When Seducing A Duke Read Online Free PDF Page A

than in her.
    They lay together, tangled and sweaty, breath coming in shallow gasps for what easily could have been an hour or mere minutes. Normally he would have been up and dressed by now, but Grey found himself in no such hurry, and when his lover started to pull away from his embrace, he stopped her. “Don’t go yet.”
    She looked at him, and damn her she must have seen the desperation in his features because she said nothing, only lay back down beside him, allowing him to draw her against his chest.
    Grey brushed his lips against the silky skin of her bare shoulder. “I want to see you again.”
    “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
    He cupped her jaw with his hand, turning her head so that she was forced to meet his gaze. He didn’t care if she thought him pathetic or desperate. Nothing else mattered but that she acquiesce. “Please.”
    “When?” Her voice was a little hoarse, not nearly as low and breathy as it had been all evening. Damnation, she even sounded like Rose.
    “One week from tonight,” he replied, heart dancing for joy. “I won’t be able to get away before then.”
    “All right,” she agreed. “Where?”
    “Here. In this very room. I’ll make the arrangements.”
    She nodded. “Here. One week from tonight.”
    Grey smiled. Her voice had been stronger this time, her tone more enthusiastic. “Thank you.”
    And then, in case she mistook their conversation for dismissal, he pulled her close and covered her body with his own once more. He kissed her softly, tenderly, patiently waiting for her to fully recover before launching a second seduction. He kissed the edges of her mask, her cheeks and finally her lips until she began to move against him, hips seeking his.
    He made love to her a second time, and afterward, when they’d both collapsed limp and replete, Grey allowed himself the luxury of falling asleep in her arms. How long had it been since he’d spent the night with a woman? Too long. He’d forgotten the pleasure of soft flesh pressed to his own, the feel of a lush bottom against his thighs.
    As he began to drift off, he realized that he didn’t know her name, and had no way to find her should she not return the next week. If she changed her mind she would be lost to him forever. Part of him knew that he could get over the disappointment if she decided to neglect their appointment. And another part…
    That was the part that had him wrap his arms around her and hold her as tight as he could.
     
    Dawn was still some hours away when Rose Danvers opened her eyes.
    Good lord, how could she have allowed herself to sleep? It was late. She had to get going if she was going to catch the first train—if she was going to trick her mother into thinking she’d spent the night in her own bed.
    She couldn’t waste any more time lying there watching Grey sleep, listening to his gentle snores and soft sighs.
    Though, truth be told, she could stay like this forever. He was so beautiful it broke her heart. The mask he wore hid nothing from her, she who had memorized every line and detail of his face years before. Even that ragged scar couldn’t diminish the perfection that was his every feature. His eyes were closed now, but when open they were the clearest, loveliest blue with a hint of spring green. His nose was long and strong, his cheekbones chiseled, and his jaw broad. But it was his mouth she loved most. She loved the way his lips moved when he spoke, curved when he smiled. And most of all she loved the way they felt against hers.
    Thank you, God. Thank you for giving me this gift.
    She couldn’t help but touch him one last time, even if she risked waking him. She lightly brushed a lock of hair from his forehead, feeling the dark, silky strands between her fingers.
    Had this night really happened or was it a dream? Had she truly given her virginity to the one man she held above all others? And had she actually heard him whisper her name, or had her heart imagined it?
    So many