his arms. Cassandra’s surprised yelp echoed through the room. When he placed her on the bed, she sprawled out on the thick counterpane. His hunger intensified as he committed her to memory.
Naked and glowing, like a celestial being, she smiled. “You wish to worship me?”
“In all ways.” Reuben climbed onto the bed, hovering over her. He traced his fingers along the outside of her thigh, up over her hip, across her stomach, brushing a nipple with his thumb.
Cassandra inhaled sharply, her breasts trembling at the movement.
“Saints above, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.” He lowered his mouth to her breast, drawing the peak into his mouth.
Her moans filled the air around him like a chorus of pleasure urging him on. He pressed his body closer, savoring the delicious friction of his skin against hers, absorbing her heat, her very essence.
“I have dreamed of this for years,” Reuben confessed as he continued to press gentle kisses along her bare torso. His fingertips kneaded the soft flesh of her hips and the swell of her stomach.
“As have I.” She arched against him. “Reuben—more.”
When he slid his fingers along her sex, her satisfied gasp made him grin. He loved this—her sweat-slickened body desperate for his attention. Her cunt dripped for him.
“Reuben, please—” She grasped his shoulders, pulling him up until they met eye to eye. He recognized the unspoken desire painted on her flushed cheeks and panting breaths.
Settled between her thighs, he teased her entrance with the head of his cock until she’d arched her hips. He slid deep with a single thrust, burying his head in the curve of her neck at the overwhelming pleasure.
Being inside her brought him a sense of completion unlike anything he had ever experienced in his life. He took two deep breaths while remaining perfectly still.
When she grasped his hips and slowly rocked hers, Reuben’s restraint snapped. He fucked her, giving her exactly what she demanded. Their bodies melded as a delicious friction built between them. Warmth radiated from inside his chest, threatening to consume him with its intensity.
Whatever he gave her, she returned tenfold.
Cassandra was no passive lover. Years of being imprisoned in a loveless marriage seemed to have left her with a burning, insatiable curiosity.
He knew only of her limited experiences with her husband and had only assumed she knew nothing beyond it. Had he been wrong?
Cassandra stroked his cheek, bringing him back to the moment. Lost in her heavenly eyes, he knew none of it mattered. The only thing that existed was them bound in this moment of passion and pleasure.
Reuben thrust deeper, shifting his hips to open her wider for him.
Her cry of bliss made his heart soar. He pushed her, harder, faster—imploring her to take all of him as deep as she could.
She grasped the back of his head, pulling him in for an intoxicating kiss. Their tongues danced and the pressure escalated, rising with every thrust.
When he drew back and pressed his thumb to her sensitive pearl, she exploded beneath him. Her nails bit into his arms as she clung to him. Her cunt pulsed around his cock, tipping him over the edge.
Reuben withdrew and spilled across her stomach, admiring the glint of his seed marking her as his. A triumphant smile curved his lips.
“Proud of yourself?” Cassandra asked, her sated grin matching his own.
“I take pride in all I do.” Reuben sank onto the bed beside her, propping himself up on an elbow to admire her beauty.
“As you should.” She trailed her fingertips over his chest.
He chuckled as he climbed from the bed to retrieve a cloth he’d dampened in a washbasin.
Once he’d cleaned her thoroughly, he rejoined her on the bed. Cassandra curled up beside him, her head on his chest, her thigh thrown over his. He stroked her shoulder as they lay in silence, listening to the gentle crackle of the fire in the hearth.
“Are you hungry?” Reuben asked.
“Starving.” Cassandra shifted to look down at him. “Reuben—we should discuss what happens next.”
“Between us?” he asked, studying her somber expression.
“Well, yes, but also my son—and the Lord of Devil’s Acre.” She sighed. “There must be a solution.”
“I agree.” Reuben cupped her cheek. Her eyes fluttered closed at the caress. “But tonight, let us enjoy this moment. Tomorrow, we shall find a solution.”
Hope blossomed in her eyes as she nodded.
“I shall retrieve something for us to eat.” Reuben’s wicked smile returned. “Then I fully intend to feast upon you until morning.”
Cassandra made no protest, but her hand wrapped around his cock, gently squeezing. “This time, I will finish what I began.”
“As you wish, You—” He gasped when she tightened her hold. “Cassandra.”
“Good man.” Cassandra kissed him thoroughly before she relinquished her hold.
Reuben dressed and escaped the room only to retrieve food and return. The servants would ask about it later, but he ignored them.
Tonight was for him and Cassandra. And he would make the most of his borrowed time.