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But she could not like the sadness in his eyes. Her vision went blurry. She felt a tear slip free and slide down her temple.
"I should not have given in," Jude sighed.
Marissa hit his shoulder. Hard. She felt his whole body tense against her, and then he rolled free, making her gasp with the strange feeling of him withdrawing from her body.
"Whatever your regrets," he said softly. "We'll marry."
"Those are your regrets, not mine!" she shouted. "I regret nothing. I will wait for you to like me again. I will demand it, do you understand? You will love me someday, damn your stubborn hide."
Jude slowly rose up to his elbow to give him a better vantage point from which to glower down at her.
"Oh, don't look so dark. You're stuck with me now. I will use you until you surrender. You'd do well to make the best of it."
She was about to sit up and reach for the covers, but he stopped her with the gentle brush of his thumb over her cheek. "You're trying to turn my own pleasure against me? Trick me into loving you?"
"You can hardly judge me for the very thing you meant to do. Only you are the fickle one it seems. So easily turned away from your affection." Her breath skipped and jumped in her throat as she tried to h-old back more tears. "Don't. . . please don't tell me I'm too late, Jude. I only just realized how much I love you. It isn't fair."
His hand cupped her chin as pain twisted his mouth into a brief scowl. "How can you be sure?"
She blinked away more tears, angry when they escaped and let Jude see how much she hurt. "All I know is that I have no idea what you're thinking, but I'm willing to tell you what I feel. I love you, and you may not like me at all."
"Ah, God, Marissa." His thumb traced shivers over her bottom lip. "Don't be a fool. I love you."
She swallowed hard, but a small sob of relief still escaped. "You do?"
"Of course I do. I love you. And that's why I can't stand the thought of having less than everything."
Marissa felt more tears fall, and she ignored them, even when Jude kissed them away. "And your regrets?"
"I regret nothing." He slid over her again, kissing her, and she was just wondering if she might dare spending the whole night in Jude's room when the hard crack of knuckles on the door invaded the quiet.
Jude was reaching desperately for the bedcovers when the door opened with tragic speed.
"Sorry to disturb you," Harry said, his voice still coming from the hall, thank God. "But Marissa has gone missing and—"
She met Harry's eyes at the exact moment his voice died an ugly death in his throat. Jude had half succeeded with the covers at least, though she suspected Harry had seen far more of Jude than he'd ever expected to.
"Harry," Jude started, but Harry just shook his head and backed out.
"Oh, never mind. So sorry. I'll just..."
"God damn it," Jude barked as the door closed with a crack that sounded eerily like impending doom.
"Good thing you didn't regret it," Marissa muttered.
"Jesus, woman, you are a magnet for scandal."
"I know. Who will ever marry me now?"
Finally, the fierceness left his face, and Jude smiled, then laughed. "You may break my heart and ruin my reputation, but I already know it will he well worth it." He offered a kiss that left Marissa sighing with satisfaction.
"How long do you think we can stay here?"
Jude shook his head. "You're too wicked for your own good. It's time to pay the piper. Again."
"Again. This is getting tiresome. At least when we're married, I won't have to face the prospect of being called to your study."
"I'm not so sure about that."
