Page 51 of It's All About the Duke
“Oh, but it does. It smells just like you—a warm breeze on a cool, sunny day. The fragrance is warmth, beauty, and goodness.”
“You are making that up. And I am not good, Your Grace,” she admitted honestly, knowing he didn’t know who she was, what she had done, and what she continued to do as Miss Honora Truth—and at the moment praying he never would.
“You feel good in my arms.”
He kissed her cheeks, her eyes, over her jawline and down her neck. Passion burst quickly between them. Gone were the sweet soft kisses and in their place were eager, desperate, and hungry kisses. His arms held her tighter. And as if it was the most natural thing to do, Marlena opened her mouth and the duke’s tongue entered to tease, to play, and to seek hers.
Marlena’s stomach, her abdomen, and between her legs tightened at the thrilling spirals of need cascading through her.
Sensations that she had never experienced shot to the core of her being as a tingling warmth settled over her, filling her with an eagerness to know more, to feel more, and to give more in return. She had no idea how or why she had such wanton, wonderful feelings.
Feelings aroused from the touch of a rake. A man who knew just how to kiss her, hold her, and tempt her beyond her control to stop him.
He wasn’t forcing her to do anything. He hadn’t even reached for her. She had initiated their kisses.
She wanted this.
Something she could have never expected, never have dreamed had happened with the Duke of Rathburne. The man in whom she’d done her best to inspire shame, guilt, and penance with her writings.
The duke’s hand slid up her waist to cup and caress her breast beneath the sprigged muslin of her dress. Marlena gasped at the desire that flooded her entire body. She moaned faintly at the exploding pleasure overcoming her. Now she finally knew what the poets meant when they wrote about ravishing their lovers.
Marlena wanted the rake to ravish her.
Their kisses became more passionate with each breath. His tongue lightly probed and stroked in and out of her mouth, teasing her. His kisses filled her with a hunger she didn’t understand but somehow knew only the duke could satisfy. All she was aware of was how the duke was making her feel and hoping it would go on forever.
Suddenly the side gate burst open wih a bang.
“Marlena! I have our article and its wonder—”
Marlena and the duke sprang apart as if a shot had been fired between them. She felt as if her heart had entered her throat. Had Eugenia saidourarticle in front of the duke? Had she seen them kissing? Of course, she had!
“Oh, I didn’t know you were here,” Eugenia squeaked, clutching at her skirt with one hand and tightly holding a sheet of newsprint in the other. Her gaze solidly on the duke.
“He’s not,” Marlena said without thinking. “I mean. Yes, yes, he’s here. We’re here. We were just sitting in the garden.”
Eugenia seemed frozen when she said, “You were wrapped in each other’s arms.”
“Yes, I suppose we were,” Marlena said guiltily and jumped up off the bench while the duke slowly rose and remained quiet. “But I can explain that.” She looked over at the duke, hoping he would step in and help her. Surely he was more used to a situation like this than she was, but he was watching Eugenia.
“You were kissing him,” her friend said.
“Yes,” Marlena answered and feeling quite incapable of doing so, added, “And I can explain that, too.”
Eugenia’s surprised expression suddenly turned to one of fear. “How? Was he attacking you?”
Marlena gasped. “No, no! Of course not. I mean I know he’s a rake, but he’s not a brute.”
The duke held out his hand toward Eugenia, and calmly said, “Nothing is wrong, Miss Everard. There is no cause for alarm.”
“You were kissing her,” she said again but not nearly as loud as before. “With such passion that I—I…” Her words seemed to trail off into the air and disappear.
“I have not hurt Miss Fast and I won’t harm you. Miss Fast wanted to know what it would—No, don’t faint. Miss Everard, listen to me, do not faint.”
“Eugenia, no!” Marlena called to her friend.
But it was too late for either of them to say or do anything to help. Eugenia’s eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she crumpled to the ground before they could reach her. The scandal sheet she’d been holding floated down into the dead grass beside her.
Marlena and the duke rushed to her side and knelt down.
