Romance: REGENCY ROMANCE: A Duchess in Distress (Historical Regency Romance Duke) (Rake Duke Arranged Marriage Short Stories) (13 page)

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''Most of the Duke's officers have been slain? David was an officer... he......'' Sophia stopped in mid-sentence. She glanced at Alice with a blank look on her face. ''David,'' she repeated.

She didn't know what to feel. It was probable that David was dead. She had only just married him, and now she was in all likelihood a widow. She thought of David's impotence on their wedding night, and, while it had been a very important matter to her at the time, and since, now it seemed trivial. A tiny insignificance that they could have come to terms with, and sought help for.

''My dear, are you alright? You look suddenly very pale.''

''Yes, I'm fine. This has been quite a shock. That's all.''

*****

''Two weeks and I have heard nothing of my husband,'' Sophia said as she sat with her three friends in her garden. ''No news at all. There have been detailed reports in all the newspapers but no names of the dead have been published.''

The other three didn't know what to say to their friend. ''Sophia, we are very sorry that you are being kept waiting in the cruelest way,'' said Emily.

“Yes, it is most unfortunate. We all feel for you, dear Sophia,'' Charlotte added. ''Tell us how you really feel, perhaps it will do you good to speak out your true feelings.''

''My feelings are difficult to put into words. I had a husband and now I don't. We married and spent one unsuccessful evening together, and that was our marriage. Since I have neither seen nor heard anything from my husband. It must be the shortest marriage in history.''

''Have you been seeing the Duke?'' Alice asked.

''Every three days.''

''And how do you feel about him?''

''What is there to feel? I lie with him and he satisfies my feminine urges. There is no more to it than that.''

''But you must feel something for him?''

''No, not really. I tend to be more frightened of him.''

''Frightened? I told you to be careful. He ruins people,'' Alice said.

''I didn't know he was an unscrupulous man,'' Emily said. ''To me he looks ever so charming, dashing even.''

''He takes the wives of men and when they tire of him, he exposes them, ruining the husband’s reputation and the lady's life. Can you imagine what it would be like to be cast aside by your husband? Banished from society forever?'' Alice said.

''I can't think of anything worse,'' Emily said, quite shocked that any man could do that to a woman.

''Can we please change the subject of our conversation?'' Sophia asked. She was drained. The Duke had drained her of energy both emotionally and physically and she was anxious to know what had happened to her husband.''

*****

''Don't scream or I'll put an end to you,'' he said. ''I want you to stay calm and listen to what I tell you. Do you understand?'' the man said as he held his hand over Sophia's mouth.

Sophia nodded. It was totally dark in her bedroom and she could not see her attacker. ''I will do as you say. Please don't hurt me.''

''Then do all I command and you will not be hurt.''

Sophia had woken suddenly when she'd felt a cold hand on her. She was lying on her stomach and wasn't able to kick or punch him. She lay passively waiting for his next move.

Sophia began to whimper and tremble when she felt his hands lifting her night dress. ''Please, sir. Do not....''

He said nothing as he lifted her nightdress higher and higher. When it reached her buttocks he began to stroke her soft flesh. He leaned down and kissed her there. He placed a thousand tiny kisses on her and as he did so, he put a hand down between her closed legs and felt her warmth. Sophia was petrified, but she liked the feel of his hand wedged between her legs.

''Open your legs wider,'' he told her. She obeyed. As she did so, his hand began to move on to her vulva. Lying face down she involuntarily lifted her bottom and opened her legs wider still. He felt her sex beginning to warm to his movements.

''So tell me. How do you want me to take you? Do you want to lie on your back with your legs open or be up on your knees with me at your rear? How does madam like it?''

''I don't know, please stop.''

''I can feel that you do not want me to stop. Or is your body betraying you? If you cannot decide how you want me, I will decide for you. I will enter you from behind. I will caress your back and the cheeks of your delicate behind as I thrust into you. Do you like the sound of that?''

Sophia didn't reply.

''First though, I will prepare you some more.'' He pulled Sophia up slightly, lowered himself and put his mouth onto her sex. She jolted and tried to slam her legs shut. He held them apart and massaged her opening with his tongue. He felt her getting wetter. When he'd first felt her, she was dry and closed, now she was moist and opening up like a flower in spring. ''Please, keep your legs open, it will be a tiresome evening if I have to hold them open all the time.''

As his tongue continued to lick over her softness, he let a finger glide down between her buttocks. It was the most erotic feeling, and Sophia began to accept her fate. She actually wanted to enjoy it now. Her husband was dead. She would let the Duke do what he wanted with her, but she was quite unhappy he had chosen to come to her house in the middle of the night.

Suddenly he pulled away from her and stood up. She heard the rustle of clothing and then she felt a hand on hers. He took her hand and placed it onto his manhood. Sophia marveled at the weight of it. His balls were hard and tight and his shaft was rock hard. She could feel his pulse.

''Do you like what you feel?'' he asked

''Yes. It is a beautiful feeling.''

She let go as he bent down and continued licking her. When he felt her hips lowering to the bed again he lifted them up assertively. ''Madam will keep herself open for me,'' he commanded. ''I want to see how long it will be before you come.''

His words were daring and Sophia began to get more and more excited. He felt it too. His tongue located her clitoris and suddenly Sophia was no longer scared. She lifted her bottom higher into the air and opened her legs more. When she reached round and pulled his shoulder to her, he knew she wanted him to put his face into her. He stretched her open with his hands and pushed his face into her warmth. Again he found her tiny bud and took it between his lips. His tongue flicker over it and it was more than Sophia could bear. The Duke had never done this to her before and it was fantastic. She loved the sheer animal nature of his approach. As he flicked her clitoris, he inserted two fingers into her and slowly began to massage her inside. This was more than Sophia could handle and she bellowed out into the night. As his fingers continued their work, she started to shake. When he felt her clitoris swelling between his lips and the flow of juices soaking his fingers he spoke to her.

