Page 35 of The Big Bad Duke

“You still might,” he offered, desperately wanting to give her hope—even as his own heart shattered at the thought of her finding happiness with someone else.

“Not within marriage,” she said with a sad smile. “But maybe…”

“Maybe?” The word escaped as barely a breath.

She reached up on her tiptoes, placing her hands on his chest, her touch burning through his waistcoat and shirt. He could feel his heart thundering beneath her palms, could see the way her eyes darkened in the moonlight.

Unable to resist any longer, he wrapped his arms around her waist, marveling at how perfectly she fit against him, as if she had been made for this moment.

Their breaths mingled in the small space between them. She smelled of sweet jasmine mixed with her own intoxicating scent, and was that mint? The combination was utterly unique, uniquely her, and it made his head spin with want.

He leaned in, close enough to feel the flutter of her breath against his lips… and then she kissed him.

The contact sent fire through his veins. They paused, their breaths mingling, their lips barely touching. He pulled her closer, unable to resist running his tongue along the seam of her lips, coaxing them apart. She gasped at the intimate contact, and he took advantage of her parted lips, plunging his tongue inside to taste her properly.

A soft moan escaped her, vibrating through him like music, her body pressing even closer to his until there was no space left between them. His cheeks flushed with heat, his lips tingled with sensation, and his entire body came alive in a way it hadn’t for years. He felt as though he were on the brink of ecstasy from just one kiss, drowning in her taste, scent, and the feel of her.

It was she who pulled away first, pressing the back of her hand to her lips as if to contain the sensation, bewilderment written clearly in her dark eyes.

That kiss… Had it rattled her the same way it had utterly destroyed his composure? Or was she simply not prepared for it to escalate so quickly, so intensely?

A strange feeling twisted in the pit of his stomach—part triumph, part unease. Something felt wrong, though it felt so incredibly right as well.

How perfectly she fit in his arms. How desperately he wanted to kiss her again.

He wanted to sip at her lips like wine, to run his tongue over every inch of her body, and then find salvation in her warmth.

God’s teeth! He was so hard it was almost painful, his body shaking with need. Sweat broke out across his skin despite the cool night air—his entire body heated, aching for more of her touch.

And aching in general.

That had been one hell of a kiss.

She seemed just as shaken, her breathing uneven, her eyes wide and dark with something that resembled wonder and terror combined.

“I… I need to—” she stuttered, her voice breaking as she pressed her hand more firmly to her lips. Then, without finishing her sentence, she turned and hurried away, leaving him alone on the balcony with the taste of her still lingering on his tongue.

The world spun around him, and he gripped the balcony railing to steady himself.

It couldn’t have been just the kiss that left him so utterly intoxicated, could it?

He pressed his gloved fingers to his lips, where the taste of mint still lingered.

That kiss was to die for.

He had a sinking feeling he would not recover from it easily.

Chapter 6

Present Day – Spring 1744

Gideon’s head throbbed sharply, causing him to flinch. The sound of Leila’s voice was both soothing and grating at the same time.

She was the reason he found himself in this dank, dark dungeon.

But why was she here?

Was this yet another trick? Another betrayal?