Her Mystery Duke (7 page)

The incident.

That’s how she ought to refer to it. If she needed to refer
to it at all.

It wasn’t important. The important matter was getting David
well enough so he could leave. But David had slept, still and without moving,
for a whole day and night since the incident. Then this morning, there had been
the awkward and strangely embarrassing necessity to help him with the chamber pot.
She’d assisted Papa with such matters so often it had become simply a routine.

David wasn’t Papa. She didn’t owe him a thing.

David needed to leave.

“Intimacy.” She said the word aloud. It tasted foreign on
her tongue but it sounded so harmless. The consonants and vowels gave no hint
of its dangers.

After David had emptied his bladder, he’d fallen back into
the bed and into slumber. Surely he couldn’t sleep much more? What could she do
to hasten his departure once he did awaken?

A bath and a shave. Yes, a gentleman wouldn’t wish to be
seen, even by his coachman, looking like a castaway from some remote island.
But Papa’s shaving items were gone, stolen from him at the asylum…along with
the last of his dignity. A sudden pain stabbed her chest. She inhaled sharply,
trying to ease it. Oh goodness, she’d simply send Wat, the neighbor’s son, for
some shaving items. And some beef and ale, something sustaining to feed David.
And fresh fruit, whatever was available. He was so weak, he needed to be built
up again—

The softness centering in her chest halted her train of
thought. She shook herself with ruthless vigor.

No, don’t feel about
this. It is just a practical matter. Just do whatever is needed to be done to
send the stranger on his way.

Her life shouldn’t be this complicated. And it wouldn’t be
any longer, as soon as David was gone.

Walter returned with the shopping and Jeanne set beef stew
to cook. She swept the garret from corner to corner. Read a novella. Ate beef
stew with ale. And still David slept.

She then tried to write but to no avail. Now it was evening.
With eyes strained from staring at a blank page, she watched the little white
flakes flutter-dance in the light from a street lamp. Her tired gaze grew
bleary. She shivered and hugged her shoulders. There was nothing left to do but
crawl into bed and forget another day of failure.

Jeanne undid her wrapper and lifted the coverlet. David’s
scent wafted up to her, familiar, beguiling. She slid between the sheets, and
warmth from David’s body welcomed her, surrounded her, and melted away the
tension in her muscles. She sank into her pillow and closed her eyes. A sort of
bliss spread in her chest and her belly, into her limbs, making them heavy, so
heavy. Silvery white softness, like fluffy clouds, enveloped her mind, the
gentlest embrace of slumber.

“Thérèse.”

Awareness crept in.

Don’t think. Don’t
spoil it.

She was on her side, facing away from him. His hands gripped
her hips. The firm ridge of his erection pressed into her buttocks. She arched
back, pressing him. But she wanted to see it. To hold its velvety steel
firmness in her hand, to stroke him and feel every pulsation. She was naughty
like that, yes. Men didn’t really mind her proclivities—why should she feel
ashamed? Bernard had even once allowed her to bring him to crisis with her hand
and to watch.

Her gentleman would be gone soon enough. This very morning
from the feel of things. Once more wasn’t going to hurt.

Surely not.

Her heart raced with jagged, thrilling little beats. Her mouth
went dry. Delicious anticipation. She turned to face him. His eyes were closed
but his patrician features were sharpened with lust.

“David?”

“Thérèse.” He touched her shoulders and pressed her down.
“Suck me.”

Lord, the commanding, utterly entitled way he’d said that.
No man had ever spoken to her in that manner. No, they had all used persuasion,
compliments and ready coin to sweeten matters. She should tell Mr.
High-and-Mighty to go frig himself then jump from this bed and leave him to his
own devices. However, devilish arousal beating in her nub, a second heartbeat,
held her in thrall. She grasped his erection. Heavens, he had seemed rather
large earlier but now, from this angle, he appeared huge.

He rolled on his back.

She took a moment to let her gaze sweep his nakedness. Men’s
bodies were all such works of beauty, crafted by the Creator for a woman’s
pleasure. But this man’s hard-muscled yet lean frame exceeded even her most
wicked dreams of masculine perfection.

