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And somewhere, not far from the room, dozens of guests were dancing or conversing or watching, and none of them knew what Eleanor and the duke were doing in this little room down the hallway.

The thought only excited her more, and her hips convulsed slightly as some of the tension released.

Even though there were layers of fabric between Gabriel’s touch and her breasts, her nipples still hardened with the excitement.

It was the catalyst for her grabbing onto his back and pulling him into her, almost thrusting his pelvis into hers, and as they came together more than they already were, her juices flowed.

She felt the warmth in her special place, a welcome strangeness that threatened to take her over. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced before, and all she knew was that she wanted it to last longer; she wanted it to last forever.

Eleanor had imagined some things about becoming intimate with a man, but the place in her thoughts was nothing like where she was now. Still, it felt perfect.

She had also imagined being alone with the man, rather than in the middle of one of the Season’s biggest events.

She realized she didn’t care.

Eleanor had imagined she would be delicately unclothed on a bed instead of roughly pushed up against a desk while her body was explored atop her clothing.

It was all wrong, and yet so right.

And she slipped into it, her mind wandering and taking a back seat as her more primal urges developed.

When Gabriel lifted the hem of her dress to reach beneath, it felt like the most natural thing in the world, and Eleanor felt no shame or embarrassment. She gave herself up to the duke’s ministrations as his hands slid lower and gathered her skirts up slightly to gain access to her most secret place.

She moved herself back and perched on the desk, leaning back and keeping her eyes locked with his, inviting him to explore her more and teach her exactly what he’d meant by every bit of pleasure he had promised her.

There was a slight rustle as her dress was moved up to her knees, exposing her calves, and then a deep, penetrating warmth as Gabriel stood between her legs, taking hold of both calves and repositioning her. He leaned forward and kissed her again, pushing his wanton tongue into her mouth to claim her once more.

He didn’t need to claim her; he already had her. He could do exactly as he pleased, and she would let him.

She wrestled his tongue with her own, her breathing becoming quicker with each touch from fingertip or tongue. Her chest heaved, begging to be touched, but she dared not stop him from exploring down below.

His fingers danced their way from her calves to her knees and onto her thighs. Goosebumps were left in his wake, and each caress made Eleanor tremble. She had no idea how it would feel, only that it would feel good and that she wanted every bit of it.

A light breeze from somewhere caressed her skin, but not as firmly as Gabriel did. The aroma of honeysuckle and lavender came from somewhere within the stately manor, but it was incomparable to the sweet sandalwood musk before her. At some point, she heard faint music from the ballroom, but now all she could hear was her own heart beating in her ears.

Small beads of sweat pooled on her forehead, and her cheeks flushed as his hands moved so far up that he touched both thighs at the same time. She parted her legs for him, almost begging for him to take her there, on the desk.

His hand brushed her wetness delicately, sending a throbbing tremor through her entire body.

And then nothing. She gasped with sudden mortification at his absence as he pulled away.

Gabriel stopped. “Tell me you want this.”

“I do,” Eleanor breathed. “I want this more than anything. I just don’t…stop…”

“I’m with you,” Gabriel growled. “I won’t do anything you don’t want.”

Eleanor swallowed and then nodded.

Gabriel waited a second before he moved his hand back to her wetness, running his fingers over her folds, brushing her lightly with his fingertips.

Eleanor flung her head back as another moan escaped her lips. She tried to be quiet, but it was hard. Fear shot through her chest, and she quickly lifted her head to look at Gabriel. She needed to hold his gaze to know that he was there.

“We’ll take it slowly,” Gabriel said.

Eleanor bit her bottom lip to stop the moans she knew were coming, and she nodded, not breaking eye contact as his fingers thrilled her in ways she’d never dreamed. She was an unmoored boat in an ocean of pleasure, and he was the captain, guiding her to firm ground.

The next touch that reached her core wasn’t as light, but twice as pleasurable. Gabriel’s fingers lingered there longer this time, moving between her folds and caressing her bud.