Page 50 of To Ensnare a Duke

When he pulls out his finger, he grits his teeth as he slides in two. The stretch threatens to steal my breath. It's just a bit of a tighter fit than the ginger. My eyes threaten to roll back into my skull as he pumps in and out, moving his fingers in a way that stretches me open even further.

Blazes his forbidden touch feels so good, so illicit, so… naughty. Perhaps being bad has its perks after all? Soft grunts slam against the gag as he pumps in and out, making my body burn for him.

Pulling out, he adds yet one more, stretching me until my breath comes in a wheeze. Too much. It's too much. But he holds me in place, not allowing me to pull my body off of the invasion of his fingers. He continues to torment me, forcing me to accept him in this dark place.

Everything coils tightly within me as his fingers piston in and out, but it's not enough. It's nowhere near enough. Groaning, I bite down into the wad of fabric as frustration washes over me, nearly drowning me. But still he continues.

I ache.

I burn.

I yearn.

I desire.

And yet, he refuses to give in. He refuses to allow me the one thing I so desperately crave. That is, beyond the love and admiration I so deeply desire.

Finally, he removes his fingers and eases in between my thighs. Sweat shines on his brow, no doubt mirroring my own. Perhaps now he'll give me what I truly need. Perhaps I was good enough for my release. Even if not at his hand, but at my own.

"I must cleanse my fingers, my little minx. Do not move."

I don't dare. The instant the mattress dips as he leaves, I follow his movements. His hands are swift as he cleanses them, taking barely any time before coming back. With a slow tug, he removes the gag and sets it off to the side.

"After our little interlude is completed, I must make my way to the Archbishop of Canterbury for a special license. I will not allow a scandal to follow our names. Until we are wed, you will do everything in your power to convince the Ton that ours truly is a love match. Do not make this worse for either of us."

"And if I do," I croak, writhing a touch on the bed. "Will I be your good girl? Will you give me what I need?"

His gaze turns serious as he leans down and brushes his hand against my head. "What you did, my little minx, was a very dangerous game. If it had been…” His voice trails as his vision seems to blur, drifting off. "If Lord Harhall had double crossed you, then what?”

“But, Your Grace, he didn’t. He-”

“That’s beside the point. If the timing was off just by a mere second or two, you would have been shackled to him instead of me. You weren't thinking. At least not rationally."

"No, Your Grace," I murmur, my body humming with unmet desire. "I wasn't thinking. But I am now."

He shakes his head and skims my thigh with his hand. "You're not thinking. You only want a relief from this torment. I shall not grant it to you. As part of your penance, I will not give you the pleasure you seek. Nor are you to receive it by your own hand."

My jaw drops as I stare at him in horror. "But it's not as if you'll know."

His dark chuckle drips over my skin like rain pelting my body. "Oh, I'll know. I will always know. Do this for me. Show me how obedient you can be, and your wedding night will be all you wished and more."

"How on earth do you know what I wish?"

"Because, even now, your hips jut up to meet my hand. Your body craves release, and I assure you, yours will be explosive. However, test me in this, relieve yourself without my permission, and you will pay dearly on your wedding night. Are we agreed?"

As much as the man aggravates me, it seems as if I have no choice. I extend my hand to shake on it when he knocks it out of the way.

"As my future wife, I will have your agreement in a far different way."

Before I can ask him to clarify, he threads his fingers through my hair and brings my mouth up to meet his. His lips slant over mine, searing me with a deep kiss. My heart pounds in my chest as he coaxes my mouth open, allowing his tongue to slip inside.

Far too soon, he pulls away. "Seems to me the best way to keep you agreeable is to keep you in a state of massive need. You will, no doubt, rue the day you ensnared me, minx."

With another quick kiss, he pulls away and darts out through the secret entrance. My body burns as he disappears from sight, leaving me alone. I don't dare touch any part of my body or the need will become far too much. Turning over onto my stomach, I cover my head with a pillow and scream into the mattress.

Our wedding cannot come soon enough.

CHAPTER 24