Duchess by Chance
Page 23
“I want to be alone,” she whispered.
“I think not, now get up and I will help you undress.”
This time it was her turn to say no.
Daniel lifted the sleepy puppy and walked back into his bedroom, where he placed him on his bed and then closed the door. Eva had moved as far to the opposite side of the bed as she could. Leaning on the mattress, he grabbed her ankles and tugged her gently toward him.
“Daniel, your shoulder!” She tried to wriggle free from his grasp.
“My shoulder is fine,” he said taking her hands and pulling her to her feet before him.
“I want to be alone. I-I need time…”
“Time for what?” Daniel said, undoing the buttons at her back and pulling the dress from her shoulders.
“To…” She struggled to put her thoughts into words. “To come to terms with what happened tonight.”
“I don’t remember needing isolation when you were nearly killed in that carriage accident.” Daniel unlaced her corset and manfully tried to ignore the generous swell of her breasts. “In fact, I needed only you that night.”
“You should not have fought that duel!”
Now that was better, Daniel thought. The look of terror had left her face to be replaced by the flush of anger. Sinking to his knees, he untied her stockings and rolled them down her thighs.
“Would you have had me thank Huxley instead for mauling you and trying to kidnap you, or perhaps I could have taken off one of my gloves and slapped his face?” Daniel now stood before her. She was gloriously naked, and his body fired to life.
“I would have you live, damn you!”
“As I do.” Daniel removed his robe.
“But I will not allow you to fight a duel every time someone challenges me.”
“It was more than a challenge, Eva, as you very well know. Huxley hurt and terrified you and let us not forget that he also shot at our carriage.”
The bandage around his arm drew her eyes and he saw the terror as she remembered the moment he got it.
“I-I could have lost you,” her fingers shook as they traced over the cotton.
“Never.” Daniel hauled her into his arms, then tumbled them onto the bedcovers. Covering her lips with his, he kissed her hard. She struggled against him but Daniel held her closer and deepened the kiss until he felt her resistance flee. Only then did he ease back.
“You gave yourself to me, Eva,” he whispered against her neck. “Body and soul,” he added, running his hand over her breasts in soft strokes. “And I will protect you with my life if and when I believe it is necessary.”
She shuddered as his fingers moved over her stomach. Daniel watched as she arched toward him as his they delved into her silken core.
“You are mine as I am yours, Eva.” Daniel moved down her body, kissing and licking until he reached his goal. “Do you understand what that means?”
He ran his tongue down the dew-drenched folds between her legs, tasting her essence.
“I-I understand.”
He sucked on the hard little bud between her legs until he felt the pressure build inside her. Only then did he climb back up her body and drive himself deep inside her slick heat.
“We belong, Eva,” Daniel rasped as he withdrew and pushed slowly back into her.
“I love you, Daniel, so very much, now and forever.”
Her whispered pledge drove Daniel over the edge. Thrusting into her until she clenched around him, they scaled the heights of passion together.
“And I love you, Duchess, forever and always,” Daniel said, gathering her close in his arms as he felt sleep pulling him under. Resting a hand on her stomach, he imagined their child and dreamed of the future that now dawned bright and beautiful before them.
THE END
Wendy Vella is a lover of all things romantic. She started reading her first Georgette Heyer book at a young age and instantly fell in love with the Regency era. Writing is something she has always found time for; she penned her first novel at eighteen, though she says it will never make an appearance outside the closet in which it currently resides.
After having her two children, Wendy joined RWNZ and started honing her chosen craft by entering competitions with some success and attending conferences.
She has an addiction to reading, and loves a wide range of romance genres, but her first love will always be historical. She relishes novels steeped in romance and excitement, with feisty heroines and delicious heroes, especially when they are set amongst the treacherous waters of London society.
Wendy is a sucker for a happy ending, having secured her own. She has been married to her dark brooding hero for twenty-eight years, and shares her home with two wonderful children, two dogs, and anyone else who happens to be visiting at the time. Born and raised in a rural area on the North Island of New Zealand, Wendy loves the beaches and lush green rolling hills of her homeland, and is proud to call herself a very patriotic Kiwi!
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Email Wendy at: wendy@wendvella.com