Duchess Material by Emily Sullivan

Author:Emily Sullivan [SULLIVAN, EMILY]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2024-11-19T00:00:00+00:00

Fifteen

For a brief moment Will wondered if he should be concerned by how wildly attractive he found Phoebe’s bloodlust, but instead he turned his hand over so their palms could touch. He held her gaze, waiting for the slightest sign of reticence on her part, but as he slowly curled each finger, Phoebe’s lips parted and she began to breathe faster. He leaned in toward her and closed his eyes but just as he was about to kiss her, she pulled back.

“You didn’t want to touch me.”

Will’s eyes fluttered open at the abrupt statement. “Pardon?”

“In the closet,” she continued. “You kept trying to move away. You nearly took off your own head.”

He huffed a laugh. “That’s not—that wasn’t why.” In truth, he had been far more concerned that she would feel his erection and think him a fiend, as it was hardly the time or the place, but the idea of actually explaining that was rather embarrassing. “Surely you must know that I’m attracted to you, Phoebe,” he said, grateful the dark carriage would hide his blush.

“I wasn’t always… sure.”

She then dipped her head shyly and his heart twisted a little at this admission. “Well, then let me make it absolutely clear,” Will said as he tugged her onto his lap. His fingertips dug into the swaths of silk around her hips. “There. Does that help?”

They stared at one another in the shadowy light as the carriage swayed back and forth. Then, slowly, the corner of her mouth curved in an impish smile. “Very much so.” Phoebe then slid a hand around his neck while her other grazed his jaw. “I do like the beard,” she murmured.

Will shivered under her exploratory touch. “Perhaps I’ll keep it, then.”

Phoebe leaned closer, but just as their noses rubbed together, Will pulled back.

“Wait. There’s something I need to say before we…”

Phoebe tilted her head in question. “All right.”

“I haven’t proposed to Lady Gwen, and I’m not going to.”

“I know.”

Will paused. “You—you do?”

“Freddie told me,” she explained. “Well, just the bit about you not having proposed. I think even she lacks a direct line to your brain,” Phoebe added with another one of those coy smiles he wanted to devour.

“Then I suppose I don’t mind being the object of society gossip for once.”

As Will moved to kiss her, this time Phoebe leaned back. “So… you are unattached then?”

He swallowed. “I am.”

But I don’t want to be.

The thought flared through him, but he couldn’t manage to say the words. Phoebe’s casual manner gave him pause. For all his wealth, power, and renown, Will found he was rather desperate. Desperate for her.

This time, when he moved to kiss her, she didn’t resist. Will wrapped her in his arms as she melted under his lips, giving herself up to him.

Ever since he walked into that police station, Phoebe had dominated him: his thoughts, his actions, his whole bloody life. It was only during these stolen embraces with her that he felt remotely in control. And even that changed from one moment to the next.

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