Page 56 of How the Duke Saved Christmas

“I don’t give a damn what society thinks, you know that,” he murmured against her lips, realizing that he needed consolation as much as she did. “Marrying you would have made me so happy that none of that would have mattered.”

She shook her head. “You say that now, but—”

“Because it’s true.” He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. He couldn’t bear to see the pain in her eyes, didn’t want her to see her pain mirrored in his own. “You have no idea how much I loved you—how much Istilllove you—and that love for you could never be aburden. It would only ever be a blessing.”

He kissed her, this time with all the love he possessed for her. The taste of her salty tears nearly undid him, so he kissed them away until her lips trembled, until each breath she took shivered through her and into him. Each kiss became an absolution.

She whispered his name and clasped her hands at his waistcoat as if to keep herself from falling away.

“Let me stay here with you tonight, Clara.” He kissed her again, softly and cajolingly. “Don’t ask me to leave you again.”

She pulled back just far enough to break the kiss, just far enough that he could see the tears glistening on her lashes. “Stay,” she breathed out. “I want you to stay.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Clara could hardly believe this moment wasn’t a dream as Michael took her into his arms and kissed her with such love that she trembled. They had no future; he hadn’t dissuaded her of that impossibility. But fate had given her tonight—one last chance to be with him and love him—and she couldn’t find the strength to send him away.

As he continued to tease at her lips and place tender kisses across her throat, he untied the lace of her stays and slowly pulled it free. The corset loosened, and she removed it, letting it fall to the floor.

“You are beautiful, Clara,” he whispered and reached for her shift to slowly peel it up her body, over her head, and off. His eyes heated as they swept over her naked body. “So very beautiful.”

Her cheeks flushed. “My leg isn’t beautiful.”

“Everythingabout you is beautiful, my love.” His eyes landed on her necklace, and he frowned, puzzled. “What’s this?”

Oh God, the ring!She’d forgotten all about it. Its chain was tangled around the pendant he’d given her tonight, and when she reached frantically to hide it from him, her fingers only worked to tangle it more.

“It’s nothing. It’s…” She clutched it in her hand so he couldn’t see it. “Nothing.”

Truly, hadn’t it become exactly that?

She turned away, her cheeks flushing hot with mortification. He’d think her a sentimental goose at best for wearing it like this, at worst a maudlin fool.

“Clara?” He covered her hand with his, stilling her fingers.

She closed her eyes as humiliation swept over her. “I can…explain…” But for the life of her she had no idea what explanation she could give except that she’d never stopped loving him.

She felt him lean over her shoulder to look at what she was hiding. He tensed when he recognized the little ruby-dotted gold band that he’d designed to curl around her finger in the shape of a delicate rose. It symbolized all the times they’d sneaked away together beneath rose bowers in gardens across London, whenever they’d been able to capture a few stolen minutes alone and somehow changed from friends to lovers.

Then he lowered his mouth to her bare shoulder. The soft kiss he placed there stole her breath away.

“As I said,” he murmured and gently laid her back on the bed, “beautiful in every way.”

He lowered his head to place a kiss to the ring as it lay between her bare breasts.

She wasn’t embarrassed to be naked and lying across the bed like this, not with Michael. For once, not even her shriveled leg and scars bothered her, if only because he wasn’t bothered by them. He saw the woman beneath, and she loved him impossibly more because of it.

His kissed her breast and tenderly took her nipple between his lips. He sucked lightly, and the sensation pulled straight through her, down to the growing heat between her thighs.

As he continued to tease at her breasts with his lips and tongue, he fluttered his hand down her body. Goose bumps sprang up across her flesh everywhere he touched, and she shivered despite the warmth of his mouth on her as he continued to softly suckle. His hands moved lovingly over her body and once again gave her the sensation that he was doing far more than simply touching her— He was worshipping her, and each caress was a benediction.

When his hand slipped between her thighs and caressed her intimately, Clara nearly exploded out of her skin. Oh, the pleasure was simply wonderful! Featherlight touches of his fingertips teased across her dampening folds, oddly both exciting and reassuring at the same time. She wrapped her arms around his neck and slowly moved her good leg aside to grant him more access.

“Clara,” he murmured and lifted his head from her breast to once more claim her mouth beneath his. As he thoroughly kissed her in open-mouthed kisses that grew slowly in intensity and urgency, his hand stroked harder between her thighs.

A gasp tore from her when he slipped two fingers inside her warmth. Her body instantly clenched around him in response, all the tiny muscles in her abdomen tightening at the sensation of having part of him inside her. But when he began to slowly stroke her, a shuddering sigh raked through her, setting her hair on end and curling her toes.

His whispered name on her lips transformed into a low moan as he slipped in and out of her throbbing core, flaming the heat and ache inside her until she was compelled to wiggle her hips. She wasn’t certain what she was asking for with the little movement except that along with the blossoming desire also came mounting frustration.