Page 49 of An Inconvenient Duke

“I’ll never tell.”

“Well then.” A teasing glint lit his eyes. “I’ll just have to find out for myself.”

Before she realized what he was doing, he knelt in front of her.

She gasped as he reached for her hem and smacked him lightly on the shoulder. “Stop that!”

“I spent good money on those stockings.” His large hands slipped beneath her hem and reached for her shoes. “A sizeable part of the dukedom, in fact.”

“You did not!”

“Two estates and a farm, I assure you.” Clucking his tongue, he shook his head. “Might have to forget plans to send Pippa away for schooling now.”

She couldn’t stop the giggle that rose to her lips at the ludicrousness of that.

“A man needs to keep a close eye on his investments.” Then he lowered his voice and murmured huskily, “Averyclose eye.”

“Stop that,” she repeated as he lifted her foot and removed her satin shoe, but this time, the order was forced out between lighthearted laughs. Then between squeals when he tickled her toes. “Stop that, too!”

“Just checking the quality of the knitting.” His hand went to her other foot and did the same, this time tickling much longer until she was practically jumping on one foot to end the sweet torture.

“They’re of exquisite quality, thank you very much.” She slapped her hand against his shoulder. “They do not need to be inspected. And certainlynotwhile I’m in them!”

“No?”

“No.”

“Pity.” He forlornly heaved out a sigh, then paused for a contemplative beat. “I’m also good at inspecting corsets.”

That unexpected comment brought a new bubble of laughter to her lips, and then he joined in, once more tickling her feet and making her dance a small jig. Oh, after removing her shoes, those beautiful stockings would be ruined! But she couldn’t make herself be angry at him, not when she hadn’t laughed like this in so very long.

Neither had he, she was certain, based on the rusty sound of his laughter. For a little while tonight, at least, they could forget their shared grief over Elise, let go of the pain, and enjoy each other’s company. A warm happiness blossomed inside her.

Still kneeling in front of her, Marcus tilted his head back to stare up the length of her.

Her heart stuttered at the astonishing sight of him, of this indomitable man kneeling at her feet. Never had she felt more feminine, more powerful in her entire life…never. And all because of him.

An inexplicable mix of excitement and comfort twirled through her as she reached down to cup his face between her hands, then bent over to kiss him.

Fifteen

Marcus tilted his face up to hers and welcomed her kiss, reveling in the spicy-sweet taste of her lips and the feathery warmth of her breath as it fanned across his cheeks. Her delicate fingers gently caressed his cheeks as she held his head still between her hands.

“Marcus,” she whispered, an aching plea.

“Whatever you wish.” With that murmur, he gave her permission to take all that she wanted from the kiss. And from him.

She smiled against his mouth, and that silken movement twined a low heat through him, only for it to turn to liquid flames when she took his bottom lip between hers and sucked. Each pull of her lips tugged in a straight line down to his cock, which began to ache, then flexed when she gingerly slipped the tip of her tongue between his lips.

He stayed perfectly still as he continued to kneel in front of her, to let her explore his mouth with little licks across his inner lip and teasing slides across his tongue, but the effort for restraint made him shake. Letting her kiss him like this without pulling her into his arms and returning the kiss as ravenously as he wanted to do was sweet torture, one that had his pulse spiking and his lungs squeezing in ragged fits. When her hands moved to rest on his shoulders, she could surely feel the tension beneath her fingertips, just as he could feel the yearning desire growing inside her.

Then, the kiss changed. Not the way her lips teased at his, not the way the tip of her tongue continued to make small forays into his mouth—no, he tasted hesitation and sadness.

When he reached a hand up to her face in silent concern, she lifted her head just far enough to slip from his fingertips.

Her gaze fixed on his mouth. “We might learn all our answers tonight,” she whispered, brushing her fingertips over his bottom lip. “What happens when we do?”

“We won’t,” he assured her glumly. It wasn’t the answer she was looking for, but it was the truth. “Not tonight.”