Page 76 of In Service to the Duke

“Mother will start with your lessons, I suppose.”

Confusion stops my brain as I try to make sense of his declaration. “But I thought I was a decent enough governess. What new lessons do I need?”

“Lessons in being a duchess.”

His words slam into me, and for a moment, I cannot see, hear, think, or even breathe. “Duchess lessons,” I sputter. “What use are those to me?”

He turns me in his arms and frowns down at me. “Do not play coy, Miss Gillet. I’ve seen your education firsthand. You are nowhere near ready to take your place as my wife.”

Coldness pervades my limbs. “You wife? No. No, this can’t be. I’m not going to marry you.”

This time, I finally feel an emotion wafting off of him, but it’s not the kind, gentle, or tender feelings I was hoping for. Anger, hot and fast, rolls over me, making me feel ill.

“We’re way past these coquettish games, Miss Gillet,” he growls out, resuming his washing. “You are to be my bride. There will be no more discussion on the matter. By now, the banns have already been read once. Two more times and it is official.”

Frantic, I pull my arm out of his grasp. “I do not understand. No one else, save your mother, knows what occurred between us. You are not trapped.”

Blackport scoffs and pulls my arm back to wash my side. “Your naivety is no longer becoming. In fact, it’s droll at this point. You are now ruined for any other man. What would you have me do? Cast you out in the streets?”

To his credit, even as he says it, he winces, as if the idea is abhorrent to him. At least he doesn’t hate me enough to drive me from his house. That has to amount to something.

Taking a deep breath, he continues. “Once they know you no longer possess your maidenhead, you'll be shunned, only good for selling your body.”

“How will they know? If you do not tell them and I do not tell them-”

“Are you daft? Do you really not know how all of this works? Your wedding night will tell the tale. The moment whoever you wed shoves his cock inside you and pulls it out with nary a bit of blood to be seen, he’ll know the truth.”

Leaning forward, he spears me with his dark gaze, making my heart flutter. “I’ve bathed in your virginal blood, had it smeared all over my cock as I pounded in and out of you. Trust me, anyone else will know the difference. They’ll know what you have given to me.”

I can barely breathe as he leans in closer, his lips almost touching mine. “Despite everything, you are mine. All we need now is to stand before our witnesses and the minister. You’ve successfully trapped me, my conniving governess.”

Sorrow lances through my heart as I crumple before him. The one thing I tried so hard not to do. “Forgive me. I-”

“Rather late for apologies, now isn’t it?” There’s a grim note to his voice, a finality which hurts far more than the words themselves.

“If you’ll just let me explain-”

“Tell me this. Did you seek our employ for the sole reason of getting closer to me in hopes it might end in a marriage?”

“Well yes, but-”

“Then we have nothing more to discuss.”

He rises out of the tub like some Greek god. Water sluices off of his large frame, dripping on me like holy rain. If only I could bask in the shadow he casts, allowing it to make me feel safe and surrounded.

Instead, it feels more stifling than anything else. How I long to find peace in his embrace once more. There was a moment between us where all was calm and tranquil, but even that memory can’t be trusted.

I pull myself from my morose thoughts and concentrate fully on the man before me. While in the throes of my heat, I wasn’t able to fully look at him and appreciate his body. Since I have no idea when I’ll see him without clothes again, I need to drink in what I can and hold it in my heart for when I’m alone.

Long, muscular legs rise to powerful hips. Lying betwixt them is the part which makes him a man. Granted, in my hazy memories, it was far larger and much harder. Now, it juts out from him, but not to the full extent I remember.

Or is that another thing which I’m getting wrong? It twitches the longer I stare, making my body pulse with need. Heat blazes on my cheeks as I pull my gaze away from the forbidden, and onto much safer areas.

Traveling up, I take in his toned abs and the water running down in rivulets. How I long to lap at his skin, drinking in the wild scent of pine and honeysuckle drifting around us. Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to be in a mood for anything like that.

Forcing my gaze higher, I gasp as I look at his damaged skin. Red streaks mar his chest, like claw marks from a wild animal. My core clenches as a hint of a memory comes to the surface.

His cock, now lying flaccid against his thigh, was thick and hard inside of me. I rode him. Hard. As if chased by the hounds of hell.