What the Duke Wants(62)

“No, the redeeming will be you’re doing, not mine. I, however, will indeed save your surely blackened reputation. Even black knights sometimes ride white horses, my love.”

Rather than answer, she lifted herself up on her tiptoes and placed a warm kiss to the edge of his jaw. “Then it is a very good thing you obtained a special license, your grace.”

“You have no idea,” he groaned and pulled her into a tight embrace, his nose burying in her hair, his warm breath tickling her scalp as he inhaled deeply.

“If I may be so bold?” Mr. Burrows interrupted.

The duke loosened his grip only slightly, turning he faced his solicitor, pulling Carlotta with him. It was as if he was afraid to let go.

She knew the feeling.

“Since I have all Miss Standhope’s signatures, I’ll simply await your notification after the wedding, your grace, to finalize a settlement on your new wife. I’ll now take my leave. He bowed then turned to Lord Darby. “My Lord, thank you for your willingness to assist.”

“Assist?” the duke asked.

“Yes… it would seem that you have quite a few friends who wish to secure your happiness. I’ll let your wards explain the rest. Good-day.”

Both gentlemen quit the room, leaving Carlotta quite alone with the duke.

Though she shouldn’t be quite surprised.

She was a ruined woman after all.

“The girls?” she turned to the duke.

Charles narrowed his eyes slightly, as he stared at the wall. His expression was one of deep thought. “Were you… you weren’t forcibly taken from Greenford Waters, were you?”

Carlotta shook her head, confusion fogging her mind.

“And you weren’t planning on marrying Darby.”

At this, she blushed and glanced away.

“Bloody hell.”

“I wasn’t going to marry him… I was simply offered the option.” Shrugging her shoulders, she bit her lip.

“I think… that those three girls are possibly more meddlesome than Lady Southridge.” He smirked, his expression humbled yet elated all at once.

“How so?”

“Oh, they put on quite the performance. Tears and all. Though I can’t find it in my heart to be angry with them. After all, the outcome was quite perfect.” He smiled down at her.

“Oh?”

“Yes. They gave me the excuse I needed to hunt you down and take you for my own prisoner.”

“Had I no choice in the matter?” she teased.

“No, none. I believe I made sure of that.”

“Indeed you did.” She kissed his soft lips, savoring the rightness of his caress to the small of her back as he pressed her in closer, deepening the kiss by the intimate flick of his wicked tongue on the edge of her lower lip. Sighing her surrender, she pressed in further, committing the intoxicating flavor of his passion to memory as he groaned, his touch growing less gentle and far more demanding.

He groaned between his fierce kisses that were delightfully causing the glowing embers of desire to lick at her heels and threaten to consume her. His hands roamed freely, as if he was going blind and desperately trying to memorize each curve of her hip, the shape of her shoulders, the length of her neck, the weight of her—

She gasped as his hand caressed her breast, causing the burn of passion to immediately grow to an inferno. “Your grace…” she whispered, part plea for more and part plea for him to stop.

“Charles,” he whispered against her lips, lowering his hand till it met the other in tracing her waist.

“Charles.” She tasted the honey of his name on her lips, the intimacy of it was deeper than any kiss. It was a statement of her claim on his heart, the claim he had over hers.

“As I see it, there are two options available,” he spoke silkily as he caressed her lips temptingly.

“Only two?” she teased, before leaning in for more of his kiss.

“Really I’d prefer to offer only one, but I find that being an engaged man has changed my morality for the better.” He chuckled, breaking the kiss and gazing intently into her eyes. Mischief and desire waltzed with his expression, the perfect couple.

“That doesn’t sound at all like you.” Carlotta reached up and traced his jaw with her fingers.

“Damn you’re making this difficult.”

“What difficult?”

“Being… good.”

“Being good?”

“Yes, when all I want to do is show just how very wicked I can be. Because, love…” He leaned in, bending down he tugged on her frock till her creamy shoulder was exposed. As he exhaled over the skin, she immediately broke out in goose bumps from the heat then chill of his breath on her skin.

Then he kissed her, tasted her really. Lingering on her flesh as if savoring the flavor. Running the edge of his nose up the curve of her neck, he nipped, and teased the overly sensitive flesh with his tongue and teeth, causing Carlotta to forget what they were even talking about.

“As you can see, I can be quite wicked indeed. But this is not nearly, wicked enough for my taste. Which is exactly…” He paused at her jaw, moved his hands around till they cupped her bottom, swiftly pulling her in flush against him. ”…why we need to leave. Because the only two options are leaving back to Greenford Waters so your girls can watch you get married, or for me to marry you here and I do not see a vicar in the room. Though to be fair, I haven’t actually looked. I haven’t wanted to look anywhere but at you.”