Page 33 of A Duchess Untouched

“Do not close your eyes, wife,” he commanded as her lashes fluttered shut from the intensity of it. “I want you to look at me while you come all over my hand.”

Selina forced her eyes open, and the sight of him watching her so possessively ignited a new wave of heat within her. His fingers thrust into her more forcefully and rapidly, his palm rubbing against her most sensitive spot with each stroke. Her thighs started to tremble around his hand, and she could not hold back her cries. But he was not done with her yet. Matthew continued to pump his fingers in and out of her expertly, and in tandem, until she felt something build inside her once more, until she exploded, shattering around his fingers with a moan for a second time.

Her vision blurred.

Did she seduce him, or did she end up being seduced?

Chapter 16

So this is what it feels like to be claimed by your husband…

Selina had not slept a wink after the incident in the study. Even though Matthew had brought her to her room after their intimate moment, she had lain restless and tangled in her sheets until dawn. All she could do was stare at the ceiling, while her mind and body reeled from the experience.

His touch remained with her. It lingered over her body, sending shocks to every nerve and surface of her skin.

Her body was still sensitive, her pulse racing at the memory of his hand gathering her nightgown to her waist and spanking her, his voice rasping against her collarbone even as he watched her shatter on his desk.

On his desk! Selina could not help but worry about any damage she could have caused during the throes of her pleasure. She could not help but think that way, even though she still wondered how she had never experienced any sensation quite like what Matthew gave her.

So does this mean I succeeded? Is our marriage consummated?

The thought finally washed over her. The languid pleasure gave way to a sense of victory. Her grandmother’s plan worked! She had actually managed to seduce her own husband and have him bed her.

Suddenly, she felt energized and ready to greet the pale morning light as it began to filter into her room. It reminded her that she had not really slept, but that was all right—her position was now secure.

Yet as Selina listened to the household wake, she felt a tiny, nagging doubt at the back of her mind. It felt wonderful to have made Matthew lose his control and give in to her, but was that all that there was to it?

What about him? He touched her, and he seemed to enjoy doing it, but… did she need to touch him, too, to make it complete? His own body had felt… painfully rigid. From the little snippets she had overheard from some people talking about consummation, it had felt like there should be more.

When Matthew touched her, she felt a pressure build within her. He kept on touching parts of her body that raised the pressure to the point of explosion. Meanwhile, he was straining against his breeches. Should she have reached for him to make him reach his peak, too? What did men feel during those intimate moments?

Selina tried to push away the restless questions in her head. She thought, perhaps, the best way to bid them goodbye was to be physically active. Therefore, before the morning mist had even cleared, she was out of her bed, talking to the coachman and a maid.

“This early, Your Grace?” the coachman asked, looking bewildered.

“Yes, John. I must see my grandmother as early as possible. It is a matter of urgency. And Ruth, please send word to Cathy and Madeline that I must meet them for tea early in the morning at our grandmama’s house.”

Both servants looked at her with apprehension, but Selina was not deterred. She knew the day was just breaking and that calling on people at such an hour was in poor taste. She often left Wentley House early, but never at this hour. However, she had to see her family as soon as possible, and this could not wait another moment.

“Of course, Your Grace. I beg your pardon. I will prepare the carriage as quickly as possible,” John said, just as Ruth gave the Duchess a curtsy and a breathless, “I will have the messenger inform them, Your Grace.”

The coachman took the urgency she claimed to heart and raced through the streets of London. Soon, the carriage stopped at her destination, while the sun was still rising from the east. However, Selina was already at her most alert, walking toward her grandmother’s morning room with her chin held high. As usual, her back was straight, but that was solely due to how she had been trained as a debutante. Today, she looked and felt every bit the victor. To her delight, her grandmama and her sisters were already in the room. Either Ruth had done the work quickly, or everyone was meeting for a different purpose entirely.

Even in her advanced age, Lady Marlow still sat like a royal in her favorite armchair by the hearth. She sipped a cup of tea while Cathy and Madeline sat on the sofa, the former looking anxious and the latter bleary-eyed. Portia was in her usual state, flipping through the pages of another heavy tome as aggressively as possible, though her eyes kept darting toward Selina with curiosity.

“What on earth happened, Selina?” Madeline asked, setting her teacup down with shaking hands. “Is all well?”

“Yes, dearest. What had you summoning us all here at the crack of dawn?” Cathy yawned as she lifted her teacup to her lips.

Lady Marlow might have registered concern on her face for a second, but now her eyes sharpened. They swept Selina’s face and whole countenance, not missing any detail. A slow, knowing smile formed on her lips as she set her own teacup down gently.

“Ah,” she mused, her voice carrying hints of barely controlled satisfaction. “There is something different about you, dear child. Do tell, did something happen last night?”

“Did you manage to consummate your marriage?” Madeline blurted out.

Even though that was what Selina had planned to announce anyway, she still felt her cheeks burn. Still, she held her chin up, proud that she had succeeded in her quest.

“I believe so,” she replied, her voice loud and clear. “I have.”