''Now madam. Come for me.''

He put his tongue back on her and as soon as he did, she arched her back and pushed her behind so hard against him, it threw him off her. She reached around and pulled his arm so that his fingers came out of her. She was on fire and it had made her so sensitive, she couldn't bear to be touched.

He put his hand on her back as she shook. It went on for minutes. When he felt her slowly recovering, he knelt behind her and massaged her vulva with the head of his penis. When it stroked over her clitoris she gasped. She was still sensitive but just able to stand his soft tip. The more he massaged her with it, the less sensitive she became, and the more her next orgasm approached.

His hand held his shaft steady against her clitoris as he felt her beginning to shake again. At the exact moment a giant wave of lust hit her, he pushed his length into her. She raised her head and cried out again with another huge orgasm.

He kept his penis inside her and she pushed her night gown up and over her head. He leaned forward and felt for her breasts. As they hung down into his hands, he was turned on more by the feel of them.

''Please, move inside me, I want to feel more.''

''Ah, madam speaks. In the dark with a penis inside her, she finally speaks of her desires.'' He started to thrust into her with long hard strokes. As he did so, he caressed her breasts and felt as the muscles inside her responded to his hardness. He let go of her breasts and began to massage her back. Sophia was warm now and her muscles responded to his fingers. It was superbly erotic. A man taking her with the passion of a wild animal but at the same time being caring and considerate. Two completely different feelings engulfed her but both led to the same result, another massive orgasm.

''Please, I am tired now. Please finish and lie with me.''

''Finish madam? I have just started. Do you really want me to stop?''

''I want you to fill me with your seed and then stop. I am exhausted.''

''Very well,'' he said as he started to pump into her again. This time he pulled her hair and held onto it, as he thrust harder.

''Please, my Lord, it's too much, please finish now.'' When he heard these words, he pushed hard into her, and unleashed his semen.

When Sophia collapsed, he collapsed on top of her. After a few minutes, he spoke.

''Have I satisfied you this evening?''

''Yes, you have.''

''I am sorry for my poor performance on our wedding night.''

''David? Oh my God, David, you have come back to me.'' Sophia rolled over and hugged him. ''I thought you were dead. What happened to you? How have you been?''

''It was terrible. I would rather not speak of it. I have seen things that no lady should ever see or hear about. Let’s just say, it was a terrible battle and I am lucky to be next to you now.''

''But....but. Alright. I understand. Are you injured in anyway?''

''No, I am not injured. I have been lucky. I am tired and thirsty now. Shall we drink some wine to celebrate my return?''

''Yes, let's celebrate your triumphant return.''

They lay naked entwined in each other and sipped the finest red wine they possessed. ''You have done a splendid job of decorating our house. It is magnificent.''

''Thank you. Will you please tell me something?''

''Of course, anything you like.''

''It's delicate, but how is it possible that you couldn't make love to me on our wedding night but you have devoured me this night?''

''On the night of our wedding, I was petrified. I knew I had to go to France and that at some stage I would in all probability lose my life. I was scared. Very scared indeed. It would have been wrong of me to make love to you, and never return to you. It was better to leave you whole. When I didn't return, you could have started a new relationship, and given yourself to your new husband in the knowledge that he was the only one that had made love to you.''

''Why didn't you talk to me, David. Why didn't you tell me you were scared? I would have understood. I could have comforted you instead of acting like a selfish schoolgirl. Of course, how ridiculous of me. Of course you were petrified, I can see that now. Oh David. Will you ever forgive me?”

''Yes. Of course. What do you know of war? You could never have known how I felt. To you I was just useless. A man who couldn't, get it up, shall we say?''

''Well, you certainly don't have that problem anymore. What you did to me was most......impressive.''

''Sophia, I love you. On the day of our marriage I fell in love with you. You looked so beautiful and you spoke so gently to me. I am sorry I treated you badly at the alter.''

''Oh, David, how happy I am to hear those words. I love you too. You are the most dashing man I have ever seen. And now, you are my lover, as well as my husband. It's perfect. Let life begin here and now.''

As David slept, Sophia lay awake. She was wracked with guilt. She told herself she should have been a more understanding wife. Now, it was obvious to her why David had been like that on their wedding day. He was probably going to be killed a few days later. How mean she had been to him. Now she would end her ridiculous affair with the Duke and be faithful to her husband for the rest of her life.

*****

Sophia left David to rest at home and took the carriage to Alice's house. It was a manor house just three miles away. When the carriage stopped, Sophia jumped out, ran up the steps and rang the doorbell. Alice's parents were not as wealthy as her parents, and they could only afford two maids. It was Alice's father who opened the door, not a butler.

''Sophia, how pleasant to see you. I so enjoyed your wedding, it was splendid affair. And now you must be very proud of David. A war hero and no mistake.''

''War hero? He has returned, but he won't speak of what happened.''

''Then come in and I will show you what a brave man he is.'' They walked into the drawing room and Alice's father rummaged through some papers and handed her a newspaper cutting.

Sophia read it eagerly.

News has reached our correspondent of a deed of the utmost bravery by a Captain in the Coldstream Guards during the Battle of Waterloo.

Captain David Marshall is to be decorated with the highest military honor after he single-handedly held onto a position whilst thirty of his men escaped certain death. He himself was captured but escaped.