Lily and the Duke (Sex and the Season Book 1)

by HELEN HARDT

  “Definitely blackberries and cinnamon. But mostly my favorite flavor of all. You.”

  “You are a wizard with words, Daniel,” she said dreamily, her pulse racing. “It’s no wonder women have been falling all over you for so long. You’re a master of lines.”

  “That wasn’t a line.”

  “Oh, that’s an even better one.” She closed her eyes and let out a soft breath.

  * * *

  Daniel gazed at her beautiful face. Her lashes were so long that they touched her cheeks when her eyes were closed. So very beautiful. How could he convince her he was telling the truth? That he wasn’t simply feeding her lines that were tried and true? Her complexity and intelligence captivated him. She had awakened feelings in him that he didn’t know he was capable of having. He touched her cheek gently.

  “Open your eyes, love. I want you to taste something else.” He reached onto the table for a chocolate. “Have you tasted chocolate bonbons before?”

  “Papa brought some from Prince Albert’s exposition in London a few years ago. They were wonderful.”

  “Then I know you’ll like these. This is a dark chocolate truffle from Belgium.” He held it to her mouth. “Take a small bite.”

  “Mmm, delicious. I’ve never tasted anything like it.”

  “Now a sip of wine,” he said, holding the glass to her lips.

  She moaned softly. “My, that’s absolutely sublime.”

  Daniel kissed her again, swirling his tongue around hers and capturing the lingering richness of the chocolate and the crisp, dry fruitiness of the wine. “Oh yes. Sublime.”

  Lily leaned into him and whispered in his ear. “Are you actually going to eat or drink anything, or are you just going to taste it all on me?”

  “I had planned to partake with you, but I like your idea better.” He kissed her again, deliberately and sensually, his cock hardening beneath her. Slowly he unfastened the back of her gown.

  She giggled, but her body tensed against him. “Not so fast. Now that you’ve introduced me to this divine confection, do you really think I’m going to be satisfied with just one little bite?” She reached for another truffle.

  “My love, you’ll find that the more you experience of the finer things in life, the more you’ll want.” He eased her gown over her shoulders. He took a truffle, rubbed it between her breasts, which were bulging out of her corset, and licked the chocolate from her warm body. Her skin was like silk under his tongue.

  Lily held a glass of wine to his mouth, smiling down at him. He sipped slowly, his gaze never straying from hers.

  “Lily, you are the most amazing woman I know.”

  “Thank you.” She put the wine down. “And you, Daniel, are…” She took a truffle, rubbed a thick coating of chocolate on his lips, and kissed it off. “The only man I know.” She burst into a fit of giggles. “In the biblical sense that is. You make me do such wicked things.”

  “I don’t think you’re completely under my influence.” He unpinned her hair and let the dark waves cascade down her back. “I don’t recall having anything to do with you swimming naked in the hot pool this afternoon.” He fondled her bare shoulders—Lord, such soft skin. “Whose idea was that, pray tell?”

  “Actually, it was Ally’s. Although I didn’t exactly resist. I told you we would find some fun, didn’t I?”

  He erupted in laughter. “And I told you I didn’t doubt that you would. Although it didn’t occur to me that your fun would entail you frolicking about naked. If it had, I never would have let you out of my sight. I should have known you would find the pool.”

  “Rose thought it might be an offshoot from the waters in Bath.” Lily reached for her wine to take another sip.

  “It is. It’s very relaxing and pleasant, as I’m sure you found out.”

  “We weren’t relaxing. We were playing. Then we were hiding from you. The girls were mortified when you showed up. I knew you wouldn’t divulge our secret, but I had no way of letting them know that.”

  “If you had been alone, I would have stripped and been in there with you in about three seconds.” His cock surged under her. God, he wanted to bed her. Now. He took another sip of wine when she held the glass for him.

  Lily rolled her head back and giggled. “That would have been wicked.”

  “But fun, yes?”

  “I suppose so.”

  She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his cheek. A simple, innocent kiss that plummeted straight to his groin.

