His Duchess is a Ghost (Novel) - Chapter 22 (Patreon)

The way his eyes gleamed with desire, fixated on her mouth, combined with the rough timbre of his voice, stirred something within her. His command was simple yet loaded with an intensity that made her insides flutter uncontrollably. Oh damn…

The rising heat within her, which she had been trying so hard to ignore, suddenly felt overwhelming, almost impossible to push aside. No, this wasn't how it was supposed to go, she thought frantically. This wasn't part of her plan!

She tried to redirect her focus on him just so she could distract herself from feeling her own unwanted arousal that was slowly intensifying.

She forced her mind to envision the scenes she’d read before just so she could apply it in reality with perfect precision. And before she realized it, she started escalating her moves. She moved her face even lower and then stuck her tongue again and licked. She started at the base, her tongue tracing a slow, wet path upwards, eliciting a deep, guttural growl from the duke that both surprised and unexpectedly excited her.

But then, her eyes widened for a moment as she finally realized what she just did. She had completely lost herself for a moment there and… oh lord…

“Do that again, duchess,” came his deep as hell voice.

As Alena looked up at him, she felt an internal struggle. On one hand, there was the temptation to continue this dangerous game, to lose herself in the heat of the moment and see where her curiosity and desire will lead her. On the other, there was the urge to defy him, to regain control and play with him, pushing him to the brink until he was the one at her mercy.

To her own delight, the latter thought was winning out. She hadn't realized she was capable of such a bold strategy until now. And, somewhat to her relief, she found that her desire for retribution, her need to best the duke, was stronger than any carnal desire she felt towards him.

Licking her lip, she listened to him. Maintaining their intense eye contact, she lowered her face a little again and licked upwards, but this time, she did it in a maddeningly slow glide, prolonging each movement with tantalizing precision. Her hand’s pace matched the leisurely tempo of her tongue, drawing out the moment.

Soon, the sight of sweat forming on his face brought a sense of triumph to her. His breathing, once steady and controlled, now came in heavy, ragged gasps. It was a change in him that she found immensely satisfying.

Oh lord… she never thought this would feel so gratifying! To make this man, of all men, look like this, was just…

The idea of making this man, who always seemed to hold the upper hand, look like this was intoxicating to Alena. She wanted to tease him more… or better yet… torture him… and finally… make him beg!

And so she continued her slow, agonizing rhythm, until she noticed the Duke's jaw clenching, a sign of his growing need.

“Faster, Duchess,” he commanded, his voice now strained with desire.

But Alena remained undeterred, continuing at her maddeningly slow pace. In her mind, she silently challenged him, 'Don’t command me. Beg me…'

“Move your hand. Faster,” he instructed once again after a long while. There was now a hint of urgency in his voice.

With a playful yet defiant tone, Alena responded, “Forgive me, Duke. But my hand is already tired.”

The duke bit his lip before slowly releasing it.

“You said you will do anything I want, duchess.” He told her and his words were spoken with an awareness that seemed to penetrate her strategy. It was as if he knew precisely what she was attempting and was subtly reminding her of the power he still wielded in their situation.

The flicker of triumph Alena had felt a moment ago quickly faded. She sensed the duke was on the verge of turning the tables on her yet again. Damn… She had come too far to let him have the upper hand once more! No… she cannot let that happen!

Determined to maintain her advantage, Alena decided to take a more daring approach. Despite her hesitation, she refused to let the Duke have the last laugh. “I did say that, but my hand is really tired now so I guess… I’ll use my mouth instead.” Her voice wavered slightly, but she quickly regained her composure, maintaining a facade of confidence.

Focusing on the Duke’s tip, she opened her mouth, recalling every detail from the erotic book she had once immersed herself in.

As Alena's lips neared his tip, ready to fulfill her bold proclamation, the duke unexpectedly halted her advance.

“I’ll pass for that, for now, duchess. Not after I found you’re into raw meats.” he said with a straight face and Alena nearly choked.

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CHAPTER 23>>