The Perfect Duke Read online

  He continued kissing her for several more moments before his mouth left hers. He kissed her cheek and then her neck. She let out a sigh and snuggled closer to him. She didn’t know how he did it, but he had a way of making her feel wonderfully weak.

  He slipped her breast out of her gown then brought his mouth to her nipple. His tongue flicked across it, an action which made the deepest part of her core ache for him. She ran her hands along his shoulders and squeezed them in silent encouragement for him to keep doing this. She needed him. She wasn’t quite sure where all of this was heading, but at the moment, all she could focus on was the pleasure building up between her legs. This was the first time she’d ever felt this. Surely, wherever it was leading, it had to be wonderful.

  He shifted against her so that he could run his hand down her side. As he traced the curve of her waist and hip, he continued to tease her nipple with his tongue. She closed her eyes and gave into the need to feel everything he was doing to her, trying hard to savor each and every sensation. She didn’t know if it would always be like this when they were in bed. She hoped so. She definitely wanted to go through this again.

  His hand went to the side of her thigh, and he pulled her gown up. Her heart raced in anticipation. Even more private than her breast was the area between her legs. She held her breath and waited as he brought the gown, and the chemise under it, up to her waist. The cool air hit her bare thighs, and his hand slid between them until it settled over the patch of dark hair that marked her secret place.

  Without thinking, she lifted her hips so that his fingers brushed her entrance. He traced the folds of her flesh then dipped a finger into her. She let out a moan and wiggled against him so that he went all the way inside her. This time, he moaned and inserted another finger into her.

  She was wet. She hadn’t expected to get wet in that area of her body, but his fingers slid in and out of her with no resistance. His mouth left her breast, and he moved so that he was between her legs. She opened her eyes, wondering what he was going to do. He lowered his head and kissed her sensitive nub.

  She voiced her pleasure and parted her legs further so that he could have better access to her body. He slid another finger into her, and this time, there seemed to be some resistance, but it was hard to pay much attention to it since his tongue was now moving in circular motions on her sensitive nub.

  She gripped his shoulders and murmured for him to continue. He proceeded to stroke her core in more earnest while his tongue worked against her nub. Soon, she lost all sense of where she was. All she could do was give herself to the mounting pleasure that was building up inside of her. She was sure he was moaning along with her, but it was hard to tell who was moaning the loudest. Not that it mattered. All that mattered was what he was doing to her. This was all leading somewhere, and she had to find out where. Suddenly, reaching the destination was the most important thing in her life.

  And then, when she thought she couldn’t take it anymore, an intense burst of pleasure exploded inside her, sending her right over the edge. She cried out and jerked against him as her orgasm overtook her. One wave after another crashed into her. She tightened her hold on his shoulders while he continued stroking her, ensuring that she stay in this state of bliss for as long as possible. She had no idea how much time passed before the waves of pleasure died down. All she knew was that her body had never been more satisfied.

  She was barely aware that he had removed his breeches and drawers until something hard was pressing against her entrance. Before she had time to think about what he was doing, he was already inside her. There was only a moment of resistance her core gave at his entry, but as he began moving inside her, she was only aware of how pleasant it was to be filled by him.

  She looked at him as he made love to her. His expression seemed to be a mixture of pleasure and pain. His groans let her know he was enjoying this. If he felt even half as good as what she’d just been through, then she had no doubt this was the best thing he’d ever experienced. She couldn’t recall anything she had enjoyed more.

  She wrapped her legs around him and worked with him, encouraging him to reach the same place he’d just sent her. And at one point, he lowered his head to hers and kissed her, something that struck her more as a very sweet action. Then he lifted his head and groaned again. His thrusting became more urgent, and not long after, he grew stiff and let out a final groan as he throbbed inside her.

  Good. He had received the same kind of release that she’d just had. She didn’t know why that should bring her so much satisfaction, but it did. She liked knowing she could take him to the heights of pleasure.

  He relaxed, and after a few seconds passed, he kissed her cheek. “I’m so glad you married me.” Still out of breath, he pulled out of her and gathered her into his arms.

  She thought this might be a good time to remove their clothes. She was still fully clothed. While he still had his top clothing on, he was naked from the waist down. But if she suggested it, she’d have to leave his embrace, and she rather liked being tucked up against his side. He’d just made love to her and told her that he was glad she’d married him. Of all the ladies in London, he wanted her to be his wife. There were other ladies he could have had, even with his financial situation being the way it was. He hadn’t settled for her. He married her because he saw something in her worth marrying.

  “I’m glad you married me, too,” she whispered.

  Since he didn’t respond, she glanced up at him. To her surprise, he had already drifted off to sleep. With a smile, she snuggled back into his arms and closed her eyes. Not long after that, she fell asleep, too.

  ***

  The next morning, Nick had his arms wrapped around Tara, who was still sleeping. During the course of the night, he had made love to her again, and, this time, he’d been patient enough to actually remove her clothes, along with the rest of his. Afterward, he had brought the blanket over them to keep them both warm.

