Page 67 of Love, the Duke
“Look into my eyes,” he said huskily. “I want you to see and know what I am saying is true.”
She lifted her head and did as he’d asked.
He took his time, keeping his gaze on hers. “I love you, Ophelia, and I am so glad you are mine.”
He felt her body tense and heard her inhaled raspy breath of air.
“Are you shocked?” he asked.
“Yes, but.” She hesitated. “I think I love you too.”
Hurst was quite sure his heart did somersaults in his chest. His first thought was to kiss her. Second was to ask why she only thought she loved him and didn’t know for sure. But he didn’t want to rush her. Hearing her say thewords made him feel so damn good he could only ask, “What makes you think that?”
“I love being with you. I want to see you and be with you even when you frustrate me at most every turn. I never stay angry with you as I would like to at times. I forgive you quickly for raising your voice when you don’t even know you are doing it. You make me smile and force me to think about what I’m doing even when I don’t want to. And you made me feel things I didn’t know we had been created to experience.”
A deep rush of desire pushed through him. Hurst wanted to make love to her so badly right then he had to force himself not to lay her back on the bed and have his way with her while he pleasured them both.
But she kept talking when all he wanted to do was kiss her. “You made me start thinking about the possibility of my feelings for you when we talked about your sporting team.”
His breath sucked in with a hiss and he leaned away from her, not believing she’d said what she said. Would she forever raise his ire and his desire? “What the hell—do they have to do with your feelings for me?” he asked with an expression that he felt sure was somewhere between a frown and a grin. “A bunch of strong, damn good-looking men.”
“Yes. I was serious when I told you they were all handsome like you and with magnificent physical attributes to recommend them as do you.”
One corner of his mouth quirked up. “I’m not likely to forget hearing you say that nor believing you meant it.”
She placed her hand on his cheek and gave him a quirky smile. “But I realized none of them gave me the fluttering in my chest, the tightening in my stomach that you do. None of them stole my breath at the sight of themor made me think I wanted to be with them as I am with you right now. You are the only one that I have pined for. Do you think that could be what true love is?”
Her honesty made him swallow hard. He sensed she was filled with heat, hunger, and desire for him. And just like that, all he could think of was Ophelia. He had reached that place in his mind where nothing mattered but them being together. Everything else ceased to exist. Yes. She loved him and he wanted to feel and taste every inch of her sweet-smelling skin.
Hurst smiled. “Since you don’t know for sure, let’s see if we can find the answer between the two of us.”
With one fluid motion, his lips came down on hers eagerly and impatiently as he rolled her onto her back and covered her body. Her hands hooked behind his head, a blast of white-hot arousal catching hold of his body. Hurst tasted and explored, running his tongue through her mouth before trailing kisses across her cheek to nuzzle the warm soft area around her ear. His hunger for her grew as he brushed his lips down her neck to her chest, her breasts, and back up again.
She swept her tongue through his mouth returning what he gave—a mutual pleasure that demanded more. It was beautiful being with her, teasing and satisfying her. Hurst didn’t intend to stop making love to her until he’d dragged every bit of the breath from their lungs.
