Geek Girls Don't Date Dukes (38 page)

you inside me.”

Though his body roared to claim her, he resisted the

urge. He must make this last; he must carve this moment

into his very being. Ripping her shift away, he bared her

breasts to his hungry gaze. Her stays forced the beautiful

orbs higher, and he took advantage of their perfect frame.

He bent his head and captured the tip of her puckered

nipple between his lips.

Her fingers tangled in his hair and her hips thrashed

as he flicked the tight bud with his tongue. He clasped

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her soft, round buttocks with both hands as he loved

her breasts. Her body was made for him, though she’d

had lovers before him, and would in all likelihood

marry someday…

Growling, he refused to think of the future. This was

their moment, and it was their forever.

He covered her breasts with his kisses, and he ravaged

her body with his touch. His fingers delved between her

folds as he kissed the pale column of her throat, lightly

sucking the pulse that fluttered there.

She was so wet, her silky skin parted easily to allow

his fingers entry. One, then two, slid within her heat,

and she gasped.

“Avery,” she moaned, raising her hips to force him

deeper. “Don’t make me wait, please.”

Though he wished he could draw their encounter out

for hours, days, their lifetime, he knew that he could not.

Kneeling between her parted thighs, he lifted her hips to

receive him.

Poised at her entrance, her wet heat beckoning him,

he hesitated. Looking down into her wide eyes, as blue

as a summer’s day, he smiled.

“You are mine, Leah. My own angel.”

And he slid home.

There was nothing like that moment. Even in the

times they had come together before, he had never

known such pleasure as sinking himself into her heat.

Holding her close to his chest, he stilled himself for a

moment, letting himself sink deep into the cradle of

her body.

“Oh please,” she panted. “Please.”

He moved against her in a rhythm that felt as natural as

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breathing. Breathing her in, he smiled. Her scent would

forever be burned in his mind, that sweet exotic perfume

that he had never smelled before and never would again.

Their bodies strained together, soft cries and intimate

touches building in intensity until Avery thought he’d

die from the pleasure. Her heat thrummed through him,

almost as if they were connected in more than body. She

buried her face against his chest, pressing kisses wherever

she could reach.

When her cries grew more desperate, and her move-

ments more frantic, he reached between them and found

the hidden place, the one that seemed to call out for his

touch more than any other part of her exquisite body.

She exploded and, a second later, so did he. He

muffled his hoarse shout as he poured himself into her,

shuddering as her body wrung every last drop of his

response from him.

He stayed there for several ragged heartbeats, waiting

for the world to stop swimming about him. When it

did, he rolled to the side, gathering his bedraggled, half-

dressed, and well- loved angel to his chest.

“I love you, Leah,” he whispered. “I shall never love

another as I love you.”

“Oh, Avery.” She closed her eyes. “I love you more

than anything, and I always will.”

They dressed quickly but with more kisses and touches

than were wise. Though he’d just had her, he wanted her

again. He wanted to chain her to his bed and never let

her go. But she needed more than he could provide, and

though the thought broke his heart, he’d let her go.

They descended the stairs, hand- in- hand, only a few

moments later.

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The duke and Lady Chesterfield sprang apart when

Leah opened the sitting room door. Avery wanted to

laugh at the obvious blushes on their faces, but such an

expression was beyond him then.

Ella and Muriel entered the room behind them.

When Avery would have released Leah’s hand, she

gripped him tighter. He could not help but be relieved.

Her touch was a commodity that would be ripped from

him all too soon.

“Everyone,” Leah said. “This is Avery. I love him.”

Ella nodded pleasantly. “It’s great to meet you, Avery.”

“He and Mrs. Comstock repaired as much of the

mirror as they could, but it’s only big enough for you

and I to pass through.”

He could not help but be proud of the way her voice

remained steady though her hands were shaking like

leaves in autumn.

As Ella and the young maid carefully lifted the mirror

and brought it into the sitting room, Leah stepped into

his arms.

“Are you sure you can’t come?”

He tangled his hands in her yellow curls, holding her

tight. “Even if the mirror were large enough, I cannot

abandon my aunt.”

“I know.”’

Their last moments together passed too quickly. Ella

touched Leah on the shoulder, a compassionate look on

her face.

“Leah, are you ready?”

His angel pulled free of his embrace, wiping the tears

from her eyes. “Yeah.”

“Wait,” he said, and she turned. He swept her into his

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arms, kissing her with all the love and longing that lay

in his broken, bleeding soul. She returned it with equal

fervor, clinging to him desperately.

Too soon, he lifted his head.

“You must go.” His voice was broken— but so was

his heart.

Ella stepped through the mirror first, squeezing

through the small opening with a fair amount of struggle.

Leah went after her, dipping her slipper through the

cracked glass. It disappeared as though she were stepping

into a pond instead of solid glass.

“Love me forever?” Her tears glittered like jewels on

her reddened cheeks.

“As you wish,” he whispered as she disappeared.

i

Leah thumped to the floor of Jamie’s house, narrowly

missing landing on Ella’s head. She rolled to the side to

avoid crushing her friend.

“Are you okay?” Ella asked, coming to her feet.

“No, but it doesn’t matter.” She clamped the lid on

all thoughts of Avery. Pawpaw was her focus right now.

Once she’d seen him and demanded that he feel better,

she could fall apart the way she was longing to.

