Lucy nodded. She had said she wanted a scoundrel, hadn’t she? Thinking upon that conversation now, she felt as though she were looking at another version of herself, as though she were remembering her actions as a child. She’d been such a fool. She hadn’t seen what was right in front of her. She didn’t want a scoundrel. She wanted the man who looked at her like she was the sun and the moon and all the stars in the sky. The way Duncan looked at her.
Lucy straightened and shook her head to clear it. She swallowed. “For all your assertions that I’m so clever, right now I feel like an absolute idiot. I didn’t realize any of what you’re saying.”
“You saw me,” he said. “You just didn’t like me. I didn’t tell you my feelings to make you feel obligated—”
“Oh, I don’t feel obligated. Not at all. I feel like a complete dolt.” She’d said what had happened between them the other night was a mistake. She still thought they shouldn’t mix the personal with this mission, but right now, in this moment, she didn’t care one whit.
“You’re not a dolt.”
“No, I’m not, which is why if you don’t kiss me right now, right this moment,Iwill have to grab you and ravish you, sir.”
***
DUNCAN ALMOST LAUGHED. Almost. The idea of Lucy Galloway ravishing him was amusing...and also highly arousing. He was probably a complete idiot for questioning her, but he couldn’t help but wonder if she had been paying attention for the last half hour.
“Did you not hear what happened with Dorothea Holloway? What I did?”
“I heard.” She moved closer. “But do you think you should be punished for it the rest of your life?”
He had thought so, yes, actually. He hadn’t pushed Dorothea out the window, but he was responsible, nonetheless.
“You’re clearly not the same man who ruined her all those years ago. You have changed, and you have lived a life of service for Crown and Country. Your service can’t bring Dorothea back or earn her parents’ forgiveness, but I have made my share of mistakes and I’m certainly in no position to judge you.”
Her words caused his head to snap up. More importantly, he felt his shoulders grow lighter. Duncan hadn’t realized how the fear of judgment had weighed him down. But Lucy didn’t judge him. She didn’t hate him or think he was past redemption. Duncan stared at her and took in a deep breath and for the first time in years, he felt as though his lungs expanded to their fullest capacity. “I was certain I would be judged for the rest of my life.”
“Not by me,” she said. “I know what happened is not something you will ever forget, but perhaps you could forgive yourself. You are not the same man you were then, and why should that man’s actions define who you are now?”
“I don’t know if I can ever forgive myself,” he admitted. “Each day I try to believe that I deserve some of the successes I’ve earned in the years since Dorothea’s death.”
“You deserve them. You are an excellent agent. More importantly, you are a good person. A goodman. The best man I have ever met.”
“But—”
She put a finger to his lips. “Shhh. Let me show you what you deserve.”
Duncan closed his mouth and swallowed. Hard. Lucy’s hand slid from his lips down his neck, down to his chest, and then she pushed. Not hard but with enough pressure that he took a step back. And then another. And yet another until the back of his knees bumped the cot and he was forced to sit. Lucy came down right on top of him, her legs straddling his, skirts hiked up to the knees. She gave one final push, and his back thudded lightly against the wall.
“Is this you ravishing me?” he asked.
“If you have to ask, I must be doing something wrong.”
He shook his head. “Oh, you’re doing everything very, very right.”
His cock was hard, and he could feel the heat of her cradling it. Need like he’d never felt before coursed through him, but he clenched his hands on the thin mattress below and tried to exert what control he could.
Lucy ran a hand through his hair then took both sides of his face in her hands and bent to kiss him. He closed his eyes, but when the kiss didn’t come, he opened them again. She was close but watching him, waiting for his agreement. Waiting to see that he wanted this too.
Was there any question?
“Yes,” he said. His voice sounded as though he’d swallowed gravel. His throat was dry enough that he half wondered if he had.
“Yes,” she echoed, sliding her lips over his. He’d thought the kiss would be light and charming, a reflection of her personality. Instead, it was hot and intense and filled with passion. Duncan felt as though he were falling, and he released the cot to grab hold of her hair. He gripped the silky strands lightly, but it was enough pressure to free them from the ribbon securing them in a tail down her back. Suddenly the scent of cinnamon and Lucy flooded over him. He made a sound of need, a sort of growl, and Lucy’s tongue teased its way into his mouth. She explored, teased, and tempted as though she would know him fully.
When she retreated, he followed her, imitating her kisses. When she pulled back, he lightly clamped his teeth on her lower lip before releasing her.
She looked down at him, her breath coming fast, her breasts heaving. “I’m supposed to be ravishing you.”
“Sorry. I’m not a very good—er, ravishee. All I want to do is pick you up and have you against that wall.”