She moved down, settling between his powerful legs, feeling
the tickle of the dark hairs upon her bare arms. She grasped his shaft and
squeezed him. Copious amounts of fluid leaked from the head. She moaned and
swallowed, holding back from the moment that would delight them both to draw their
pleasure out.

Wetness seemed to gush between her legs, slicking over her
folds. The luscious sensation aroused her further. She bent and touched the tip
of her tongue to the creamy fluid that glistened on the head of his cock.

Saltiness and the tang of seed exploded on her senses. The
earthy scent of man.

She wanted more. She wanted all of him. Wanted to swallow
him whole and to feel his huge cock straining against the limits of her throat.

Her cunt tingled as though it were on fire. She licked him
clean and then, unable to wait any longer, sucked him into her mouth in one
slick, swift glide. She turned her head to the left and then to the right,
letting the head of his cock slide around every inch of her mouth. She reached
and cupped his cods, softly, savoring the feel of their cushioned, jellylike
texture. Relishing the trust he placed in her to allow such intimacy.

He touched her hair and tightened his grip until he held her
head so firmly, she couldn’t move and then he thrust. All the way in, sliding into
her throat so fast, it was all she could do to swallow and not gag. No man had
ever done anything so presumptuous whilst a guest in her mouth. God, it was
thrilling. Her cunt clenched so hard, she didn’t know if she’d had a tiny
climax or not. She needed to take a deep breath but he was thrusting again.

Harder, faster. His cock began to quake against her tongue.
Her heart thudded. She held her breath. All her internal muscles went painfully
taut.

She had to…she had to…oh, dear God…

She slid her hand down to her nub and rubbed as hard and
fast as she could. The first hot jet of his seed into her throat, his ragged
groan, sent her spasming into a maelstrom of pleasure. She continued swallowing
only out of sheer instinct.

She lay with her cheek against his hard abdomen, vaguely
aware of his hand slowly caressing her hair. Every part of her hummed, as
though singing with joy. This must be what a shooting star felt like. Sent down
from the heavens to explode into a million pieces and reform upon landing. Or something
like that. She laughed at her silly, disjointed thoughts.

“Jeannie”

She started and jolted to a seated position, so fast that
her head spun.

He stared at her with complete lucidness. “Jeannie,
darling.”

Sudden shyness swept over her and she darted under the
coverlet and rolled away from him.

The covers lifted with a whoosh. David gave her shift tug.
“Take this off.”

She glanced over her shoulder. “That’s not really necessary,
is it?”

Nervousness energized her. Made her leap from the bed.

“Jeanne, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

A slow grin spread over his face. “Then why are you running
from me?”

“I must start my day, I have my work.”

“Remove the shift.” There was a definite edge of command to
his words.

Heat blossomed in her lower belly, a tugging sensation that
made her want to obey. Her heartbeat pulsed with alarm. He had too much sway
over her.

“Go on, remove it. Show me yourself.”

As though she had become possessed, she watched herself lean
down and reach for the hem.

“Wait.”

With her hands on her hem, she froze.

“Light a candle.”

She straightened herself.

“Jeanne, what’s wrong now?”

“It is just that…” Her voice caught and she cleared her
throat. “I have never really been naked, I mean not wholly naked, in front of
anyone.”

“You’ve known men?”

“Yes.”

“And they didn’t demand to see you unclothed?”

“No, not completely.”

He stared at her for a moment and then he laughed, the sound
deep, rumbling, wholly carnal. It sent renewed heat slamming into her loins.

He stopped laughing. “Were they all Puritan tradesmen?
Giving into their lusts whilst scurrying to complete the deed as quickly as
possible, as though that would somehow mitigate the sin?”

At his very apt description of Dr. Edmonton, she couldn’t
help a smile. “Yes, mostly.”

“Jeanne, how did we meet?”

“You approached me in a coffee shop.”

“Did I?” He sounded amused. “I don’t remember it. I suppose
I must have been quite foxed.”

“You weren’t foxed. You were delirious with fever.”