  “I’m almost sorry I wasn’t alone, although Ally and I had a marvelous time.” She reached for another chocolate and took a small bite. “I dare say we won’t be able to visit the pool again unless there’s another day like today, when most of the guests are otherwise occupied.”

  “You can visit the pool anytime you want,” he said, “with one condition.”

  “And that would be?” She gave him another sip of wine.

  “You have to take me with you.” He grinned and squeezed her breast.

  “Well, all right.” She grabbed a cluster of grapes from the platter and fed one to him. “Mmm. You know, the last time I was at Laurel Ridge it was September, I believe. I took a walk through the vineyards and couldn’t resist the lovely bunches of grapes. They were so tiny. So I picked one and ate it, but it was completely full of seeds. These are wonderful, though.” She popped another into her mouth.

  “The grapes in our vineyards are for making wine, Lily. They’re not meant to be eaten.”

  “How interesting. How do you get all the seeds out?”

  “I don’t actually know. I’m sure it requires sophisticated equipment.”

  “You don’t make wine here?”

  “No. We sell our grapes to other vineyards.”

  “You seem to have a keen interest in wine, and you have your own vineyards. Why haven’t you tried to make some?”

  “I wouldn’t know the first thing about it.”

  “You have a brain, Daniel. You could learn.” She fed him another grape.

  He grabbed the cluster of grapes from her. “I thought I was supposed to feed you.” He pushed one between her lips and lifted lifting the glass for her to take a drink.

  “You’re changing the subject.”

  “And I’m doing a smashing job of it.” He grabbed a strawberry and held it up for her to take a bite. “Don’t swallow yet.” He held up a truffle. “How is that?”

  “Mmm. Wonderful. You try.”

  “If you insist.” He moved toward her mouth.

  “That’s not what I meant—”

  He kissed her delicately, extracting the strawberry and chocolate flavors from her mouth with slick strokes of his tongue. “Delectable. Now try a sip of wine.” He held it to her lips.

  “I could get used to this,” Lily said breathlessly, touching his hair. “Sitting on your lap, being fed chocolate and fruit and wine. I feel like Cleopatra. I’m not sure life can get any more pleasurable.”

  “Oh, it can,” Daniel said, sliding his lips along the side of her neck.

  “Nice,” she said dreamily. “But we’ve already done that. And it couldn’t possibly be any more pleasurable than it was the first time.”

  “My sweet, naive angel,” Daniel said, his entire body pulsating with need, “it will get better and better, I promise.”

  Lily looked down at him with fire in her eyes. “Show me.”

  He stood up with her in his arms. He kissed her passionately as he removed her clothes, plucked the remaining pins from her hair, and laid her on the bed. He disrobed and joined her, taking her into his arms and kissing her, slowly at first, and then more intensely.

  “I’m going to taste every inch of you tonight, Lily.” He ran his tongue along the outer edge of her ear and gently nipped her lobe.

  “Oh, that’s nice,” she said.

  He moved to her eyelids, covering them with light touches of his lips. Her eyes fluttered under the attack and she moaned his name softly.

  Then to her n
ose, her cheeks, her other ear, her neck—he explored each separate place with his lips, ravishing her as if she were his first taste of a woman, while his cock throbbed. He caressed and kissed her arms and hand, swirled his tongue on the inside of her elbow and breathed on the wetness, delighting in her shudder.

  “My love, you are so breathtakingly beautiful. The finest artists in the world could not have created such perfection.” He kissed each of her fingers, sucking them into his mouth and caressing them with his tongue.

  When he moved to her breasts, she groaned as he kneaded them gently and then brushed them with his lips, teasingly avoiding her nipples.

  “Daniel, please.”

  He sucked on the skin underneath one nipple. “Yes?”

  “I…I…”

  “Is this what you want?” He tugged on one nipple lightly

  “Yes, oh yes. Please, Daniel.”

  God, how he loved to hear her say his name. He sucked gently, and then harder. Her fingers threaded through his hair, pushing him into her breast. His erection pulsated, but he calmed it. He wanted to concentrate on her. He let the nipple go with a soft pop.

