Duke Herheart Final (12 page)

“You are turned on? I think I like that and I do know what it means.

You want more pleasure.”

“Yes, touch me Michael. Here.” She took his hand and spread it across her belly. She moved his hand on her breasts, then around her back, and then he took over and ranged down to cup her bottom. He learned her body with his hands and he could sense she was already far gone with passion from the kiss and the caressing. He traced across her midsection to her most sensitive place and her ragged breathing was too much for him.

67

Duke of Her Dreams – Olivia Ritch

Kathryn’s small hands had played over his back but since she had overwhelmed him, she had pulled back, obviously trying not to surprise him again. He needed more, to feel more. Michael grabbed Kathryn’s hand and pressed it to his erection. “Touch me,” he growled.

“Michael, you are so…hard.

She pressed her hand again and he rolled into her in response. It had been so long and she was…she was loving him so efficiently, her mouth, and those firm breasts under his palms. Trying to pull away only made her more vigorous and before he could disengage, the sensation bloomed beyond reason. He cried out and convulsed like a green lad.

“Michael?” He didn’t answer her and tried to turn away.

“Are you okay?”

“Kathryn, I-I... am so sorry.” Surely she could see the look on his face was of abject misery mixed with distinct pleasure.

“I want to hear you say you enjoyed that,” she whispered against his cheek. “I wanted to make you feel that way, Michael.” He pressed her close in a fierce hug kissing the loose curls on the top of her head and breathing deeply to recover from the heady pleasure she had given him.

“Did you enjoy it?”

“Kathryn, Kathryn, you cannot imagine.”

They held each other for some time standing in his study in front of the low fire, then she slipped from his grasp and walked to the door. She turned to look at him, smiled simply and headed for her room.

Kathryn dreamed that night of riding free with Michael, thundering over the rolling hills, making love out of doors, lying splayed over his large rock-hard body and for the first time, she belonged in the picture.

She awoke the next morning with an amazing sense of calm and an annoying ache in her own most tender places.

68

Duke of Her Dreams – Olivia Ritch

Michael was reading the news sheet when the door opened, having risen early to assure himself last night was no dream. What had happened had been the most pleasurable, and simultaneously lowering interlude of his life. Michael was expecting Kathryn. What he saw stopped him cold. Cassandra’s footman Jem was holding the door while his sister glided into the room gowned in a lovely blue morning gown, hair perfectly styled with a sunny smile on her gaunt face. Jem hesitated, clearly unsure where to seat her. Michael suspected that not once in the last five years had Cassandra eaten in this room. Certainly, she had never done so any time he had been here.

He jumped up rather quickly, shoving his chair and motioned for Jem to seat her at the other end. Once Cassandra was seated, Jem, who was well paid to anticipate his mistress’s needs reached for a piece of toast for her plate when she spoke. “I believe I will have eggs and sausages today, Jem.”

Stunned, thrilled, and altogether taken by surprise, Michael stared with wonder at the sight of Cassandra at the table as if it was a normal occurrence. It might have been for anyone else, just not for her.

Jem placed a perfectly organized plate in front of Cassandra and retreated. With a glance from Michael, he quit the room. “I met your guest Kathryn yesterday.” He couldn’t take his eyes off her; he was basking in the glow that was his baby sister, here at his table. “She has asked me to show her how to tend roses.”

“Roses?” He had yet to truly accept she was here and talking about the mundane subject of gardening.

“Yes, she says hers are skinny and weak and twisted while ours are

…I believe her word was ‘glorious’.”

It would be just like her to use a word such as glorious to describe his roses. His mother had tended them during his childhood but as her despair grew over his father’s failings and his complete abandonment of her, she had allowed the gardeners to take over. They were as immaculately kept as ever during her time but there was something missing to him. Kathryn would still find their natural beauty glorious.

That was like her wasn’t it? Positive, optimistic, seeing beauty everywhere.

