Chapter 27

27

Patience cuddled into her husband's hard chest and heard the fast thurump-thurump of his heart. His bedchamber around them was dark, the mattress and the sheets were soft, and Dorian was as hot as a furnace.

He was back.

And he had smiled! The most gorgeous, precious smile she'd ever seen. It was like she had broken through the hard shell of Dorian, the Duke of Rath, and through that crack in the shell, she'd glimpsed the Dorian who had existed before the glasshouse…before his mama had been sent away…before he'd had to protect Chastity…before the glove.

And she loved him.

She forcibly pushed away the thoughts that had plagued her ever since she'd talked to Lucien. Dorian had been dueling in Oxford. Did that have anything to do with John? Could John have somehow dishonored himself and then killed himself in shame? Did John's death have anything to do with Dorian at all, or were these things unrelated… ?

This was not the time to ask him. She did not want to break the peace between them. She'd just got him back.

She pressed her nose against his bare skin and inhaled a lungful of his scent: the intoxicating mixture ofmusk, bergamot, and something spicy, like pepper.His smell always did this to her—made her nipples harden and ache for his touch…made her skin tingle and set her body on fire.

"So, the wifely duties," she murmured as she planted a kiss on his warm, smooth skin, feeling the muscle tense under her and his heartbeat speed up. "They were quite lovely."

His arm wrapped around her and pulled her closer."Patience…" he rumbled. "You need rest."

Such a pleasant rumble of his voice, resonating through his ribs and against her ear.

"I've been resting all afternoon and night," she said as she ran her hand down his naked chest. She planted another soft kiss on his side, right between two ribs. "I've drunk, I've eaten. Your physician checked and rebandaged my ankle. Chastity fussed about clean instruments. The cook sent up dinner, and you fed it to me as if I were a child."

She felt quite brave, quite empowered, feeling him freeze under her, his heart beating even faster. It was all her doing, was it not? She could make this gorgeous, powerful, strong man's heart beat like that, with just a touch…and a kiss…

What else could she do to him?

"All right," she chuckled. "If you're worried about my ankle, is there a way for me to perform my wifely duties and not bother the ankle much?"

He growled, and in one motion, flipped her from her side onto her back, pinning her arms high above her head. She felt spread out for him, all his, every inch of her at his disposal as he toweredover her, his face dangerous in the semidarkness of the room, his sky-blue eyes like pools of night, staring at her with intensity.

"For one so inexperienced, you're remarkably skilled at bringing a man to his knees."

Patience bit her lip to stop a satisfied smile.

"Are you certain your ankle doesn't hurt?"

"Very certain."

"God knows, I should be staying away from you," he said. "Should be leaving you alone. But it's the most difficult thing I've ever had to do in my life. And I simply can't. So I won't."

He lowered his delicious weight onto her, crushing her into the mattress.

"I'll be gentle," he whispered against her lips.

She was about to protest, to say she didn't want him to be…didn't need him to be. But he covered her lips with his and kissed her, wiping all thoughts from her head. Delicious swipes of his lips against hers, his tongue playing with hers, made her writhe under him with impatience. Her skin felt hot and suddenly so sensitive she could feel every crease of her chemise, the fabric rubbing against her nipples as she breathed quickly.

His right arm pinned her hands over her head and his left hand went under her chemise, caressing her legs, her thighs, and then higher. He moved to her breasts and cupped one with his hand. They felt heavier, nipples aching with sweet pain as he rolled one nipple and tugged on it.

She arched towards him, the simultaneous stimulation of his touch and his kiss making her head dizzy. His hard member was already pressing into her stomach through his breeches, and she opened her legs, wrapping them around his hips.

Moving his hips so that his erection was pressing into her sex, he murmured a male sound of pleasure and impatience into her mouth.

"Don't be…" she managed as she tore away from his lips.

"Pardon me?" he asked, blinking. "Am I hurting you?"

"No. Don't be gentle," she said.

His eyes met hers, and she saw his Adam's apple rise and fall."You don't know what you're asking," he said.

She cupped his face, and her fingers found the white lock of his hair, brushing it back. "I'd like to know. I'm asking you to show me what you truly want."

A visible shiver ran through his body as his gaze swept over her, from head to toe, as though he was taking inventory of a new and unexpected treasure he'd secretly wanted his entire life. He exhaled audibly as he closed his eyes for a few moments.

"You'll be the end of me, sweet girl," he murmured as he opened his eyes. "You're a gift… A gift I will never deserve."

