Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

D uke rose from the bed to retrieve a washcloth, wringing it out in the clean cool water of the basin. His legs trembled, and he felt weak. It wasn't just because it had been some time since he'd bedded a woman. It was because of the woman he'd bedded.

He could still taste her on his tongue and feel her channel clasped around his fingers. And his cock. The insatiable beast stirred slightly, and he looked down in amazement. He was no longer a green boy, but he felt like one at the moment.

He returned to her side and cleaned his spend from her belly. He wouldn't tell her, but he'd almost forgotten his promise to not release inside her. Her skin was flushed and pretty, and he couldn't stop himself from laying a kiss on one of the most perfect breasts he'd ever had the pleasure to see much less touch.

She drew her bottom lip between her teeth and worried the edge of the coverlet she had pulled to her waist. "I must return to my house before dawn."

He maneuvered them beneath the sheets and pulled her into his chest. A stab of desperation had him putting on his most convincing tone. The one that had lured his brothers into trouble back home. "Dawn is still hours away. You can stay a little longer surely."

Her laugh was one of resignation. "For just a little longer."

Her body fit into his perfectly, her pert bottom cradling his cock which had grown semihard. He cupped one breast, his thumb idly brushing over the pert nipple. Her squirm told him she wasn't unaffected.

"I can't believe we found Mr. Sharma's killer," she said.

"Me either. We make an excellent pair." He grimaced at his wording, but it was true. They were compatible in bed and out.

"Will you leave for France after the inquest or some other exotic locale?"

"France, I suppose." Duke couldn't imagine leaving London. Or was it Jynx he couldn't imagine leaving behind?

"And what will happen once you find your sister?"

"I will wish her well. You've made me realize I have been myopic."

Jynx had forced him to consider his attitude toward Maddie. He had blown into England ready to drag his sister for an annulment if necessary. His protective streak bordered on high-handedness. Maddie was a smart, capable woman who could take care of herself. He'd seen to that. He had no right to question her decision to throw over a duke's son to marry a gambler.

She shifted enough to see his face. "I have?"

"Indeed. My sister is more intelligent than anyone I know. Why shouldn't I trust her to make decisions regarding her life and future?" He was asking himself as much as Jynx. Honestly, he hadn't thought that deeply about the plight of his sister, or any other woman, which only proved his point about his sister being smarter than anyone of his acquaintance, himself included.

"That is quite a revolutionary notion. I wish more men and women thought the same, including my aunt. She is exceedingly old-fashioned."

It wasn't fair Jynx couldn't follow her heart. Her heart? Why was he concerned with the state of her heart? This was only a tryst, wasn't it? It was her body he should be focused on. He hugged her closer and took a deep breath. Her heart, the state of which he had no right to be curious about, beat steadily against his hand.

"I will enjoy picturing you in Notre Dame. The sketches I've seen are breathtaking," she said with an obvious wistfulness.

What would it be like to explore Paris in her company? Adventures were always more fun when shared. She was a widow, and from what he'd read, Paris society was not as strict as London. What if he asked her to accompany him?

He popped to his elbow, and she rolled to her back to look up at him. "You don't want to remarry, do you?"

"Of course not." She folded and refolded the edge of the sheet, her gaze cast away from his. "But if my perfumery can't support me, I won't have a choice but to marry."

"Your late husband left you nothing?"

She turned her face away from his. "Nothing."

"So he was too impoverished and selfish to even offer you an orgasm?"

Her husky laugh made his stomach squirm pleasantly. That a woman as passionate and vibrant as Jynx should be forced to marry another idiot was beyond his comprehension.

Her arms twined around his neck as her gaze flicked to meet his once more. "You've offered me more in one night than I could ever imagine."

He wanted more than one night. He would ask her to accompany him to France. What if she said no and awkwardness overtook their intimacy? Words stuck in his throat. He would wait until the last moment.

Dawn had not yet broken. They had time.

He cupped her breast and took her mouth in a kiss full of all the emotion he couldn't share. One of her hands slipped down his chest to grasp his cock. He grew ironlike in her tight grip.

"Can we fuck again?" she asked eagerly.

"Indeed. You deserve another orgasm."

Her gasp was one of delight. "Do you mean I can experience another one so soon?"

He would have happily given her late husband a beating if he wasn't already in the ground. "If I could convince you to stay in my bed all day, I would give you a dozen."

He trailed his lips down her neck to suck at her nipple while his hand moved between her legs to stoke her arousal. Her clit was the focus of his stroking thumb while he speared her with two of his fingers.

"A dozen? I'm not sure I believe you. It's a shame we don't have the time for an attempt." A dreaminess had entered her tone. Her hips began to circle, the rhythm familiar and ancient, and her hands clutched at his shoulders, trying to pull him over her.

