Duke turned his attention to his own clothes. He hissed and cursed and grumbled, eliciting laughs from Violet as he fought with his cufflinks.
“Let me,” she said, pushing up from the bed but he motioned her back down. He wanted her bare to him, laid out against the sheets like that for as long as he could have her. For too many nights he’d been imagining as much.
“I can manage.”
Gripping the fabric, he wrenched his shirt sleeves apart. Violet gasped and his pearl cufflinks pinged off, one bouncing onto her body and landing on her stomach. Duke wasted no time untying his shirt and removing the rest of his clothing.
Her gaze roved over him, a gleam in her eyes. She reached out to touch his chest, the movement inquisitive. Her cool fingers winnowed through his chest hair, and he closed his eyes to savor the touch before desire carried him away again.
And it would soon enough. Only Violet could do this to him. He skimmed his finger down her body, tracing the rise of her breasts and the indent of her waist until he came upon the tiny pearl button that had landed on her. He picked it up and she laughed.
“How are we to explain your cufflink in the room to my lady’s maid?”
“I suppose we shall have to hunt high and low for it.” He kissed her shoulder. “I must warn you, Violet. I can’t seem to control myself around you.”
“I like it,” she said. “But I must warn you. I have little idea what I’m doing.”
“Just do what feels right.”
He took the cufflink and drew the smooth edge over her belly, placing it into her bellybutton and admiring the sight. “You look rather scandalous.”
“I feel scandalous,” she replied on a sigh, glancing down. “Especially when you... when you kissed methere.”
Duke lifted the pearl out of the indent of her navel and brought it up over her nipples, playing around and around them. “What about when I touch you here?”
“Oh yes. More,” she said.
More. She wanted more. And bloody hell would he give it to her. He let the button roll down her breast and flicked it aside. This time he used his finger to tease her nipples before leaning over and drawing the tight nub into his mouth. She rose to meet him, and he used the opportunity to hook an arm beneath her.
He took the time to nibble lightly on her nipples and down each peak, gauging her reactions. Then he used his free hand to slip between her legs. She was still wet and so ready. Her eyes grew wide when he touched her sensitive flesh, and she gripped his arms. He waited for it—the no, the shake of her head, the flutter of panic across her face, but it didn’t come. Instead she lifted her hips and begged him with her eyes to press into her.
First one finger, then two. He drew in a sharp breath through his teeth and used his mouth on her to tease and kiss her until she shuddered. It was hard to believe she was letting him do this, hard to believe he was the first. Though she was so tight and warm. He couldn’t wait to be inside her.
Violet brushed her hands over his shoulders. His muscles seemed to rise to meet her touch, undulating with each sweep. Duke had no control over his response and his cock throbbed impatiently.
“Touch me,” she begged, voice thin and wanting.
“I am.”
“More.”
More. Again more.
He continued to press into her, deeper and faster until something caught him off guard. Fingertips. Then a hand. Dear God, she had grasped his erection. His tempo faltered and he even let his fingers slip from her, selfish cad that he was, to wrap his hand over hers and show her how to pleasure him.
“Violet,” he ground out as it all became too much. He was too hot and hard for the light touch of her fingers. Too likely to shame himself.
She unfurled her fingers from around him and her hands came back to his shoulders to urge him on. She widened her legs.
An invitation. And, by God, he was going to take it. He would make Violet Musgrave his.
He settled between her legs and pressed an errant curl from her face. “Tell me if it hurts.”
She nodded.
Propped on his hands, he eased his hips forwards until he felt the touch of her warmth. His arms juddered with restraint, and he felt himself scowl. She must have seen it too as she touched a finger to his brow.
“Take me, Duke.”