“Then you must call me Luke,” he said just before nibbling on her neck. “Please call me Luke.” With a soft breath, he added her name to the end of his request, “Adeline.” Hearing it spoken with such yearning sent shivers down her spine.
He hoisted her up to straddle his waist. Moving toward the table with books, papers, and random crafting supplies, he used one arm to hold her up and the other to clear the table in one fell swoop. Then he placed her bottom on the table and stood between her legs.
“Yes, Luke,” she breathed his name with reverence and irrevocable ache. “I’ll call you anything you want. Just let me have you right now.”
“You need only call me Luke.” His nibbling had trailed down to her breasts and then–
Oh holy night, her nipple was in his mouth. “Luke!” She shouted his name and started grappling at the buttons on his coat.
When it fell to the ground, she started in on the buttons of his waistcoat. Then, the buttons on his shirt. His shirt was open and she pushed his lips back from her, so she could drink her fill of the rippling muscles across his stomach. She had never even been kissed before him, but it was the most natural instinct in the world that when she saw his hardened nips, she traced her finger over them to see his reaction.
His head fell back and she was lost in the fire between them. Her hands dropped to his falls and worked on the last set of buttons she hoped to unfasten. A hand slowly came upon hers and covered it.
“Are you sure?”
No. She was not sure what would happen after this. But yes, she was absolutely sure she wanted him. This might be her only chance at such a passionate, blazing fire of desire.
“Yes,” she whispered and slid her hand into his pants to discover what fate awaited her.
A low groan rumbled through his chest and her name tumbled out. “Adeline…”
It was tender and achy. Just like how she felt.
As his breeches fell to the floor, his arousal sprung free, with her hand around it. So drawn to him and everything about him, she already felt as though he belonged to her. Every part of him. The madness should have made her stop, but she was past the point of evaluating her actions. Everything was pure instinct.
Until it wasn’t.
He was soft like velvet but solid like steel. She knew he was reacting that way to her, and knowing that made her hot and wet between her legs.
His hand ran up her thighs, pushing her skirts back around her hips. His fingers stepped slowly between her thighs and then one finger gently pushed through her lips and into her wetness. As they did, her grip on his member tightened and a growl escaped him.
“Did I hurt you?”
“Not at all. Just the opposite.” His voice breathed into her ear. “Like this.” He covered her hand again and began tugging on himself, showing her how to pleasure him. “I like it tight.” He whispered as he gently pushed a finger inside of her.
Then she could feel two fingers inside of her and his thumb rubbing a small nub. She almost forgot how tightly her grip around him had become when she remembered that he had said he liked it tight.
It was all happening so fast. The pleasure mounting. The snow falling. The pressure building. The angel arms waving. Her releasing. Something inside of her was unleashed and finally loosed. And she could feel that whatever was loosed, was now submerging his hand.
He groaned her name and then she knew what his covered hand felt because hers felt it too.
Chapter 8
HEWANTEDHERAGAIN.She was the most amazing woman he had ever been with. And he hadn’t even fully been with her yet. Yet. There would be more. If there was no other sure thing in his life, it was that he would have more of her. She was the most amazing woman he had ever met. Her magnetism drew him in like no other. Well, except the woman he had kissed under the mistletoe. But he pushed that thought aside. He could not entertain a divided heart. Adeline was now front and center. And over and above. And under and sideways.
Standing in the drawing room amongst all the guests, Luke felt his cock twitching just thinking about Adeline. It had only been a couple of hours since he had given himself to her. He had given himself to her. That’s the way he thought about it at least. He had shared himself. The same way he felt she had given herself to him. It was absolute madness, but he was going to ask her to be his wife. He could not let this feeling slip away. Nothing short of the mistletoe woman revealing herself would stop him from his new plan of action.
Because he knew he would never find the woman he kissed under the mistletoe, unless she wanted to be found. And she must not want to be found, because if she did, surely she would have approached him by now. She knew he was the duke after all. Chauncey had made that pretty clear. If she had felt half of what he had felt under the mistletoe, she would have made herself known. So it was a lost cause. He hadn’t found his true love at the masquerade ball like his mother and grandmother, but he had found his true love building a snowman. It was just as magical.
Not even Chauncey could interrupt his plans. Thinking of which, he needed to have a chat with the old butler about all those fake emergencies. Whatever they were about, they needed to stop.
The air crackled with warmth, and musicians played Christmas tunes as guests mingled. Luke shivered and knew that Adeline must have entered the room. They were having after dinner drinks, and she must have slipped away for a moment. Margaret was now at her side. Thank God for Margaret. If she wasn’t insisting on Adeline’s attendance at all of the house party events, he probably would not have met the woman of his dreams. Though he liked to think fate would have worked her magic if Margaret didn’t first.
It was shaping up to be the most exhilarating day of Luke’s life.
His mother approached the center of the room. “I’m sure you have all been waiting on pins and needles for me to announce the winner of the snowman building competition.”
All gazes were merrily fixed on Alissa, the dowager duchess.
