23
Camilla White
S unday went by too quickly.
Never in a million years would I think he’d want to be able to spend the day with me . It was the best day off I’ve had in years.
We were able to be ourselves freely and without possible prying eyes. I was even able to fully relax for the first time next to him.
We didn’t have sex. He didn’t even kiss me—on the mouth, at least.
But that didn’t bother me in the least. The connection grew from the conversation, and his lingering touches, forehead kisses, and caresses felt stronger and heavier than a kiss. He had made it clear that the goal was to get to know me better and spend some time with me. And that’s exactly what he did.
It was dreamy. Heartwarming.
Behind all that hard and assertive exterior lies a warm and loving man. Whoever ends up marrying him will be the luckiest woman alive.
“What’s wrong?” Mariah’s voice breaks my reverie.
“Nothing, just deep in thought. Why?”
“You got this sad and longing look in your eyes. Missing your mumma?” She asks with a sad, sheepish smile.
She’s a good girl and tries to keep out gossip as much as she can, even though it’s quite a hard task when working in places like this. In this household, she’s my right hand, being able to do a little bit of everything.
Currently, she’s preparing a chocolate cake. I came to the kitchen a few minutes ago to leave next week’s menu and stayed to catch up with her. She was excited to tell me about her day off and how she had been on a date for the first time in her life.
“Sorry, something you said just reminded me of her,” I lie with a weak smile.
She can’t know the real reason I dozed off.
“Anyway,” I try, going back to the original subject. “How in the hell are you twenty-two and only now going on a date for the first time?”
Her porcelain-like cheeks turn crimson, “Well, no one had asked until now.”
“What?” I gasp, offended. “These men don’t know how to spot a beautiful woman even when it’s right in front of their eyes.”
She giggles and goes back to the batter.
“Oh, Camilla!” she exclaims. “The butler left a letter for you just a couple of minutes ago. It should be on the counter of the island.”
“Thank you.” I pat her shoulder, letting her finish the cake batter. “You’re a darling.”
The first thing I notice on the envelope is my college’s logo. It makes me frown because it’s been a while since I finished. There’s no reason for letters anymore. Still, the curiosity takes the best of me, and I open it, revealing a beautiful piece of paper framed with floral decorations.
An invitation.
It’s inviting me to a reunion gala on the fifth of November—exactly a week from today.
To be able to go to Livia and meet with old friends that sometimes I wish I would have stayed in touch with is extremely appealing. Not to mention the opportunity to get out of this house for a bit.
It could give me some clarity on everything...
Hopefully, the duke will give me two days off so I can go and have fun for once.
“Mariah, do you have everything under control?”
“Yes. Why?” She eyes my letter curiously, and I suppress the urge to chuckle.
She means well, but sometimes, curiosity just gets the best of people. I get it; it has happened to me, too. It’s hard not to know each other’s business at times.
“I have a college reunion. I was going to meet with the duke and see if he could spare me a couple of days off so I can go,” I explain.
“Oh, that’s marvellous.” She grins. “Go, go. I got it, miss.”
Crossing the hall, I head to the staircase. However, before I can climb up and meet Vincent in his office, someone grabs my arm and pulls me roughly. It’s only when a door locks I realise I’ve just been pulled into one of the private rooms by...
“Oh, god,” I sigh in relief.
Vincent.
“You scared me,” I scold him.
“That was the point.” He smirks, pulling my body to him.
“What are you doing? It’s the middle of the day. The house is filled with people.”
“I missed you,” he breathes into my neck before giving it a peck.
“I was...going...to your...office,” I pant as his lips scatter across my skin, between the neck and the shoulder.
“So, you were missing me as well?” I swear I can feel his smirk against my skin.
“Well, I—” I hesitate.
I always want to be with him, of course, but do I want to admit that?
“I wanted to make a request,” I admit.
Might be easier to get it off my chest right away.
“What?” His voice comes out a seductive whisper as his hands start a trail on my skin. The other grazes my chest, settling on the cleavage right above my boobs. It opens button by button, grazing over my skin ever so lightly, making it tingle. My brain turns into mush, forgetting completely what it was that I had to discuss with him.
In seconds, my white blouse falls to the floor as his lips latch onto my skin, kissing, sucking, and licking my chest. Then he lowers onto his knees—his freaking knees—and gives my stomach some attention.
