Chapter 312: Chapter Three Hundred And Tweleve
She was completely unable to finish her sentence.
Rowan moved his hands. He took his hands off the wall. He reached down and gently grasped the soft peach cotton of her morning dress. Very slowly and carefully, he slid his large, warm hands under the hem of her dress.
He moved his hands up, gently caressing the soft, bare skin of her lower thighs, just above her stockings. His touch was incredibly gentle, but it burned exactly like hot fire against her skin.
Delaney gasped softly. Her eyes flew open, but they were clouded entirely with deep, rising desire.
Rowan kept his hands resting warmly on her thighs. He lifted his head slowly from her neck. He looked directly into her eyes again. His expression was completely serious and devoted.
"If you are ever not satisfied," Rowan spoke firmly, his voice vibrating with sincerity, "always let me know. I am your husband, Delaney. It is my duty to ensure your happiness in every single way."
Delaney looked at his face. She saw no anger, only a deep, genuine desire to please her. The embarrassment from the foyer finally began to fade away completely.
"Ines approached me herself," Delaney explained softly, her voice still breathless from his touch. "I did not ask her for advice. She just wanted to help me."
Rowan’s thumbs slowly stroked the soft skin of her thighs. He leaned his face closer again.
He pressed a very soft tender kiss exactly to the sharp curve of her jawline.
"Were you satisfied last night?" Rowan asked softly, his lips brushing against her skin as he spoke the words.
Delaney’s mind was completely clouded by the intense sensation of his warm hands under her dress and the soft pressure of his lips on her jaw. She thought about the previous night. She thought about the wonderful, dizzying pleasure he had shown her in the dark. It had been beautiful. It had been perfect.
But it had also been her very first time. She had been nervous. She had not known entirely what to expect. She had felt a deep, burning ache down her center that had not been completely, entirely quenched.
Delaney looked into his eyes. She decided to be completely honest with him. She was his wife now. She did not have to hide her true feelings.
"No," Delaney replied. Her voice was very soft, but entirely clear.
Rowan froze slightly. His hands stopped moving on her thighs. He looked at her in surprise.
"I wanted more," Delaney confessed in a quiet whisper. A fresh, bright blush rushed to her cheeks, but she held his gaze firmly.
Rowan stared at her. His chest rose and fell with a heavy breath.
"Why didn’t you tell me?" Rowan asked. His voice was filled with completely genuine confusion and a deep, heavy ache of regret. He never wanted to leave her wanting anything.
Delaney looked down at the top button of his waistcoat. A small, slightly sad smile touched her lips.
She knew as a woman to simply accept whatever small things she was given without a single word of complaint.
She looked back up at Rowan.
"I didn’t know I could," Delaney replied truthfully. Her voice was incredibly vulnerable, filled with the quiet pain of societal values.
Rowan felt his heart completely shatter inside his chest.
He understood exactly what she meant. He understood the way the rules are. She had not asked for more pleasure because she truly believed she was not allowed to demand things for herself. She thought she was only supposed to receive what was offered, and nothing more.
A surge of protectiveness and desire completely flooded Rowan’s entire body. He wanted to spend the rest of his life showing her that she was absolutely the queen of his world. She could have exactly whatever she wanted, whenever and wherever she wanted it.
Rowan’s eyes turned entirely dark. The brown color deepened into a dangerous, completely hungry shade.
He leaned forward, pressing his solid chest firmly against her soft body.
"Then I owe you your pleasure," Rowan whispered deeply into her ear. His voice was a low, rough promise that sent a hot wave of anticipation crashing through her veins.
He slowly pulled his hands out from under her dress. He moved his hands up and gently grabbed her hips, holding her securely against the wall.
"Do you want it here, or the room?" Rowan asked softly.
Delaney’s eyes widened. She looked around the bright, sunlit study. She saw his desk and the leather chairs. The idea of doing such intimate things in the middle of the morning, right inside his formal study, was entirely scandalous and deeply thrilling.
Her heart hammered wildly. She wanted him terribly. The heat in her body was rising rapidly.
But then, she remembered the duties she had just started. She was the Duchess. The servants were waiting for her orders. Aunt Margery was likely looking for her.
Delaney took a slow, highly shaky breath. She forced her logical mind to take complete control over her highly demanding body.
"Not here," Delaney whispered softly, placing her small hands gently onto his broad chest. She looked up at him with a promising spark in her hazel eyes. "We will meet at night."
Rowan let out a quiet, heavy groan of frustration, but a wide, deeply satisfied smile completely filled his face. He loved her dedication to her duties, but he loved her promise even more.
"As you wish, Your Grace," Rowan said, his voice dripping with playful anticipation.
He slowly, highly reluctantly, let go of her hips. He took a single, deliberate step backward, putting a polite, proper distance between them.
The sudden loss of his body heat made Delaney feel entirely cold. A sharp, sudden pang of deep disappointment hit her chest. For a brief second, she completely regretted her responsible choice. She wanted him to pull her back and ignore everything.
But Delaney knew she had to leave before she lost her willpower entirely.
"I’ll go and continue my preparations," Delaney spoke quickly, smoothing the front of her peach dress with slightly shaking hands.
She did not wait for him to say another word. She turned around quickly, her skirts swishing softly around her ankles. She walked rapidly toward the doors of the study.
Delaney reached out, turned the brass lock, and pulled the door open. She left the study hurriedly, stepping back into the quiet hallway. She closed the door firmly behind her, leaning against the wood for just a single second to catch her breath.