  “Do you like that, Lily? When I take your nipple between my lips? Does that feel good to you?”

  She sighed. “Yes. Oh yes. It’s wonderful.”

  He lavished attention on the other nipple, teasing and tickling it to a hard knob, and then replaced his tongue with his fingers as he moved lower on her torso. He lightly pinched both nipples while he swirled his tongue in small circles on her belly, around her navel. He paused when he reached the patch of dark curls.

  “Oh, Daniel,” she moaned. “Please.”

  “Patience, love.” He gave her wetness a quick nip, the tang of her juices like nectar on his tongue. He was tempted to eat her, but he wanted to explore her, taste every part of her. He licked the sensual plumpness of her hips and thighs, to her calves, to the instep of her foot. He kissed each of her toes and then gently turned her over on her stomach and started working his way back up. He paused in the inside of her knees, moving his tongue in lazy, wet circles, making her wriggle beneath him. Then he blew softly on the wetness, and she arched off the bed. Her hands became fists and she grabbed the silk comforter and moaned his name. His cock nearly burst.

  He moved upward, gently biting the backs of her thighs, the round cheeks of her bottom. He paused and licked her pussy one languid, sensual stroke.

  “Now, Daniel. Please.”

  “Not yet.” He slid his tongue over the curve of her back, until he was at her neck, sucking and nuzzling gently. His swollen cock pushed against her thigh. “What do you want, love?” he asked softly, his voice hoarse.

  “I want you. Inside me. Please, Daniel.”

  “Not yet, Lily. I want to feast on you.” He spread kisses and nips down her back and then gently moved her legs forward until her bottom was propped up. He parted her intimate folds, delicately stroking them with his fingers. She was so wet. God, so wet.

  “You have the prettiest, sweetest, most perfect pussy I have ever seen.” He smoothly slid his tongue inside of her, mimicking the sexual act, skillfully fingering her swollen nub. Her honey tantalized his tongue, sweet and spicy at the same time.

  “Please, Daniel, please.” The pillow muffled her voice.

  He teased her, took her almost to climax and then stopped and licked her in long lackadaisical strokes. The tight rosebud of her anus beckoned him, and he touched his tongue to it.

  She shuddered beneath him, but didn’t stop him. Oh, thank God.

  He licked the opening gently, slowly, all the while fingering her swollen clitoris. Would he ever take her there? That tight forbidden heaven? He suddenly wanted it more than he wanted his next breath—to fill her everywhere. His cock throbbed and threatened to release.

  “Daniel, my God.”

  He couldn’t tease her any longer. He had to let her come so he could get inside that warm wet pussy. He moved down to her clitoris and sucked hard while he pushed two fingers into her heat. He plundered her body with such drive that she rolled from one orgasm into another, bucking up against him, shuddering and squealing. Her muscles clamped around his fingers. His cock hardened even further.

  “Daniel, no. I can’t take any more.” Yet still her hips moved with him.

  His power to please her intoxicated him. He moved forward, touched his lips to her back, her neck, her hair. He could wait no longer.

  He plunged his cock into her pussy from behind. God, she was perfect. So tight, so beautiful. He found a rhythm and pumped into her harder, faster. “You make me so hard, Lily. So, so hard.”

  He reached beneath her and stroked her clitoris as he thrust his cock in and out. Soon she slid into another climax, and he followed her, spilling his seed inside of her with spasms so powerful and intense he wasn’t sure he’d survive it.

  “Yes, Lily, yes.” He thrust and he thrust, until he had given her all he could.

  He pressed a soft kiss to her shoulder and fell to his side, taking her with him. Lily snuggled against him. They lay together for several moments.

  “Daniel,” she whispered. “I have to go.”

  “No.” The idea of her leaving him was too unbearable for words. “Stay with me.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Please. Sleep in my arms. I want to wake up with you and make love to you. I want to feel you next to me all night. Stay.”

  “Oh, Daniel.” She sighed and turned her body to face his.

  “Go to sleep, my love. You’ll need all your energy if we’re going to the Louvre tomorrow.”

