As he added two fingers, her warm velvet squeezed around them. Her moans became quicker and louder until she sagged against the sofa with a scream. The sound seized his chest with a yearning so deep he was sure he could never desire a woman more than his Star Goddess. The pulse of her flesh sent a stir of desire through him.
He smiled against her pink skin, kissing her inner thigh. “I could do this all day.”
“Oh, I’d like that.”
He kept his gaze on her as he crawled back onto the sofa. She pressed a finger on his sensitive lips, tracing them. That was allthe warning he had before she kissed him, pressing her mouth against his. No more sweetness or slowness. The kiss was raw and unapologetic. But it held a familiarity that enhanced it.
He tangled a hand through her hair and pulled her closer, his headache vanishing. She poured all her passion into the kiss, pressing her body against his. The heat and hunger in her kiss made his body clench with an unbearable ache.
When her hand searched for the falls of his trousers, he growled and couldn’t stop himself from kissing her deeper.
She didn’t want to be courted now, and he wouldn’t press the matter on her, but the truth was he desperately wanted her to be his wife, which was selfish of him. He’d have to wait until she passed the test at least.
“I love you, Edith,” he said because he couldn’t keep the truth to himself any longer. He cupped her stunned face and stared into her lovely forest-green eyes. “I love you, and I’ll wait for you, whatever you decide.”
“Perry.” She hugged him with enough strength to squeeze him against her body.
She didn’t say anything else, and it was all right for him. Because it didn’t matter if she didn’t love him as much as he loved her; he would still help her become the woman she wanted to be. He would still wait. She was worth the wait.
I love you.Now a new set of Perry’s words echoed in Edith’s mind as she walked to his house the next day.
After he’d declared his love for her, they’d held each other until they’d fallen asleep under the watchful gaze of the Star Maiden. Then he’d escorted her home, and it’d been sweet and beautiful.
Why was everything that he said so devastatingly powerful and beautiful? She wanted nothing more than to be with him, but she wanted to rebuild her life first. She wasn’t sure she could embrace all the feelings she had for him, not until she sorted out her life, which included passing the admission test, becoming a medical student, and saving Dr. York’s licence.
She entered Perry’s study with her heart thudding in her throat.
“Edith.” He rose from the chair, smiling so widely to brighten the day.
Not an ounce of hurt or frustration came from him. He’d told her he loved her, and she’d asked for time. Yet here he was, smiling at her, happy to see her.
Something broke in her chest, and all the pain and loneliness of the past years came out, like water from a crack in a dam. She’d never been surrounded by people as much as in the past years, but she’d never been more lonely. Perhaps she didn’t need all of them, only a selected few.
She rushed to him, and he opened his arms. Without asking questions, he held her, surrounding her with warmth and comfort. He caressed the top of her head.
She raised her gaze to his. Her love for him suddenly could no longer be contained. “Perry.”
The butler, knocking on the door, interrupted them. “My lord?”
Edith disentangled from Perry’s embrace.
“Mason,” he said.
“Dr. Winkworth is here and asks to see you,” Mason said, opening the door.
“My father?”
Perry frowned. “Is something the matter?”
“I don’t know.” Edith stiffened when her father strode into the room like a stormy cloud.
Father eyed the closeness between them, not at all pleased. “Lord Ravenscroft.”
“Dr. Winkworth. You wished to see me?”
“I must speak my mind, my lord.”
Edith moved towards the door. “I’ll leave you to talk then.”
