Page 44 of Yours Truly, the Duke
It had been a while since he’d been with a woman. That made him all the more vulnerable to her sweetness and the situation with her even more volatile too. Instinctively, he wanted to sweep her into his arms, carry her to his chamber, and lie with her in the softness of his bed.
With ease, he moved his hand up the shapely rise of her breast to cup, caress, and tease the fullness. It was exciting to explore the shape of her body. His loins tightened achingly until her hand caught his wrist and stopped him.
Wyatt lifted his head and looked into her beautiful eyes. They were filled with the sparkling innocence of wonder. Shivers of wanting raced through him again. Hesensed an intimate intensity radiating between them that he knew she felt too. Their breaths were erratic. Nonetheless, she was calling a halt to what they were both so obviously enjoying.
She let go of him, slipped out of his embrace, and stepped back. “Occurrences such as this were not included in our arrangement any more than were outings in the park as a proper family.”
Wyatt thought he detected uncertainty in her voice and was tempted to press her on the matter. But then remembered he hadn’t planned on passionate kisses with her when he’d asked her to marry him either. Not for quite some time to come, anyway.
If he had carried on with what he wanted tonight, there would be possibilities his life would change. Forever. His carefully laid plans of doing everything as his father had done would be over. If she were with child he would become a father. He wasn’t ready to make a commitment like that.
“You’re right,” he answered, trying to ease his labored breathing and the ache in his loins.
“Why did you kiss me so passionately?” she asked.
“I wanted to. You are very desirable, Fredericka. You are beautiful and strong-minded. Everything about you tempts me.” He gave her a little smile when he saw how genuinely curious she was. “Why did you allow me to kiss you?”
“I was curious to see if it would feel the way it had on our wedding day.”
Her answer pleased him and he smiled. “Did it?”
“Yes. You are handsome, intriguing, and your kisses are pleasant.”
He lifted the corners of his mouth in doubt and narrowed his eyes. “Only pleasant?” He blew out a chuckle. “In that case, I must try again and do better.”
Wyatt reached and caught her upper arm. His body reacted again to the mere touch of her, but she slowly pulled away from him, letting her arm glide through his hand.
“I like things that are pleasant.”
“But kisses should be thrilling like this.” He reached for her again, but she eluded him.
“I think I should go up now,” she said with more conviction than her previous words conveyed. “It’s late. I’m suddenly feeling weary from the long day. The children are early to rise, and I must be as well.”
Wyatt nodded. “Yes.” He was exhausted too. But kissing her was a good way to end the evening and he wasn’t sorry he had, but he had to be careful. If he’d done what he had wanted, he could find her in the family way and he certainly wasn’t ready for anything that serious.
“Good night, Your Grace.”
He nodded and watched as she walked toward the door, realizing his head was no longer pounding.
At the entry, Fredericka turned back to him. “I feel certain you must not be aware of it, so I wanted to let you know there are no poetry books or verse of any kind on any of the shelves. That’s actually what I was searching for but couldn’t find even one.”
“I am aware of that.”
“Really? I thought for sure in a library this size I would find several dozen. There’s not even one on poems about flowers. Has someone borrowed them all and failed to return the books?”
“No,” he answered. “I burned them.”
CHAPTER 12
TO AN AUTUMN ROSE
—CHARLES F. HOFFMAN
The burning story of my love discover;
And if the theme should fail, alas! to move her,
Tell her, when youth’s gay summer flowers are past,