A thrill ran through her. She? A gift? Surely he didn't mean it. She didn't do anything?—

Her thoughts were interrupted when he kissed her, hungrier this time, then withdrew again.

"If at any moment you wish me to stop, just say one word, and I will. Promise me, love."

She nodded eagerly, her chest heaving as she sucked in air, feeling nervous. "I promise."

Then he was kissing her again, all gentleness gone. Instead, these were hungry brushes of his lips and possessive strokes of his tongue that resonated deep in her sex.

He dragged her chemise over her head, and she was naked under him, her skin feeling as if it were extended to the borders of his body, feeling every movement of air acutely.

He removed his breeches and kneeled over her, the glove on his right hand his only clothing. Her breath caught at the sight of him, towering above her, moonlight falling on the smooth hills and valleys of the defined muscles of his chest, his narrow waist and hips, the rippling muscles of his stomach, his thick, muscular thighs…

And his gorgeous cock, long and thick, surrounded by dark curly hair. The sight of it had her sex clench in anticipation, in the memory of the intense pleasure it had brought her last time. His gaze swept over her, igniting her skin.

"You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life," he murmured as his eyes lingered on her breasts, her waist, her full hips. "And until the day I die, you will be the most beautiful thing."

As she struggled to try to believe what he said, he lowered himself to her, his glorious body completely naked against hers. She could feel every hair, every rib, every indent.

And the one thing that still separated them, its smooth leather cool on her skin.

"Would you remove your glove?" she asked. "I'd like to see you bare…as you see me."

His face froze, all intensity gone, and pure fear overtook his features. She should have never asked."No," he said. "You will never see it."

She ached for the closeness, the intimacy between them to return and for him to forget whatever was hiding beneath that glove."Of course," she said. "I just want to be close to you."

"You already are, darling," he murmured. "You are closer to me than anyone has ever been. Can this be enough?"

She nodded.

He kissed her—hard, fervent, almost hurried—as his hands resumed their glorious torture.

And she loved every second of it.

He was exploring her body, learning where she liked a firmer touch and where she liked gentle caresses. Until he could play her body like an instrument, and all she could do was moan, cry out, and writhe under him, despite the slight pain in her ankle.

He rose over her again, like a God, his gaze so intense she felt she was burning. "Patience," he said, his voice like a command, sending a thrill down her spine. "Spread your legs for me."

Like a good, obedient girl, she did. Her legs parted wide, revealing her throbbing, wet sex to him. His head fell back, the sinews of his neck thick, his pulse beating in his veins.

He palmed his erection, and she bit her lip. He lowered himself to her and entered her in one swift motion. There was no more pain. He filled her completely, stretching her to the limit, and she took him in whole. If she could, she wanted him to be even deeper.

He locked his eyes with hers, dark and intense.

Like a king conquering a new land, his gaze told her she would be his and nothing would stand between them.

And then he began to move, pounding into her, quickly and relentlessly.

She arched her back as intense pleasure spread through her, as he was hitting some sort of beautiful spot inside her. Every slap of flesh against hers told her whom she belonged to—him.

He angled his hips and even more pleasure spilled through her. She cried out, her fingers wrapping around the blanket, her fists clenching.

Good God, Good God, Good God…

This was intense, powerful, all encompassing. He demanded complete submission, and all she could do was to give it. The hard slaps of his flesh, the way his cock took possession of her sex, and the unyielding onslaught that took her higher and higher.

And then he took her even higher when she felt his gloved hand wrap around her throat.He didn't press hard, but she could feel the leather, cool against her overheated skin.

She opened her eyes in surprise, but all she could see was his intense focus on her, the limitless desire in his black eyes, and the strange way she could feel the danger wrapping around her neck. She could say no now, could say stop .

But she didn't want to.

She only wished that, no matter what was under that glove, he'd remove it, and she could feel his skin on her skin.

This was him having control over her; this was her submitting to him.

She was acutely aware of every inch of her body, each nerve ending alight with longing. Her lips parted on a soft gasp, her breathing growing shallow as her heart raced in her chest. The ache between her thighs intensified, a pulsing need that demanded satisfaction.

"Take it, sweet girl," he murmured. "Feel the intensity. What does your body want you to do?"

It wanted her to let go. To give in and just feel this.

The moment she did, her climax slammed into her hard. Her muscles clenched tightly around him. Her whole pelvis felt like it radiated ecstasy. Dorian grunted and pounded into her with an animalistic speed. His own release had him buck for several seconds, and then he collapsed onto her as they both breathed hard and in unison.

Like one being.

Except for his gloved hand. The forbidden clue to the mystery that lay between them…and according to him, always would.