Page 36 of A Tale of Two Dukes

Reaching up, I stroke the pendant, tears sparking my eyes. My poor Josephine. She’d been doing so much better when I fled. It was the only reason I was willing to leave like I did. If I thought she was too weak to handle me disappearing, I would have found another way.

Or would I? To be honest, there seemed no way out then, and there’s no way out now. Glancing over at Birchleigh, I note the firm set of his jaw. It would be so easy to tell him, to beg him for help. But then… There’s Josephine.

With Mr. Beaumont so enmeshed with her, can I dare chance it? And now that he’s threatening the one man who has made my heart sing, can I truly put him in danger? Again, I look over at him, taking in his red hair, green eyes, and firm, full lips.

They lift in a smirk as he glances over, noting my interest. Just that small movement makes my heart flip and my insides clench. Then, as if this moment never passed between us at all, he looks back out into the crowd and frowns. His jaw tenses, jumping as his teeth grind together.

I follow his eye line and stop cold. There, just directly across from us, is Mr. Beaumont. He watches me just as intently as the others watch the play happening below us. I feel his gaze as his eyes rove over my body.

Aggression flows off of Birchleigh in waves, nearly making me dizzy. Without saying a word, he takes my hand in his and drags me out of the box. The heart-wrenching aria from the Prima Donna follows me out of the opera house. Her mournful cries echo those in my mind as we wait for his carriage to come back to the front.

None of this is my fault. I did nothing to garner Mr. Beaumont’s interest, but that doesn’t seem to matter to Birchleigh. I fear I’m already found guilty without so much as even opening my mouth.

When the carriage arrives, he helps me in, but instead of sitting next to me, he sits across, his legs splayed as he drapes his arms across the back seat. In other circumstances, seeing him like this would have slick gathering between my thighs. But as it is, I’m too focused on the frown that tilts down his lips and furrows his brow.

The silence is deafening as we pull away. Birchleigh refuses to look at me, and I refuse to speak. Unsure of what else to do, I sink to my knees, staring up at him from between his thighs.

When he finally does look my way, it’s not anger in the depths of eyes which blaze out like wildfire. It’s lust, hot and unadulterated, passionate. My insides clench as every part of me throbs. Leaning forward, he brushes his fingers through my hair, drawing my face close to his.

“Damnation what you do to me.” He closes the gap, brushing his lips against my own.

Opening with a sigh, he takes full advantage and slides his tongue inside, owning me, dominating my mouth with his. His masculine groans intersperse with my softer, feminine sounds. It’s loud in the small confines of the carriage, amplifying them, making them sound as if others are joining in on our passion.

He pulls away, his pupils eating up his irises. “Are you mine, kitten? Truly?” There’s a desperation in his words, a longing I’ve never heard before.

It tugs at my heart, eating at me as I stare up at him. “I am yours.”

He searches my face, looking for something. I have no idea what else to say or do to convince him. The secrets I hold have nothing to do with some illicit affair, and yet, I cannot truthfully tell him my meetings are innocent.

I’m stuck, unable to do more than give him my heart. But then, somehow, he already owns it. I know it’s been only a day, and perhaps it’s just my naïvety, but I can’t help but be completely smitten. I just have to convince myself it’s okay to let go and allow him to conquer me completely.

“Kitten,” he sighs, leaning back against the seat. “I forbid you from having any interaction with Hugh. He’s a dangerous man, and I don’t want you tangled up in his affairs.”

“I understand, Your Grace.”

And I do, all too well. But he will never know that. Just like he will never know about the clandestine meetings we will no doubt hold after tonight. Mr. Beaumont made his threats very clear, even if they weren’t explicit.

As much as I want to obey my master, to give him every bit of me, body and soul, I cannot risk anything happening to my sister. The Duke may own my heart, but she’s all I have left. Though Mother may still be alive, it was Josephine I huddled in bed with when she and Father fought over his activities in the brothels.

It was I who nursed her to health the first time she was sick… For her to die now, or worse, end up shackled to a man like Mr. Beaumont… It’s not worth thinking about because it will never happen. For her, I will throw away this happiness.

Besides, as a whore, I suspect I won’t be lonely for long. It will hurt when Birchleigh eventually decides to be rid of me. I will no doubt cry, weeping uncontrollably as I mourn what could have been. But my sister will be safe. I will move heaven and earth to make that happen.

“Where are you?” His words dispel the gloom gathering around me.

I reach up and slide my hands across his hard thighs, reminding myself that he’s still with me. Those thoughts for the future may never actually happen. But if they do, I need to force myself to stay present, to enjoy the moments I currently have.

“I’m right here, Your Grace. Shall I show you?”

His eyes darken even more. “What do you have in mind?”

“Well,” I pause, my fingers inching ever closer to his cock.

It juts out from behind the fabric, straining. I want to please him as he has me, to give him the same gift. And yet, I find I’m still fumbling about, not knowing exactly what to do.

With a soft smile, he pulls my hands away and works at the front of his breeches. Groaning as his erection pops out from the parted fabric. It stands there, thick and rigid.

My mouth waters as pearly fluid rises to the tip, releasing even more of his maddening scent into the air. Leaning down, I drag my tongue across his slit, drawing his essence into me. I moan as the musky, earthy taste explodes on my tongue. It’s different from I imagined, similar to his scent, but spicy, warm, and comforting. It’s like the deepest of chocolates, only with more nuance and hidden flavors I want to keep exploring.