Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

T he carriage ride back to Silverbrook Manor was shrouded in the soft glow of moonlight. The rhythmic clatter of the wheels against the cobblestone road provided a soothing backdrop as Ciara leaned back against the plush seat, trying to unwind from the evening's events.

Jonathan watched her with a mixture of amusement and affection. "So, did you enjoy yourself tonight?" he asked, a teasing lilt in his voice.

Ciara gave him a sideways glance, her lips curving into a reluctant smile. "It was... enlightening," she replied, her tone diplomatic.

Jonathan chuckled. "Enlightening, you say? You handled yourself quite well, despite the less-than-charming company."

Ciara sighed, her earlier embarrassment resurfacing. "I felt so out of place, Jonathan. And when I dropped my fork…"

"Ah, yes, the infamous fork incident," Jonathan interrupted playfully. "I must say, I found it rather endearing. Only, if I had allowed you to bend and pick it up, I am certain that the guests would think something naughty was happening."

Ciara's cheeks flushed. "You're teasing me surely."

"Just a bit," he admitted, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "But only because I find you utterly charming when you're flustered."

"Too bad you are not charming when I am flustered," she retorted, resisting a chuckle.

"Oh?" he lifted an eyebrow. "And usually, I am?"

"No," she replied. "Not one bit. You are not charming. You are… impossible."

He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Impossible, perhaps. But you must admit, I make things interesting."

Ciara's heart raced at the nearness of him, the warmth of his breath against her skin. She met his gaze, her eyes filled with a mix of vulnerability and longing.

"I dare you to make them more interesting…" she said, her eyes upon his, not looking away even for a single second.

He knew exactly what she was thinking. His smile softened, and without another word, he closed the distance between them. His lips met hers in a gentle, tender kiss that quickly deepened. Ciara's hands found their way to his shoulders, pulling him closer as the kiss grew more passionate. She could feel the heat of his desire, mirrored by her own.

He was kissing her much differently than the last time. She could sense it. This time, he knew it was she he was kissing. The kiss belonged to her, not to some nameless woman.

Everything about their kiss was forbidden and therefore, delicious. She knew she wasn't supposed to give in to him. At least, not with such ease. But she wanted to. There was nothing she wanted more than to be in his arms.

She kissed him as if that was their first and last kiss, and they both knew there would be no more. She could feel his hunger for her as his tongue riled through her lips, demanding everything of her. His hands were on her hips, keeping her in his lap. His manhood protruded from his trousers, roaring with desire for her.

Every single bad thing that had happened was banished by Jonathan's kiss. She couldn't think of anything or anyone else. She was helpless before his desire, before her own desire.

She moaned softly against his lips, and he bit her gently, only to soothe that sting with another kiss. The act inflamed her. Everything about that moment was more intense than she could have imagined.

His hand traveled up to her breast, cupping it through the fabric of her gown. She kissed him back with all the passion she had, every pent-up thought of him she had been collecting until that moment. Although she could not feel his hand on her bare skin, her nipples pebbled even through the layers and layers of fabric that separated their naked bodies. She felt more alive than she had ever been before. She was aware of every inch of her being, of his proximity.

Without thinking, she allowed her desire to lead her. She sucked on his tongue, not even sure if he liked what she was doing. Then, he kissed her harder, and she could tell everything. She was melting in his arms, every inch of her being a nerve-ending that trembled before him. His lips traveled down her throat, kissing it, nipping it, licking it, creating a deliciously wet trail of longing. She arched her back and neck, allowing him access to any part of her body that he wanted.

Just as their embrace threatened to consume them, the carriage slowed to a stop. The driver announced their arrival at Silverbrook Manor, breaking the spell. Jonathan reluctantly pulled away, his breathing heavy, his eyes dark with unfulfilled desire.

"We've arrived," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion.

Ciara nodded, her own breath coming in quick, shallow gasps. "Yes, we have."

They exited the carriage silently, and he walked her to her chamber. She wanted him to ask to come inside. She secretly wanted them to continue what was started in the carriage, but much to her disappointment, he simply bid her goodnight, turning away and closing the door to his own chamber, leaving her alone with a palpitating heart and a yearning body.

Ciara had no idea what she was doing, standing by the door that joined her chamber to her husband's. She should be in her own bed, sleeping. Yet, all she wanted to do was be in his bed in his arms.

Inhaling deeply, she knocked. A moment later, Jonathan opened the door, shirtless, his hair tousled, falling over his forehead in a rakish manner she couldn't resist. The sight of his naked, muscular torso made her falter. Heat unfurled deep inside of her, making her yearn for him even more.

Noticing her confusion, he lifted her chin. "How may I help you, Duchess?"