  He thought over everything he’d read in that book Lord Edon had given him. He’d studied it several times over the past few days, just to make sure he knew exactly what to do. And it seemed as if studies had proven fruitful. He liked that she didn’t make her enjoyment a secret. It was important that she didn’t regret marrying him. He wanted her to be happy with him.

  The previous evening had been, as the book had promised, a success. He’d managed to please her. What he hadn’t factored in, however, was how making love would affect him. The book had said nothing about the way he was feeling right now. He was experiencing a strange closeness to her that he’d never felt with anyone else. He had the urge to do anything she wanted just to please her. He had said he would do this anyway when she agreed to save him and his family from ruin. But now, he wanted to make her happy for a reason that had nothing at all to do with obligation. It was something he wanted simply for the sake of bringing a smile to her face.

  Making love had changed him. It had changed the way he felt about her. It had changed the way he felt about their marriage. He just wasn’t sure what it all meant yet. Everything was still new. But he had the suspicion that his life was now becoming entwined with hers.

  She shifted against him, and his gaze went to her face. Yes, her hair was sprawled out around her in a mess and she was tangled up in part of the blanket, but she looked very comfortable. And very pretty.

  Her eyelids fluttered open, and her gaze turned to him. “Is it late in the day?”

  “I don’t think so,” he replied, smiling at her. What a silly gentleman he was. He couldn’t stop himself from smiling if he tried. “I heard a rooster crow not too long ago, and the sun hasn’t been out for long.” He tucked the blanket more securely around her. “You can go back to sleep. We’ve been getting up first thing in the morning since leaving London. You should rest in today.”

  “But we need to return as soon as possible. I have so many things to do.” She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “When we left, Miss Wilmington was trying
to remove Lady Stacey from the group, and I had to talk Lady Stacey into staying in it.” She paused. “For all I know, Miss Wilmington’s already married to Sir Tristan Blakemoor. So much is going on.” She glanced over at him. “How long have you been awake?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know.” It’d been before the sun rose for the day, but he hadn’t bothered checking his pocket watch. He’d been content to hold her in his arms and think about her.

  “Are you hungry?”

  Funny. He hadn’t given food any thought. Now that she mentioned it, however, his stomach was notifying him that it would like something to eat. “Yes.”

  She leaned toward him and gave him a kiss. He’d wanted to kiss her longer, but she jumped out of the bed and started washing up for the day.

  Since she wanted to head out soon, he rose from the bed and gathered their clothes. He hadn’t realized he’d thrown them so far from the bed in his enthusiasm last night. He hoped he hadn’t unwittingly done any damage to her gown and undergarments when he’d removed them from her. He checked them over and was relieved to see he hadn’t. She had good quality clothes. They’d never once been mended. From the looks of it, they were fairly new.

  She wiped her face with a clean cloth. “What would you like to eat this morning?”

  He shrugged. “Anything.”

  She grinned at him in amusement. “You say that for every meal. Don’t you ever have a preference?”

  “As long as it’s edible and hot, I don’t care what it is.”

  She finished washing up then gathered a new chemise from her trunk. “It’s nice that you’re not picky, but you are allowed to have some favorite foods.”

  “Since you put it that way, I happen to enjoy plum cake and eggs a lot.”

  “Perfect. We’ll have that.”

  Since she was done washing up, he decided he’d take his turn at the washbasin.

  She pulled out a new pair of stockings and began to put them on. “Maybe we should have some toast and butter, too. Do you mind that?”

  She might not have realized it, but he found the simple act of watching her get dressed for the day an arousing experience. He was surprised. He thought a lady would be much more intriguing while undressing because that meant clothes were coming off. But he rather enjoyed the way she brought her hands up her legs while she worked the stockings up them. She had nice, long legs. And to think that last night they’d been wrapped around his waist as he made love to her.

  “Nick?” she asked.

  Forcing his gaze to hers, he asked, “Did you say something?”

  “I wondered if you wanted to add toast and butter to the list of menu items this morning.”

  “Oh, yes. That sounds good.”

  Fortunately, she didn’t seem to notice the way he’d been staring at her since she offered a nod and continued getting dressed.

  He forced his gaze off of her. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to end up asking her to go back to the bed, and that would mean they’d leave later than she wanted. It was important to her that they get back to London right away. He would do his part to help her with that goal. Turning his attention back to the washbasin, he got ready for the day.

  Chapter Ten

  Upon returning to London, Tara’s first order of business was to make sure Lady Blakemoor hadn’t forced Lady Stacey out of the group. While she had already talked with her before she and Nick left for Gretna Green, she wanted to make sure Lady Blakemoor hadn’t somehow intervened since then. Tara supposed she needed to start thinking of Lady Stacey as just Stacey since they had formed a closer acquaintance. But she didn’t think she’d ever be close enough to Lady Blakemoor to address her informally.

  Right after Tara and Nick entered his townhouse, they were surrounded by his mother and sisters. They were eager to show her and Nick the improvements they’d made to the townhouse, but she could only pay half attention to them. She wished she could give them her full attention, but she kept worrying over how things had, or hadn’t, progressed in Ladies of Grace during her absence.