  Her lips curled into a soft smile against his chest, and then she drifted peacefully into oblivion, her heart beating softly against him.

  Daniel stroked her silken hair, her sweet breath blowing in shallow puffs against his chest. How could she mean so much to him in so little time? Gently he moved her head to the satin pillow and gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek. Her eyes fluttered softly beneath her ebony lashes. He rose gingerly, so as not to disturb her, went to the table, and poured himself another glass of wine. He padded to his night table and lit a candle. The soft glow illuminated Lily’s lovely face. He reached into a shallow drawer, drew out a sketchbook and a soft lead pencil. He sat down on the bed and began to sketch the exquisite beauty before him.

  * * *

  Lily woke later to find Daniel’s lips sliding over hers. He sat on the edge of the bed, clad in his dressing robe. “Lily,” he said softly. “Wake up. Our breakfast is here.”

  She sat up abruptly. “Breakfast? My God, what time is it?”

  “About eight.” He held up a dressing robe for her. “Put this on and have breakfast with me.”

  “Eight o’clock, you say? I guess it’s all right. Rose rarely rises before ten.” She took the robe and headed to the bath chamber. “I’ll only be a moment.”

  She took care of her needs quickly and returned to find Daniel sitting at the small table in the window. He stood and led her to her chair, and then sat down and poured her a cup of tea.

  “How do you take it?”

  “Just like that.” She lifted the cup and inhaled the rich fragrance of the steamy liquid.

  “You’re a woman after my own heart, Lily. I can’t abide sugar and cream in my tea either.” He placed a filet of smoked salmon, a scone, some lemon curd, and fresh fruit on a plate and handed it to her.

  “Thank you,” she said. “I’m quite hungry.”

  “Of course you are.” He grinned. “You used a lot of energy last night.”

  Lily smiled shyly. “We can’t keep this up, you know.”

  “Why not?”

  “You have compromised me beyond repair, Daniel.”

  “Then why not keep at it?” He grinned. “It makes little difference to your virtue at this point.”

  “That’s not the issue,” Lily said.

  “What is the issue, Lily?”

  “It’s that…” She sighed. Every minute she spent with him would make leav
ing at the end of next week much more difficult. She would think about him, wonder what he was doing and with whom. He would replace her quickly and forget all they had shared. She had known from the beginning what kind of man he was, yet she had gone to him willingly. No strings. No regrets. She still didn’t want marriage. Especially not to a man who could never be faithful to her. She had started this for experience. And she had gained experience tenfold.

  “What, love? You can tell me.” He stroked her arm.

  His touch set her ablaze. “Oh, I don’t know. It just doesn’t seem right, that’s all.”

  “It seems very right to me.”

  “I didn’t mean that it didn’t feel right. It feels very…”

  Daniel kissed her hand. “You’re not going to get away from me that easily, Lily. I plan to monopolize your time for the rest of this house party. Then we shall see what happens after that.”

  After that? What did he mean? That they’d continue their illicit affair, or that she would become his mistress? Not in a million years. “Daniel—”

  “Plus, you promised to go riding with me today.”

  “Yes, I know. I want to, Daniel, but—”

  “No ‘buts,’ Lily. You already said you’d go.”

  She looked into his eyes and couldn’t find the strength to fight him. She wanted to be with him. Leaving him would be so… But why think about that now?

  “Yes, I’ll go.”

  “Of course you will. Now eat your breakfast like a good girl. And no more of this ridiculous talk. Here, have some more tea.”

  “I should get back to my chamber soon,” Lily said.

  “Yes, I’ll take you back after breakfast. Then you can change and get to your painting. I’ll go to the bachelor house and find Xavier and arrange for our ride this afternoon.”

  “All right, Daniel.”

  They ate the rest of their breakfast in silence, but it wasn’t awkward. Nothing about being with Daniel seemed awkward, which was a big part of the problem. Lily gazed out the window, sighing, pushing the thoughts of leaving Laurel Ridge from her mind. When she had finished the last crumb on her plate, she asked, “Am I to sit with you at dinner again tonight?”