“I do feel rather dizzy. I think I am still delirious.”

“Then you should sleep.”

“I want to see your body, Jeanne.”

When he smiled in that slight way, he was so gorgeous.
Heavens, she couldn’t help smiling back at him. “What does it matter now,
David? You’ve had what you wanted from me already.”

He drew his dark brows together. “How do you know what I
want?”

“All men want the same thing.”

“Some men want more than others.”

There was a wealth of dark, sensual promise in his tone. It
spoke to parts of her that seemed to awaken.

She laughed, a catch in her voice in time with the sudden,
clenching of her cunt, the thrill of wetness trickling over flesh swollen by
desire. “I just hadn’t planned on showing myself.”

“You’ve seen me.”

“Yes, I have.”

“So what’s fair, Jeanne?” His teasing tone sent more fluid
surging from her.

“I have seen your all simply because I needed to bring your
fever down.”

“And you took no pleasure from the act?”

“Just the satisfaction of helping a fellow human in need.”

“What a little liar you are.”

“If I let you see my body, will you promise to sleep
afterwards?”

“Well, I am too weak yet to do anything else.” He smiled
then, a slow, sensual curving of his lips. Despite his pallor and the heavy
dusting of dark stubble on his cheeks, the effect was heart stopping. His male
beauty ravished the last of her self-defenses.

She reached down and slowly pulled up her hem.

The moment came when she couldn’t delay any longer. She
whisked the garment over her head then tossed it aside.

He stared at her so intently. It was hard to stand there
calmly and just let him look. She had lain down and let men unbutton her gown
and lift her skirts. But never had she stood and just let a man look at her
whole body.

She felt exposed. Chubby. She put her hand over the curve of
her lower belly.

“Turn.” It wasn’t a plea or a request. It was a command.

She rankled all over. Had she really placed herself into
this position? “You are fatiguing yourself, David. And it is really
unnecessary.”

Despite her nakedness and her sense of being too vulnerable,
displaying herself produced an undeniable increase in her arousal. She hadn’t
expected any of this, the strange feelings, the nuances of play. It put her at
a disadvantage. It made her think that perhaps he did know something about her.
Something she didn’t know herself. She offered him a cool, steady look.

His look softened. “All right, Jeanne, so you’re still shy
about your own nakedness. Come back to bed.”

His tone held grudging tolerance. Like a protector being
lenient with a willful mistress, not like a man who she had rescued from the
street and been nursing for the past few days.

“I cannot come to bed. I need to work.”

He raised his brows. “What work do you do?”

“I write.”

“Ah, so that is why your fingers are smudged with ink?”

“Yes.” She balled her hands to hide the shameful stains.

“What do you write?”

“Children’s fairy tales.” It proved hard to say those words
with a straight face. Now her face went up in flames. What was it about him
that brought out the foolish girl in her?

“Children’s stories?” He smiled fully then, all white teeth
and sensual lips and brilliant, flashing eyes. Despite his unkempt appearance,
or maybe even because of it, he was just too deliciously handsome.

She had to look down or else she would have flung herself
back in that bed, let him do whatever he wanted. “Yes, children’s stories.”

“And you bed ministers and shopkeepers to help with your
rent?”

The teasing note in his voice settled on her like drops of
water into hot oil.

“Yes, something like that, David.” She didn’t even try not
to sound snappish. Her previous lovers were none of his affair.“You are selling
yourself too cheaply, my darling.” He sounded so certain.

She laughed softly. Maybe a tad bitterly. “Am I?”

“You have a stunning body and a lovely face. You could have
a duke, if you wanted.”

She glanced up. His gaze was riveted upon her breasts. Well,
it wasn’t the first time she’d seen that effect.

“I have seen many beautiful breasts—”

“Congratulations.”

“That’s not a boast. My wealth and position has allowed me
to pick from the cream of available women. I am telling you that I have never
seen a more gorgeous pair of breasts.”

Likely he was overstating his wealth and advantages a bit.
All men did.

“You don’t need to flatter me with such outlandish talk. I
think I shall be kind to you for the remainder of your time here with me.”

“Will you?”