chess turned and burrowed blindly into his chest.
Astounded by a Duchess of Romsey seeking comfort from him, he wrapped his arms about the sobbing woman and then tightened his hold as she shuddered. Her hands clutched at his chest as she dragged in great gulps of air. Leopold smoothed his hands along her back, bumping over her spine, and the softer womanly curves he shouldn’t be thinking about.
Desire, urgent and insistent swept over him and he tightened his arms around the shaking woman. The duchess’ scent invaded his senses, pushing his caution aside. He wanted to bury his face into the curve of her neck to taste the sweet skin there. He wanted to mold her body with his hands until she moaned. He wanted far more than he could have.
When her sobbing passed, Leopold continued to hold her loosely against him. “What exactly do you need from me, Your Grace?”
The duchess stiffened, but didn’t pull away. She kept her head against his pounding heart. “I know you want to find your siblings and to do so you need to search the abbey for information. What I ask is that you help me sort through this disaster as you go. Perhaps you’d consent to stay here as well so you make better progress in your endeavors.”
Stay here?
Leopold gulped at the thought. He’d be able to search day and night. He could find his family far quicker than if he merely visited when allowed. But the temptation?
Leopold set the duchess away from him. She seemed as dazed as he by the loss of contact.
Could he trust himself not to be enticed by her?
Given she’d just been in his arms without a murmur of protest, Leopold had his doubts. “To help you return Romsey to order and employ a new steward?”
“Yes.” Her watery gaze fastened on his. “But Romsey Abbey is a large estate. With just Edward and me in residence, the place feels empty. I want to offer you the opportunity to make your home here and, once you find your brothers and sister, to bring them here, too. It would be nice to have family about the place, even for a short while.”
Any words he could have uttered lodged tight in his throat. He couldn’t speak to accept or refuse. Dear God, as a lad he’d dreamed of living within these walls. But it had been a boy’s foolish fantasy, a wish that had little chance of ever coming true.
Until now.
“I understand that my request may not be convenient, but the abbey is large enough that you need not fear for inviting your own acquaintances to call. The east wing is little used.”
Leopold nodded, noticing the way the duchess bit her lip after each statement and tried not to think of kissing her cares away. “It was empty in my youth, too. However, I would not like to cause the staff additional work. I would not require considerable space.”
The duchess’ chin lifted. “So you will stay?”
Leopold nodded, and then had the wind knocked out of him as the duchess jumped into his arms. “Thank you, thank you, thank you, Leopold.”
The duchess wound her arms about his neck tightly and hung with her feet dangling off the floor. He had little choice but to hold her close or else have them both topple over. Her lips pressed to his cheek and then the duchess kissed him full on the mouth. Startled, Leopold attempted to deny her again, but in opening his mouth to speak she invaded to deepen the kiss.
Lust flared at the touch of their tongues, obliterating his reason for maintaining the proper distance between them. He cupped her bottom, pulling her hips hard against his. The duchess curled herself closer, fingers sliding into his hair as she devoured his mouth.
A storm of desire washed over Leopold at the duchess’ unbridled need. It matched his completely. He gentled her kisses when she became frantic. She followed his lead, rubbing herself against his body provocatively. He cradled her in his arms, stunned that he’d fallen under her spell again but unable to find his good sense. His heart swelled with longing as he heard her soft whimpers. They echoed in his head painfully, reminding him of another night so long ago.
Reluctantly, Leopold ended the kiss and buried his face in her neck, panting hard. He hadn’t expected this when he returned home. He hadn’t expected this irresistible passion to spring up between them. It couldn’t end well. It wouldn’t.
The duchess’ feet swung restlessly as her arms tightened about his shoulders. Her quick pants of desire stirred his lust to painful levels, yet she seemed in no hurry to leave his arms or continue what she’d started. Leopold gratefully held her close because, unfortunately, he had no idea what to say to her after this shocking lapse.
The duchess wriggled a little more and Leopold relaxed his grip. She slid down his body until her feet touched the floor, but she didn’t look up. She didn’t take her hands from him either.
After a moment, she patted his chest. “I’m very glad you’re staying.”
Despite the awkwardness of having kissed each other senseless just moments before, Leopold’s lips lifted in amusement. “I did think you somewhat pleased, Your Grace.”
At the formality of his words, she looked up. “Perhaps you should call me Mercy when we are alone. I should like that very much.”
Leopold blinked. So Mercy was her real name, after all? He’d thought it a cruel nickname the first time he’d heard of it. “I should not be so familiar, Your Grace.”
Mercy’s fingers stroked over the fine silk of his waistcoat, smoothing the fabric in an unsettling and affectionate way. “Well, given that I cannot seem to stop kissing you, I would not like to be Your Grace all the time. It seems absurd.”
She glanced up shyly, an impish grin lifting her lips at her wicked habit of kissing him. Leopold couldn’t help but smile in return. As he did, her small hands rose to cup his face, one finger dipping into his cursed dimples on each side of his mouth.
Leopold moved out of her reach and let his smile fade away.