He resisted, moving away from her and stroking his cock. "Get on your hands and knees."

She stared at his hand moving lazily up and down the length of his cock. "Why?"

Jynx was smart and bold, but an innocent in so many ways. An innocent he longed to corrupt in the most pleasurable ways possible. "Do you trust me to make you feel good?" At her nod, he said in a firmer tone, "Then get on your hands and knees."

She flipped over with a speed that made him smile. He positioned himself behind her, and she looked over her shoulder at him, her hair cascading over her back in beautiful waves. If he had the time, he would like to feel her hair caress his cock as she took him in her mouth. When he fit himself at her entrance, her eyes widened and her bottom popped higher, offering him a better angle.

He pressed inside her a slow inch at a time. Their gazes still held, and she bit her bottom lip as he filled her completely. His cock throbbed. This time he wanted to feel her clench around him as she reached her bliss.

Leaning forward, he wrapped his hand in her hair and tugged her back into his chest. He took slow shallow strokes as his fingers worked her clit. Her breathy moans and squirms spurred him on. He pinched her nipple and her clit at the same time, and she climaxed. Her body bathed his cock in wet heat as it throbbed around him.

He closed his eyes and let her grind on him, trying his damnedest to hold his own spend in check. He wanted to eke out every ounce of pleasure for her. Only when she went limp against him did he consider his own pursuits.

Pushing her back to all fours, he grabbed her hips and pushed deep. He was neither slow nor gentle in the chase for his climax. The way she met his every thrust with breathy moans and garbled words of encouragement only drove him harder.

As he felt his seed rising, he pulled free of her body and frigged himself, his spend crisscrossing her buttocks in an erotic display. Her arms trembled, and her chest collapsed to the mattress, leaving her arse in the air for him to admire.

"Beautiful," he whispered, rubbing his spend into her skin. If only he could truly mark her as his. The sense of possessiveness shocked him.

He retrieved the washing cloth and once again cleaned himself from her body. She rolled to her side, her expression sultry and satisfied. He collapsed in her arms, face-to-face, their legs twined together. Neither of them spoke. He played in her hair while she traced her fingers down his spine.

It was the most peaceful he'd felt since… forever. The restlessness that plagued him was soothed. It was probably just the aftermath of the satisfaction he'd reached with her. Twice. He smiled and pulled her closer. Not wanting to miss a second with her, he tried to force his eyes to remain open, but creeping sleep claimed him.

Duke woke with a start. He reached out but found the bed empty and cold in the weak morning light. He sat up and cursed. Disappointment settled heavily on his chest.

Not only had he meant to make his offer before she left, he had wanted to see her sleepy eyes and disheveled hair as he kissed her awake. He'd wanted to slip inside her wet tight body and rock them into another blinding climax. He… missed her.

How could he miss someone he'd only met a week ago? It defied logic, but was an undeniable fact.

It was early, but he would not find sleep again, so he washed and dressed. The smell of fresh baked bread had him following his nose to the common room. Lord Benson sat at a table, eating buttered bread and jam. He raised a hand in greeting, his clothing rumpled and his eyes bleary. The man had obviously not yet been to bed.

Duke joined him. The innkeeper's wife brought him his own bread and a cup of steaming coffee. She had learned his preferences, and he passed her an extra coin for her thoughtfulness.

"Have you been up all night, Benson?"

"I am never touching the blue ruin again." Benson nibbled on his bread and forced it down with a swallow of tea. He sent a speculative look toward Duke. "You, however, are looking happy and fit considering the hour. Was the lady I spied sneaking out of the inn the cause?"

"What time did your paths cross?"

"At first light. She was quite lovely." Benson's voice turned thoughtful. "She looked familiar."

Duke sat up straighter. "You are acquainted with her?"

"I believe we've been introduced at one of the events of the season, but I can't place her at the moment. What is her name?"

"J—" He'd almost said Jynx, but was the name she'd given him any more truthful? "Jane Jones. Or so she said."

Benson barked a laugh. "That does not sound right. Why would she give you a fake name?"

"Why indeed?" The pang of anger was unwarranted. He should thank the gods he had been blessed with a night of bliss with an exceptional lady and move on with his life. The memory would fade to be replaced with other nights and other ladies. As soon as the inquest was over, he would pack his bags and book passage to France. The world was full of endless possibilities.

It was obvious she did not want to continue a relationship with him. Or was it? He hadn't had the chance to offer her a choice. If she rejected him after pouring his heart out to her, then he would walk away.

Narrowing his eyes on Benson, he asked, "Can you help me find her?"