Page 43 of Yours Truly, the Duke
A frustrated sigh passed her lips. He didn’t like this any more than she did, but right now there was nothing he could do. The differences in politics hadn’t entered his mind when he told her he would take care of Jane’s petition.
“In the meantime,” he continued, “we will wait. I understand everything in Chancery moves slowly. Some of it due to the Lord Chancellor and some because of the great number of other departments under his control. He not only decides on guardians, but bankrupts, trusts, the mentally infirm, and a host of other issues that need attention.You should prepare yourself and the children for a longer stay in London.”
“I will stay here until I know this matter is settled.” She casually descended to the next rung. “It’s why I came. But won’t that be an even bigger problem for you?”
“In what way?” he asked, thinking more about his desire to kiss her right now than what she was saying.
“My presence might restrict your training sessions and social calendar.” She shrugged slightly and gave him another pretty, bedeviling smile before adding, “Parties, dancing, and such. You know, the kinds of things that won’t work for us to do together.”
Wyatt frowned. She was bent on tantalizing him out of the temper he was in and making him forget the sledgehammer banging against his forehead. And it was working. A warmth of slowly rising passion settled low in his loins. He wanted to kiss her softly. With no reason to hurry. She had strength, charm, and innocence in spades and it was having an arousing effect on him.
He shook his head, knowing his mind was far away from the words he was speaking. “No need to worry about me. I’ll carry on as usual with my activities.”
“You’ve given me no reason to doubt that.”
“You can use this time to have new dresses and gowns made and anything the children might need.”
“I’ll do that and other things that need my attention. Nevertheless, I must caution you that Bella and Charles can be disruptive and loud. Elise will join them at times. Children can be upsetting to a quiet household. I’ll do my best to keep them quiet.”
Was she teasing him again? She had the youngsters acting as if they were afraid to move a muscle unless she told them they could. He couldn’t believe she’d ever letthem step out of line or that they’d want to for fear her sharp eye would see and banish them to their chairs.
“I enjoy children,” he assured her. “Commotion doesn’t bother me.”
She took another step, finally making it to the next to the last rung on the ladder where he could easily reach her. Perfect. His breaths quickened and a slow throb developed in his loins.
Fredericka folded her arms underneath her breasts, lifting their pillow softness higher. “You don’t know how much noise they can make or how fast they can destroy the order of a room.”
Wyatt grinned. “Clearly you’ve never attended recreation day at boarding school with two hundred boys.”
And she obviously didn’t know how easy it was to tempt a man who hadn’t slept for close to thirty hours and yet wanted to feel her softness cuddled in his arms. In one fluid motion, he wrapped both arms around her waist, lifted her off the ladder, and swung her around a couple of times before placing her on her feet.
Fredericka laughed, settled her hands in the crook of his arms, and looked at him. “That was a surprise,” she admitted.
For him too. “It appeared you enjoyed it?”
“Yes, it was wonderful.” Her gaze stayed on his.
The tension in his head sifted away with the lilting sounds of her soft laughter. His shoulders relaxed as the tiredness seemed to ebb from his body. He locked his fingers together at the small of her back and leaned into her. Simply holding her was a pleasure. She felt good next to him and intoxicatingly familiar beneath his grasp. The warmth, the closeness, and that indefinable knowledge that she was his forever seemed to reverberate through him.
“I haven’t been swung around like that since I was a little girl. Probably younger than Bella is now. It’s one of my last memories of me and my father together. Thank you for reminding me of such a happy time.”
Much as he would have liked for it to be different, for now anyway, he liked the soothing feel of his arms around her. “I’m glad.” Wyatt lowered his lids a fraction. “I’ll have to do it again sometime.”
“Well, n-no, of c-course not,” she stammered uncomfortably, but made no effort to step back. “That is child’s play.”
“And what is wrong with that? If it makes you happy and I enjoy it as well, what does it matter if it’s something that is usually reserved for children?”
“I don’t think that would be a proper way for us to behave. When I said I liked it, I didn’t mean to indicate there should be more swirling around between us.”
“I think I would like more of it. And more of this?”
His mouth descended slowly toward hers until their lips tenderly touched. A slight and soft murmur sounded. He wasn’t sure if it was an acceptance or a protest at first, but her eyes closed, and she didn’t move away as his lips caressed hers with gentleness. Instead, her hands tightened on his arms, her mouth opened, relaxed, and relinquished resistance to the kiss. She gave control of it over to him. Deep, satisfying pleasure washed through him and he added pressure to their kiss.
Sweet, heady sensations filled him as his tongue brushed against hers over and over again. Wyatt absorbed and swallowed the satisfying taste of her while loosening the hold on her back. He let his hands slide up to her shoulders and down as he enjoyed how well she fit into his embrace. Through the fine fabric of her dress, he could tell her waist was small, nicely curved, and as warm as a summer afternoon. The flare of her hips was shapely, smooth, and firm.
Their kisses continued slow, tender, and perhaps more intoxicating for the lack of urgency while he simply relished holding her close, touching her body, and taking comfort in all she was making him feel. Which was heavenly. Her response was equal to his and it fed his desire. Yet he held back and didn’t push for advances he didn’t know if she was prepared to accept. He would take all she was willing to allow.
Keeping the same leisurely pace, his lips moved to her cheek, then her jaw, and over to the sensitive spot behind her ear before leaving a trail of kisses trickling down the slender column of her neck and back to her lips. She arched toward him. A small involuntary gasp was drawn from her, and he felt her start to tremble. At the hollow of her throat, he stopped to inhale her warm, fragrant skin and allow her scent of summer sunshine to sink into his senses, fill him, and tempt him with desires he had suppressed since he’d met her.
