A Hand for the Duke by Meredith Bond

Author:Meredith Bond
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2019-04-14T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

After the dance, Christianne did manage to convince him to pay attention to other ladies, but he was back by her side a mere twenty minutes later. “Come outside with me. The evening is cool and it is much too stuffy in here,” he said, commandeering her hand and tucking it into the crook of his arm.

She pulled back. “And what if I don’t want to go outside with you, my lord?” she said, raising an eyebrow at him.

He mimicked her but said nothing.

“Oh, very well,” she conceded.

He gave a laugh and drew her outside into the garden.

“It is a lovely night,” she agreed, taking in a deep breath of fresh air.

“And these garden paths are absolutely perfect,” he said, leading her away from the house.

The moon was nearly full and quite bright, which was a good thing, otherwise it would have been too easy to get lost in such a large garden. On the other hand, Christianne supposed there were a number of couples only too happy to do just that.

They walked slowly, but even then they managed to get far enough away from the house that the strains of the music and the incessant chatter of so many people could hardly be heard.

“My goodness,” Christianne said, “just how big is this garden?”

“I honestly don’t know, but considering the size of the house and that it is owned by the Duke of Warwick, I imagine it could be much larger than what you’d expect in town,” Liam commented.

“Yes, I believe you’re right.”

“I don’t mind. It allows me to have some time alone with you,” he said, pausing and turning toward her. He ran the back of his hand down her cheek. “Do you know how much I’ve missed you?”

She gave an awkward little laugh. “It couldn’t have been too much. You were always a popular one. I may have been in the countryside, but I still read the London papers, and they were filled with stories of your conquests.”

“I never had any conquests!” he said immediately. He calmed his voice and continued, “On the contrary, my popularity within society only emphasized the fact that you weren’t there.”

Warmth filled Christianne’s heart. “You did always know just the right thing to say, my lord.”

“My lord? What happened to Liam?”

Christianne just smiled up at him. “You’ve always been Liam in my heart.”

“Your heart is a very good place for my name, but I’d like it on your lips as well.”

She gave a nod but didn’t have a chance to say anything as he bent toward her and touched his lips to hers. At first it was just the lightest kiss, but it quickly grew into something a great deal more passionate. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close. She opened her mouth to his and reached out tentatively with her tongue. She was well rewarded for her bravery as he responded likewise. Soon their tongues were dancing together as his hands shifted lower, grasping her buttocks and pulling her tightly against his growing admiration.

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