  Toward the end of an hour, Nick’s mother and sisters were asking her what she’d like the new cook to make for dinner that evening. “He doesn’t have much experience yet,” his mother was saying. “That’s why he isn’t as expensive as others, but he’s got a good heart.”

  “And his meals are good,” Cress hurried to add. “I think you’ll be pleased with him.”

  Tara had to force her mind off of the possibility that Lady Blakemoor had done something to publicly humiliate Stacey so that Stacey would never be a part of Ladies of Grace again. Goodness, but she really couldn’t concentrate at all now that she was back in London. All of the problems she’d left behind were pestering her too much.

  “I need to take care of some things,” Tara said. “I need to arrange for the rest of my things to be brought here. I also need to pay a friend a visit to make sure everything is all right with a certain situation.” She didn’t feel like going into the whole sordid story of what Lady Blakemoor was trying to do. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone, but I should be back by dinner.”

  “What would you like for dinner?” Nick’s mother asked.

  Oh, right. They had asked her what she’d wanted. She couldn’t believe she’d forgotten. “I happen to be partial to roast chicken and potatoes, but if that doesn’t suit any of you, don’t have Cook make it just because it’s something I like.”

  “We happen to like those things, too,” his mother said. “We’ll have Cook make them for dinner this evening.”

  Tara thanked them then headed for the entryway. Footsteps trailed behind her, so she glanced over her shoulder in time to see Nick. “Did I forget something?” she asked him as she stopped and waited for him to catch up to her.

  “No,” he began, “but I was wondering if you wanted some company.”

  A warmth came over her at the offer. “I’d like to spend more time with you, but I have some unpleasant things to deal with. I’d rather not involve you in them. I’m sure my brother will be at my old townhouse this time of day, and after I visit Lady Whitney, I might need to talk to Lady Blakemoor.”

  “Then maybe I should come. I can offer you some comfort.”

  She hadn’t expected Nick to turn out to be so attentive to her. Basil hadn’t ever concerned himself with what was happening in her life unless it affected him. But Nick really did care about her. Since no one was around, she gave him a kiss. She expected the kiss to be a short one, but he wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss. She, in turn, melted in his embrace. It was hard not to give in to the desire to spend every waking moment with him.

  When the kiss ended, she let out a reluctant sigh. “It would be nice to have you with me, but I’m afraid this is something I need to do alone. Maybe this will be a good time for you to pay off your father’s creditors.”

  “Yes, I should do that today, shouldn’t I?”

  “We’ll have plenty of time to be together later.” She kissed him again, making sure this one was short. “I’ll see you by dinner time.”

  He offered her a smile and gave her arms a gentle squeeze. “All right. I’m looking forward to it.”

  “I am, too.”

  She returned his smile then headed out of the townhouse. Truth be told, it was difficult to leave him. It was only her fear of what Lady Blakemoor might have done to Ladies of Grace in her absence that steeled her resolve to head on out. So much was riding on how things played out during the next few weeks. But before she visited Stacey or Lady Blakemoor, she needed to arrange for her things to be delivered to her new residence.

  She walked several blocks until she reached her brother’s townhouse.

  The footman opened the door before she had time to knock. “I saw you coming,” he explained, as if he felt it necessary to tell her why he’d opened the door so quickly. “We worried about you. Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine.” And she was sure the ‘we’ he referred to had to do with him
and the servants. She doubted Basil had worried about her, though he might have wondered where she’d gone. “News of my elopement to the Duke of Ravenshire didn’t get out?”

  “It did, but we still worried that you were forced into it.”

  “No, I wasn’t forced into anything. I acted on my own free will.”

  “That’s a relief.”

  Pleased by his concern, she thanked him. Then, since she still had his attention, she added, “I’d like for my belongings to go to my new townhouse.”

  “I’ll have the butler and coachman notified.”

  After she told him where Nick lived, she said, “There are a few things I’ll take myself.”

  He nodded, and she went up the steps that would take her to her old bedchamber. She wanted to take her jewelry and a few other keepsakes from her past…if they were still there. If word had gotten out that she’d eloped, then there was no telling what Basil might have done out of spite. He’d probably checked on her account and realized she’d moved all of her money out of it so he couldn’t get to it. He might sell the jewelry since it was worth a good sum of money. As for her keepsakes…well, they weren’t worth much, but he did have a vindictive streak in him. He might have thrown those out.

  She wasn’t sure what she was going to find when she opened her bedchamber door, but one thing she didn’t imagine she’d ever see was her brother and Lady Eloise entwined in each other’s arms…and naked as the day they were born.

  Tara let out a startled shriek. Then she slammed the door shut and hurried down the stairs, willing the scene from her mind. It was the most disgusting thing she’d ever seen in her entire life. Her brother…naked…and with…with… She shivered. If only she could clean out her eyeballs!

  Just as she made it to the bottom of the stairs, her brother was calling out her name. She ignored him. There was nothing she had to say to him. All she’d come here for was her things, and right now, even that didn’t matter. The only thing she wanted to do was get out of this place.