“Come on, let’s get to the hospital.”

Fortunately, Leah’s suitcase was still there from her

aborted housesitting trip. She threw on some jeans and

a T- shirt, yanking her hair into a ponytail and scrubbing

ineffectually at the tearstains on her cheeks. Within

ten minutes, the pair was on their way to Concord

Memorial Hospital.

Ella tried to draw her out in conversation a couple

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of times on the short drive, but Leah couldn’t really

respond. Casual conversation was completely beyond her

right then. She was starting to realize how Jamie had felt

when she’d had to leave Mike behind. This was a pain

that she wouldn’t wish on her worst enemy.

When they finally arrived, they sprinted up the stairs

to the second floor. When they got to the closed door of

room 217, Leah ground to a sudden halt.

“Are you okay?” Ella asked, concern in her voice.

“Do you mind going in first?” Leah wrapped her arms

around her middle as if she could stop the anxiety from

knotting itself around her guts. “To see if he’s okay?”

“Sure.” Ella nodded and pushed the wide door open.

Leah slammed her eyes shut, unable to face the

hospital room. What if they hadn’t made it? What if

she’d left Avery behind and lost Pawpaw too?

“Leah, come in,” Jamie called softly.

With a deep breath that didn’t do jack to steady her

nerves, Leah entered the room.

Pawpaw, that strong and capable man who was always

moving, always laughing, always looking out for her,

was lying pale and still as death on the hospital bed.

Leah covered her mouth in distress. There were so many

monitors, IV bags, cords, and tubes. She could only see

half of his face because of the oxygen mask.

She rushed to his side, taking his hand as gently as

she could. Mike and Jamie moved from their seats at

the bedside to make room for her, and Ella stood in

the corner while Leah looked down at the man who’d

raised her.

“Pawpaw, can you hear me?” She rubbed at his

calloused fingers. “It’s me, Leelee. I’m here now. I’m

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sorry I was gone when you got sick.” She looked down,

trying to get a handle on her emotions. “But I’m here

now. And I found that man, you know. You would love

him, Pawpaw. He’s amazing and strong and kind, and

he loves me.”

The only response Pawpaw gave her was a slight

wrinkling of his brow. She squeezed his hand tighter.

“I promise you’ll love him. But you have to get better

so you can meet him, okay?”

Mike and Ella left the room, and Jamie laid a warm

hand on Leah’s shoulder.

“The doctor came by. The tests aren’t looking as good

as they’d like. But don’t give up hope, okay?”

Jamie hugged Leah from behind, wrapping her arms

around Leah’s shoulders. Leah’s eyes fluttered closed as

she took solace in Jamie, grabbing her friend’s forearm

with her free hand. The world had crashed down around

her, and though things couldn’t get much worse, her best

friend was there for her.

“Love you, James,” Leah sniffed.

“Love you, Leah,” Jamie replied, tears in her voice.

They stayed that way, Jamie holding Leah, and Leah

holding Pawpaw’s hand, for long moments, until a soft

knock on the door drew Leah’s attention.

“Come in,” she called as Jamie straightened.

Ella came in first, a curious smile on her face. “Leah,

Mrs. Knightsbridge is here to see you. She has something

for you.”

Leah stood reluctantly. She didn’t want to let go of

Pawpaw, but Jamie patted her hand.

“I’ll stay with him. Go ahead.”

Jamming her hands in her pockets, Leah moved past

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Mike into the hallway. Mrs. Knightsbridge, dressed in

plain cotton dress with white sneakers, was standing by the

door and smiling widely. To her left stood a broad man,

not too tall, with long, light- brown hair, the color of dark honey. Hazel eyes, a crooked nose, and muscles that were

clearly defined in the tight black T- shirt he wore.

Leah’s heart stopped.

“Avery!” Her cry was much too loud for a hospital,

but she didn’t care. She launched herself at him and

wrapped her arms around him. “How are you here?”

Mrs. Knightsbridge laughed as Leah kissed him,

not giving him a chance to answer the question. “I

believe I can answer that. He and the duke replaced

the mirror, so why did you not think I could bring

him to you afterward? The time stream is becoming

more stable again, so I was able to time his arrival much

more advantageously. It is some of my best work.”

She preened as Leah turned, keeping a death- grip on

Avery’s hand.

“Mrs. Knightsbridge, you are amazing.” Leah hugged

the woman, who laughed again.

“It is no trouble, no trouble at all.”

Sobering, Leah turned to Avery. “I’m beyond thrilled

that you’re here, but what about your aunt?”

His expression darkened and Leah’s heart fell.

“She lasted but a day after you’d gone. Her illness had

progressed so much that she could not eat.”

Leah pressed a kiss to his lips. “I’m so sorry.”

He cleared his throat. “She is free of pain now. How

is your grandfather?”

“Pawpaw’s not so good. Can you come with me?”

He nodded. “I will do whatever you wish of me.”

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Leah threaded her fingers through his and led him into

the darkened hospital room. Mrs. Knightsbridge followed.

“Avery, this is my Pawpaw, Milton Ramsey.”

Leah held tight to Avery’s arm and closed her eyes.

Things should be so perfect now. This was what she’d

wanted, right? To feel whole, to be loved, to have

Pawpaw satisfied that she’d have someone to lean on.

Why did the last piece of the puzzle have to be such a

tough one? Why couldn’t she flip a switch and make her