She hesitated for a moment then somehow found the words she needed. "I… I wish to continue what we started in the carriage."

He lifted an inquisitive eyebrow. "You wish to lay with me?"

"Mhm," she said, swallowing heavily, trying not to lower her gaze to the dark curls on his chest.

"You know that if we do, it will be solely for pleasure," he clarified. "If love is what you need, I cannot give you that. I wish to be perfectly clear on those conditions."

"I understand," she nodded hastily. "That is all I want as well. Just… pleasure, nothing else." She could see the look of surprise on his face. So, she continued. "If we are to live separately after these two months, I want to experience those bodily pleasures at least once in my life."

He pouted before speaking. "You're treading on dangerous waters, siren."

"I don't care," she insisted. "I am free now, in this moment, to do as I please. I want to live life to the fullest, to experience what I never did before. I want…" she paused in an effort to find the right words. "I want you to show me what it truly means to be a woman."

He grinned, showcasing his own body with his hands like a seller on a market. "In that case, who am I to deny you the pleasure of all this?"

She rolled her eyes at him amusedly, resisting the urge to smile.

"Also," he continued, "we need some ground rules in case things get too out of hand, such as you falling in love with me."

She crossed her arms over her chest, frowning. "You have a very high opinion of yourself, you know."

He shrugged. "I speak from experience. Women have a tendency to fall in love with me when we are intimate on more than one occasion. I truly don't know what it is about me," he grinned mischievously.

"Neither do I," she responded.

"You will soon find out," he teased. "But first things first, we can have one lesson per week."

"That seems fair," she agreed. "Now, shall we get on with it?" She realized at that moment that she was still standing in the doorway. He had not granted her access to his bedchamber yet.

He laughed at her words, a deep, throaty laughter that seemed to emanate from the depths of his very soul. She couldn't remember hearing him laugh like that before.

"Oh, sweetheart," he said darkly, "you are not the one to give orders here."

"I know, I just—" she started, but she wasn't allowed to continue.

He took her into his arms and kissed her without pardon. He lifted her up onto himself, her legs instinctively locking around his waist, keeping herself in place. His hands grabbed her behind, squeezing gently, while his lips devoured hers.

He took her to the bed in her bedchamber, placing her gently onto it, as if she were a rare, sacred thing made of the finest porcelain, and she might break if handled roughly. Her irritation with him had disappeared immediately, a little too fast, but she couldn't think about that right now.

He pulled away from her, lifting the hem of her nightgown and pooling it around her waist. He spread her legs, not taking his eyes off of her.

"Jonathan, what are you?—"

"Shhh," she heard him say as he lowered himself between her thighs.

"You don't mean to?—"

"Ciara," he said in a mockingly stern voice, "you are not being a good pupil."

Her heart fluttered at his voice, at his eyes, and she nodded. That was all she could do before he lowered his head, and she could feel an onslaught of his hot breath on her most sensitive flesh.

"Oh…" she moaned softly, biting her lower lip. Without thinking, she grabbed a handful of his hair in a desire to keep him there, between her legs.

His tongue found the sensitive bundle of nerves she had dared to touch only a handful of times. The sensation was beyond wonderful. She had forgotten everything she had been trying to tell him as his tongue lapped, flicking over her sensitive bud, creating tidal waves of incredible pleasure. She gasped, her eyes closed, her hips jerking towards him, giving all of herself to him and his knowing tongue.

"Mmmm," she heard him murmur. "You taste like a most decadent dessert…"

That was when she felt his lips on her as he sucked her into his mouth. Wet heat enveloped her as sensation bloomed with a strength she never even knew she had. Her breathing was ragged, and she could barely keep up with the waves of pleasure he was creating. He knew exactly what he was doing as his tongue flicked over her in steady pulses, creating the perfect friction, bringing her to the edge. She never wanted him to stop.

He lifted his eyes to hers, dark and unfathomable with his mouth on her. That was when she completely lost control, seeing him in such a carnal, intimate manner. Something inside of her clenched then exploded. Ripples of pleasure spread throughout her entire body as she gently rocked into his mouth until only faint remnants of shivers were left.

He pulled away from her, his lips glistening from her heat. Still trembling, she waited for him to kiss her, to do something else, but instead, he fell to the side of the bed next to her. She waited for a few moments longer then she couldn't resist asking.

"Is… that all?"

He chuckled again, that same wonderfully masculine laughter. "Oh no, siren. We are just getting started. But I think that's enough for your first lesson."

He got up, and without another word, he left her chamber, closing the door behind him.

All she could hear at that moment was the palpitating sound of her own heart, wondering what on earth she had done.