“I do not believe I have ever met as charming a woman as Kathryn.

69

Duke of Her Dreams – Olivia Ritch

She fairly bursts with life. I could not wait to join her this morning for breakfast.
Is
she joining us?”

“I am expecting her although she may be running late. I kept her up rather later than she is accustomed.” Her brows rose. He realized the implication. “Not that! I was entertaining her.” As her brows remained lifted, he was forced to explain. “After yesterday, when she went with me to visit the tenants, I was determined to show her a good time last evening.”

“And?”

“Of course, the only thing an old soldier can do well is tell stories so I spun her merry tales and she joined me. I believe we laughed until very late.”
And then she pleasured me beyond my comprehension and I
struggled to return to earth afterward
.

He was grateful she let him off with that feeble explanation because they could hear footsteps approaching. Kathryn was rushing. He might ask Cassandra to tell her later that hurrying was unladylike, in the most subtle of ways of course. He wouldn’t want to hurt her feelings or curb her natural joy with life. Kathryn fairly burst in. “I’m so sorry I’m late. I overslept. Midnight is late for me and well my room is so dark and cozy.

And of course, no one came and woke me up.”

When she finally stopped talking, Kathryn took in for the first time the tableau. Cassandra. At breakfast. And Michael grinning like a Cheshire cat. As well he should.

“Cassandra tells me you have an interest in roses. Do you garden?”

“Well, Captain, I work at gardening although I’m not sure I actually garden. I mostly buy things that are already blooming and plant them and then work to keep them alive. My track record’s spotty, though.”

“And you have roses.” It was a blank statement but he recognized it for what it was. Cassandra offered it helpfully knowing Michael’s special passion for the roses his mother had loved so much.

“Yes but they’re scraggly and yours are glorious. I almost can smell them from here.”

Michael’s heart had begun racing the moment her footsteps had neared. He could not stop feeling over again the rush of passion she elicited from him last night in his study. No one had ever brought him to climax in such an exciting and openly uninhibited fashion and fortunately learning that she was not a virgin had not unnerved him as it might have. He did not believe she was a loose woman but she definitely was comfortable with showing affection. He could cultivate her passion, or maybe more likely she would cultivate his and they could have a very fulfilling time in the marriage bed.

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Duke of Her Dreams – Olivia Ritch

“Are you to going to withdraw to the gardens then?” he asked his sister.

“I believe we shall, big brother. Kathryn can ask all of her questions and I will try to answer with reasonable intelligence. It has been several years since I worked in the garden.”

“Then maybe the two of you will be quite companionable.”

* * * *

“Brother, you will excuse us?” she asked rising.

“Ladies.”

When they stepped onto the flags from the French doors in the parlor, Kathryn turned to survey the windows that overlooked the gardens. She thought she saw the one that was Michael’s study and realized he’d be sitting at his desk just feet from where they walked. She would be sure to move further into the garden if she touched on the subject of the elder Stafford sibling. “So I wanted to ask you a mistress question. Can I just jump into that?”

“Yes, although I am certainly not an expert on mistresses, just my own personal mistress experience mind you.” She grimaced and Kathryn had the courtesy to be chagrined.

“No, but this is general knowledge building. What the heck do men need so much sex for that they actually pay the living expenses of a woman to have her at their beck and call…when they have the urge?”

“It’s just the done thing. I guess their animal natures have to rut around every day and the only way to accomplish it is with a…whore.”

“But why is it okay? I mean, most of those men go on to marry and their wives what…just marry them anyway?”

“What do you mean exactly?” Cassandra asked Kathryn.

“I mean, I cannot imagine marrying a man who had kept a mistress.

It just shows such a lack of self control and it’s infidelity, Cassandra. It just does not seem like it should be acceptable and there are so many reasons I couldn’t tolerate it. First, I would wonder whether I was ever enough for him or if he was going to fall right back into that life style.

