Page 41 of Deviant Duchess
“You made a rule, remember?” His husky tone taunted in her ear, “No touching until you beg.”
Cedric then pulled down the cupped sleeves of her shift, the last bit of her clothes, and let them join the growing pile on the floor. He then stepped around her, drawing in a sharp breath as his gaze greedily landed on her bare flesh.
“Though I am starting to wonder who is going to be begging first,” rasped.
He reached out, his eyes entirely black with lust, but just as Deborah thought his fingertips were going to caress over her hip- just as she realized she wanted them to- he pulled back, drew his bottom lip between his teeth, and muttered a curse as he turned to grab the nightgown.
“Arms up,” he commanded, an edge entering his husky tone as he turned back to her with the garment.
He’s holding himself back,Deborah realized as she obeyed.Fighting himself. For me. To keep his word to me.
Power, bold and delicious, swept through her veins as Cedric carefully lowered the gown over her body, taking great care to ensure that he did not graze her skin with his knuckles.
Once he had it on her, he pulled the white ribbon tight under her breasts, cinching the gown so that it pushed her breasts together and up. Another surge of power moved through her as she took in the tremble in his hands as he tied the ribbon into a bow.
Finished, he took a step back and rubbed the back of his neck as he let out a groan.
“God in Heaven, angels do exist,” he muttered, raking his gaze repeatedly up and down her body.
“How do I look?” Deborah asked, glancing down at herself.
It was not the best angle, but she immediately decided that she loved it. It truly did make her feel like Aphrodite. All she was missing was a giant seashell, and the thought made her smile.
“Perfect,” Cedric breathed, his eyes meeting hers. Then his brow creased, and he stepped toward her again.
“Well, almost,” he muttered, reaching for her hair, “Let me just-”
Deborah let out a sigh of relief as she felt Cedric pull the pins from her hair, releasing the tight pressure of having the heavy locks bound atop her head all day.
“There,” Cedric murmured, fluffing her long auburn curls around her shoulders.
His hands froze in her hair as she reached out and placed her hands on his chest; sparks erupted in her hands as she smoothed her palms over the fabric of his shirt, down his chest, and over his rigid abdomen. Heat radiated from the muscles lying just beneath, and she could not help but relish the feel of him.
“Deborah,” Cedric rasped, a hint of warning in his voice.
“I am trying very hard not to break your rule.”
She let her long lashes flutter down to her cheeks before she opened her eyes and looked up at him, meeting his lust-filled gaze. It was not he that was going to break her rules- but herself.
“Kiss me, Cedric,” she breathed, curling her fingers around the lapels of his shirt,“Please.”
A groan erupted from Cedric’s throat as his powerful arms bound around her. He dragged her to his chest, barely giving her time to move her hands to his back as she tilted her head up and met his lips. Pleasure surged through her body, sending delicious jolts through her nipples, lower belly, and between her legs. She pressed her thighs together, surprised at the sudden wetness she felt there, and whimpered as she let herself get lost in his kiss.
It was not as gentle as his first, but again, nowhere near as brutal as she had expected. Still, that did not make the kiss any less demanding. His plump lips drew her in, leading her to press and open at his will.
“God, you taste like heaven,” Cedric rasped between kisses, moving one of his hands up to cradle the back of her head.
Wanting to reward him for his praise, Deborah rose on her toes and boldly skimmed the tip of her tongue over his bottom lip, just as he had taught her to do during their first kiss. Another desperate sound rumbled from Cedric’s chest as she did so, and he greedily captured her tongue, suckling it into his mouth and massaging his tongue against hers. The intimacy of such a kiss made her dizzy and weak, and her hands fisted into the fabric of his shirt as she tried to remain standing.
A sudden ripping sound erupted into the air, and though it startled her, Cedric seemed undeterred as he continued to kiss her.
“I ruined your shirt,” she rasped between kisses.
A husky chuckle rose from Cedric’s chest, and as she tried to take her hands away, his were suddenly cupped over hers, urging her to grasp at him again as he stopped the kiss.
“Ruin anything of mine that you like,” he rasped, curling his fingers tighter around hers so she was forced to dig her nails into the fabric again.
Then he dragged her hands down, forcing another rip into his shirt, sending the buttons of the collar flying off. A thrill moved through Deborah at being responsible for such destruction, and the next time, she applied more force. The fabric parted, givingher glimpses of the hard muscles and smooth flesh that lay beneath.