“Vincent,” I whisper. “What are you doing? There’s a full house on the other—”
“Shhhh,” he quiets me. “I was craving something sweet. You. ”
My eyes are shut, relishing the feeling of his lips on my skin so much that I can barely register what he’s said. It’s only when his hands reach my thighs and start to bring my skirt up that I look down at him, “Wha—”
I am cut off by the harsh tug he gives my skirt, exposing my panty-covered core. The intensity of his gaze makes me as aroused as it makes me self-conscious. The tight coil on the bottom of my belly forces my thighs to gain a life of their own and try to press together.
His big, strong hands keep them in place right before he buries his nose into my core. I gasp at the foreign feeling before melting into his hold.
“It’s been too long,” he mutters against my panties.
Two fingers graze my slit, right before pushing the flimsy fabric to the side. My hands fly to his hair, gripping his locks and tightening it, with each stroke of his digits. They spread all the wetness across my folds, making a mess.
Vincent hums in approval right before diving in.
His tongue feels like velvet as it licks throughout while his fingers pump in and out of me. My muscles contract in response, and one of my hands flies to my mouth the moment a moan escapes my lips. In a matter of seconds, he’s been able to make me forget how stupid this is and how much we’re risking.
“Vin...cent,” I whisper a moan.
He hums in response, but it’s too late. Whatever was on my mind has fleeted, and now, all that’s occupying my thoughts are the feelings, the sensations. The weakest leg, the one trembling, is placed over one of his shoulders as his free hand grips my hip and smoothly guides me through a rhythmically grinding movement.
The high rises to an unbearable point, pulling at my muscles. The problem is that if I let go, I’ll be loud, and I can’t. The horror of having the entire house hear how hard the duke is going down on the housekeeper mortifies me. So, I will myself to stay quiet, focusing more and straining my body to an excruciating point.
I am right there in the torturous limbo. The place where you crave more but you’re not allowing yourself to have that extra bit. I try to keep myself there until it’s no longer possible.
Like the cheater that it is, my body betrays me, and a long and loud moan escapes my lips.
“That’s it,” he coos, not even slowing down.
“It’s too...much,” I pant. “I can’t take it and be quiet.”
“You don’t need to be quiet. Also, you’ve taken more, little Milla . You can take this .”
However, instead of making him stop, it only makes him lick more, suck harder, and pump faster, bringing my climax to the front door. It shatters, blowing fireworks all over my brain, my body spasming around his fingers.
Vincent doesn’t stop until the last tremble, taking everything for himself and leaving me spent and tired. It’s only when I come down from the high with a shaky breath that he places my leg down and slowly raises to his feet.
“That was...divine.” He smirks, looking into my eyes.
“Oh, god,” I sigh as a deep blush creeps onto my cheeks.
I hastily pull my skirt down, embarrassment overcoming my entire body at the realisation of what just went down.
Well, who went down .
The moment I bend down to pick my shirt up, I’m held by Vincent. “Hey,” he whispers, grabbing my chin. “What’s wrong?”
“This was reckless and dangerous!” I hiss. “What if someone came through that door? Worse, what if someone heard me?”
The silence lingers as I wait for his answer, for his admission of how stupid this was. Vincent looks away first, tangling his hand in his locks and pushing them back off his forehead.
“You’re right,” he admits, still avoiding my eyes. “I saw you, and I just couldn’t resist.”
Is he embarrassed?
“I’m sorry.”
Still angry, I don’t let it go. “We have schedules that work. Please, for the sake of our sanity, let’s stick to them,” I scold. “Sunday was a risk in itself, and I don’t want to have both our lives ruined because of just sex.”
The duke winces at my words, and a shadow covers his eyes for a split second before they go back to normal. Then, he lets go of me and straightens his posture, putting his unruled locks back into place and buttoning the two top buttons of his shirt.
His sudden cool demeanour makes my stomach sink. He’s been so nice and considerate towards me lately that setting this boundary feels wrong, but if I don’t, things will get even more complicated than they already are. Shaking it off, I pick my shirt up and get myself presentable to leave this room without people thinking I was thoroughly fucked by the duke’s mouth just five minutes ago.
“What did you have to ask me?” His voice comes out even and emotionless.
Choosing to ignore the elephant in the room and how he is bothered by the boundaries I’ve just set, I answer his question. “Oh, I think I’ll need a few days off next week to attend a college reunion. Would that be possible?”
“I think so,” he agrees after clearing his throat. “Let me know which days so I can work around it and see who will be staying in charge while you’re gone.”
“Perfect, thank you.”
“Yeah,” he sighs, giving me a side glance before heading towards the door and exiting, leaving me alone and confused.