Second, I would never know if he had had a child with her or loved her and third, oh my gosh…how do you walk around in polite society not knowing if you’re going to run into her?”

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Duke of Her Dreams – Olivia Ritch

“Well, you’ve obviously touched on all of the subjects most dear to my heart when discussing mistresses. I think you must actually have a relationship with a man before marrying him, know he is not the type to keep a mistress and assure yourself that you have engaged his affections.

It’s not the way of our society but since you’re so passionate about it, I think you would want to limit yourself to someone who you could trust, who hadn’t kept anyone.”

“I might as well ask since I’m here and we’re on the subject. Has your brother had mistresses?”

“Kathryn, I am so glad you asked me that. I’m just going to tell you that I hope you have engaged my brother’s affections. I haven’t seen you together except just now at breakfast and he could not keep his eyes off of you. And, no, I don’t think he’s ever had a mistress. He’s spent too much time away in the army. I think…well…”

“You think he saw the men in your family set a bad example?”

“Yes, exactly. You’re perceptive. I think just to not be like them—

our father and our brother—who were notorious womanizers and my husband as well. Michael is better than that.”

“It’s good to know. Not that it means anything, I was just…wondering.”

“He did not love her, you know.” Kathryn’s pensive mood had clearly not been lost on Cassandra. She was finding her new friend to be quite direct and rather readable. “He did it out of duty and honor because she was ruined.”

“You are speaking about your brother’s late wife?”

“I am. I think he would have been glad to have the baby and very likely he figured he might not live to be married long. He made her respectable and if he died, she would go on with her life.”

“Do you really think he thought about maybe not living so marrying her wouldn’t be any sort of sacrifice?” Kathryn asked incredulously.

“Yes, I do. Michael is very serious and he never went off thinking he was a happy warrior. He went off knowing soldiers die. It was duty and service and death was a part of it.”

“He sounded…noble.”

“He was. He is.”

All of this personal talk was making Kathryn uncomfortable. “Let’s change the subject from mistresses and dying and talk about more fun things. If you don’t teach me something about roses, we’ll have to admit we sneaked out here to talk about your brother.”

“Yes, well roses…”

* * * *

Duke of Her Dreams – Olivia Ritch

“Where is this paragon of…?”

Aunt Agatha was as formidable a matron as any on the
ton
but she was his favorite relation—nay the only relation Michael liked—on his father’s side. She had been widowed in her 40s, too old to secure another well-placed marriage but too young to hide away in widow’s weeds. So she had been a regular visitor with his mother when he was growing up and she and Cassandra had always been close until Cassandra’s marriage. He thought there may have been a lover at one time but now she was simply Aunt Agatha, matron of the
ton
.

When he stepped aside from the window, her words trailed off. “My Cassandra,” she whispered. As she moved closer to the window, he watched her gaze lovingly on her favorite niece who was
laughing
and walking in the garden on the arm of the attractive
stranger
he had found quite by chance.

“She’s laughing.” She turned toward him with awe and an unusual hush in her voice he did not recognize.

“Yes. They’ve been out there for over an hour strolling and then sitting on the bench. I think Miss Ragland is regaling Cassandra with stories because there has been much laughter and gesturing and even some tears. They were supposed to be discussing the roses but I don’t think there’s been much of that.” He tried to disguise it but when her eyes flared, he knew Agatha had heard the fondness in his voice.

Well, well, we might have discovered our new Duchess.
“You have gotten her a suitable maid, I see,” Agatha commented pointedly. “Yes, her maid has done wonders with her hair. Now I am working on dresses and shoes.” Her eyebrows shot up and she looked her question. “Calm down. Not me personally, the staff. We are having to do it all clandestinely as she seems unwilling to accept any generosity. All of the sneaking feels much like those years avoiding Boney and his minions.”

He watched Agatha look back out the window as Kathryn turned toward it.

“She is
bronze
, Michael!”

“She calls it a tan.”