Page 123 of A Story of Love

“Then why won’t you look at me?”

Her eyes, when they finally lifted to his, held an expression of shyness that was foreign on her beautiful face.

He stood and went toward her, cupping her face in both hands. “You are perfect.” He claimed her mouth, delighted when she returned his kiss with as much passion as he felt. What a dolt this William was that he’d never bothered to kiss this magnificent woman. He felt a flare of rage at the thought of a man abusing her trust so. He would need to find out the identity of the unprincipled cad and—

“Is something wrong, Fast?”

He glanced down at her and smiled. “Nothing except it is past time for you to open the other box.”

She caught her lower lip with her teeth. “It is too much, I can’t—”

“I thought we’d finished with that tedious subject, Lorelei.”

She pursed her lips and inhaled until her lovely breasts pressed enticingly against the thin material of her chemise. “I shall let it rest for now.” She wagged her finger at him. “But don’t buy me anything else.”

“I’ll damned well buy you whatever I please,” he retorted. “I’ve done nothing for the last decade but pile up money like a dragon in his lair. You are the first person I have wanted to spend any of it on. Don’t be selfish. Let me spoil you. Now, open my gift.”

She heaved an exaggerated sigh and carefully laid the gown over the back of the settee before picking up the smaller box.

When she pulled off the ribbon and lifted the lid, she gave him a wry smile at the lacquer box nestled within the box and lightly stroked the lid. “This looks very old—and beautiful. And it has peacocks on it, which seems to be a theme with you.”

“Open it,” he ordered again.

“So impatient,” she muttered, but lifted the lid. Her head immediately whipped up and yet again she opened her mouth.

Fast knew it wasn’t to say thank you. “Remember. You can argue later.”

She snapped her mouth shut and snorted, shaking her head as she turned her gaze back to the ruby necklace, earrings, and two bracelets in the box. “This is… well, I don’t have words.”

“Who could have envisioned such a day?” he mocked, sotto voce.

She cut him a scowl. “I suspect you paid a fortune for it.”

“It’s rude to speculate on the cost of a gift,” he chided. Fast suspected that she would be astounded if he told her that he had not paid anything at all for the set, which was, indeed, worth a fortune. It had been his mother’s. Not part of the Grandon jewels, but a set that she’d brought to her marriage. She had given it to Fast a few weeks before her death, telling him to give it to a woman he loved, no matter whether he married her, or not. The look on her face as she lay dying had told Fast plenty. He’d always known his parents’ marriage was arranged, but he’d never guessed that his mother had been forced to give up a man she loved to marry Fast’s father.

The jewels had been locked away in the family vault at Grandon Castle since his mother’s death and Fast had fetched them on his way back from Meg’s wretched house party, already imagining how the glittering stones would look with the gown he’d ordered from Madam Thérèse.

“Thank you,” she said quietly. “Your generosity humbles me. I don’t know what to say.”

Fast took the box from her hands and tossed it aside. He sat down beside on the settee and then lifted her onto his lap. “I don’t want words.” He smiled slyly. “I want you to give me a proper thank you.”

“And what would that be?”

“A kiss.”

She lifted her eyebrows. “That’s all?”

“And also let me put my hand beneath your chemise.”

She laughed and the sound was so warm and uninhibited that it squeezed his heart.

He kissed her hard, as if he could somehow imprint his stamp on her. Bloody hell but he loved this prickly, difficult, never predictable woman.

She broke the kiss and began to stand.

“Where do you think you are going?”

“I’m not going anywhere.” To his utter delight she swung one knee over his thighs, until she was straddling his lap.