Chapter Six #3
A surprisingly quick release roared through her. Eloise shattered, half stifling a scream, couldn’t even summon embarrassment knowing she was splayed out like a courtesan on that table.
But he wasn’t nearly done with her.
As she watched him while lethargy seeped through her veins, he wrenched at the buttons of his frontfalls. When his impressive erection sprang out, need throbbed through her insides. “Surely you can’t want me again after this morning.”
“I will always take the opportunity to fuck a woman who interests me, especially one to whom I’m engaged.
” With an intense look in his eyes he let his cane fall to the floor.
Seconds later, he maneuvered himself between her splayed legs, caught her beneath the knees, and scooted her toward him until her hips balanced on the edge of the shallow table.
“It’s even better when time is limited.”
Did he mean the time before dinner was called or his life in general?
Then her thoughts flew out of her mind, for he slid the head of his shaft through her folds, and with a powerful flex of his hips, he speared into her, penetrated her deeply and didn’t stop until he was fully seated.
“Dear heavens,” she managed to gasp out, for this position was different than how he’d taken her this morning, and this time, she wanted the joining.
“Agreed.”
The ability to talk completely left her, for it was all she could do to hang onto his forearms as he thrust into her over and over and over.
Each time he invaded her passage, she swore that he touched her core.
It was so intense, so full of unspoken emotions that it was grotesquely beautiful.
Pleasure slammed into her; her breath came in pants.
In this position, she couldn’t meet his strokes, but then, she didn’t need to because this coupling was about him, giving him an escape to hide.
It was enough, but things would need to change, and soon.
There was no time to tell him what she wanted, for his thrusts grew more frantic and fast. Her heart pounded in time to what he did to her; she dug her fingernails into the fabric of his sleeve.
When she glanced up into his face, his eyes were closed and the most angelic look of concentration and pleasure danced over those planes.
In that one moment, he was the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen despite the scar.
She lost her hold on reality, then, and pleasure roared through her body, hurtling her over the edge into perfect bliss before she was entirely ready. The duke soon followed, ground himself into her while his shaft jerked and pulsed.
The silence following seemed horribly loud if that was possible. Never had she met a man quite like the duke, and now their lives were weirdly entwined.
When he pulled away and tucked his flagging length back into his evening breeches, Eloise struggled into a sitting position on the table as she tried to catch her breath. “Damn, but that was good,” he said in a graveled voice while righting his clothing.
“Against my better judgment, I agree.” She brushed the pistol beneath her skirting when she catch him looking at it. “However, if I’m to remain here with you in any capacity, I want your story, so that means you’ll need to remain on this mortal coil for a bit longer.”
He glowered at her. “You don’t give me orders.”
“Ha.” As she shrugged, ambient cool air wafted over her exposed breasts, reminding her to put herself to rights before the butler came in.
“If you want to continue enjoying what is between us, you’ll do as I ask.
” Tugging at her bodice, she huffed when it took a bit more time than she’d thought to make herself presentable.
“Additionally, I might tell you my story.”
A frown pulled at the corners of his mouth. “Why do you care? I’ve done horrible things in my life that you don’t know about.” Shadows clouded his eyes. “I’ve treated you like a monster. There’s no denying that.”
“No.” With a tight chest, she shook her head.
“I know what real monsters are and you aren’t that.
” Was she still miffed with him for his high-handedness from the last two days?
Perhaps, but now that she understood him better, she could be persuaded to forgive him that.
“What is more, when you think no one is looking, there is a vulnerability about you, a deep sadness from which stems all your problems, and if you would allow yourself to unlock those feelings, sit with them, then set them free, you would perhaps be free yourself.” She elevated an eyebrow.
“It is not your lot in life to bear all those burdens alone, and it’s past time for you to put them down. ”
Emotions shadowed his face, but she couldn’t identify them. “You wish for me to give up and lose face within the ton.”
“No, I wish for you to find peace for once in your life. For you to realize that what you have is enough—that you are enough—and that you have survived things that would have killed lesser men.”
“But I… You… We…” It was the first time she’d seen him flounder, and she rather enjoyed seeing him at sixes and sevens.
“Yes, I know.” As she hopped off the table and smoothed out her skirting, the butler opened one of the doors and announced dinner.
“Thank you, Martin,” Blackhawke said then offered her his crooked arm.
“Join me.”
She nodded. “Only because I’m hungry. I seem to be indulging in a lot of strenuous exercise lately.”
“Indeed.” His lips twitched.
A smile curved her own mouth as she slipped a hand into his elbow.
What was happening in her life that she was softening toward this man?
He was right, perhaps he was a monster, but she didn’t believe that as truth.
Why, though? She knew him not at all. But that wasn’t the truth, was it?
He was more like her than she wanted to admit.
I am such a ninny.
When would her own nightmares end? For that’s what her life had become since that time in France.