Read The Third Duke's the Charm for Free Online Page B

as a demonstration, so he slid his hand downward, following the curve of her breast, and lower, across her ribcage and stomach to the juncture of her thighs. He murmured, “Trust me and open, my sweet.”
    She tensed at the brush of his fingers between her legs, the flush in her face deepening. Frantic fingers shackled his wrist in a panicked clutch. “What are you doing?”
    “Trust me,” he said again with persuasive inflection. “I want to give you pleasure, Louisa. Let me touch you.”
    Reluctantly, she spread her legs a fraction and he kissed her in reassurance as he parted the soft folds of her labia and tested her opening. She was exquisitely tight as he slipped a finger inside her—but he’d expected she would be—and gratifyingly, while not wet enough for penetration, at least slick and yielding. With his thumb he put pressure on just the right spot he knew would bring her pleasure and immediately her inner muscles tightened.
    Perfect.
    He knew how to do it, how to make a lady sigh, gasp, and even moan in pleasure. Too many hours had been devoted to hedonistic pursuits that no longer mattered now that he’d met Louisa. But if she had married a rake, at least she deserved the entire experience.
    “I can do even better,” he promised her, kissing her breasts, admiring their perfect shape, not large but gracefully formed, utterly feminine and alluring, tipped with soft pink nipples. He nuzzled the valley between them, and trailed his mouth downward across her belly.
    Virginal brides were not his usual bedmates; however, he trusted that he could make this enjoyable for his innocent wife, although the throbbing in his lower body demanded speed.
    “Relax,” he murmured, his mouth grazing her pubic hair, “and just feel.”
    “Charles!” When she realized what he was about to do, she tried to twist away in obvious shock, but he held her hips firmly in his hands, and his tongue found the sweetness between the soft folds of her sex.
    The resulting soft gasp could be interpreted two ways: outrage over his wicked kiss, or the result of a ripple of pleasure as he licked just the right spot? The latter, he thought with pure male satisfaction a moment later as she trembled.
    “Oh.” Louisa’s voice was uneven. “Oh . . .”
    With an inner grin, he continued to taste and tease until her fingers frantically threaded through his hair and her spine arched. With a low cry that he guessed was of both surprise and pleasure, she climaxed for the first time and only then did he let her go.
    “I knew you’d be responsive,” he whispered hotly in her ear when he shifted over her still-trembling body and parted her thighs with his knees.
    Were all virgins so easily aroused? he wondered. Or maybe, he thought as he positioned his rigid cock at her entrance and began to enter her, he was just an exceptionally lucky man.
    “I’ll be as gentle as possible,” he promised through gritted teeth, her tightness not unexpected. She was wet, hot, as ready as she could be but she still made a small sound of discomfort as her maidenhead gave way to his persistent pressure and he stopped, kissing her in reassurance, stroking her cheek. “That’s it,” he said softly. “It won’t hurt again, my love. You are truly mine now.”
    He began to move slowly, letting her adjust to the glide of penetration and withdrawal, gratified when she caught the rhythm and lifted her hips a few moments later, welcoming him deep, her breathing uneven, long lashes throwing shadows on her cheekbones as her eyes drifted shut.
    His control vanished and as if from a distance he heard the groan torn from his throat, his climax so vivid the world was all rainbow hues, the stars and moon exploding in brilliant colors. And Louisa was there with him, her slender body damp against his, her arms around his neck, his cheek resting in the fragrant silk of her outspread hair as he fought to regain his breath.
    It was different making love to one’s wife, was