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The quavering and the concern, she really was wonderful, daft, but wonderful, and probably should learn to be more discreet when saving his life and reputation. Hers didn’t always need to be sacrificed. He placed a hand over her mouth. “Urs, your father will kill me.”
Judah shot him a confirmatory glare, though the corners of his lips twitched. Bernard Levy had both hands over his mouth, though an odd duck sound escaped.
She folded her arms and tapped her toe until he removed it. She glared—not cried and it was beautiful. “Why are you permitted to do everything you’ve done, but I’m—”
Beautiful and perfect and the best and most interesting person in the room.
“Because that’s not really how it works.” He resisted smiling, but it was so difficult.
“I mean, people probably already assumed it, but because of who my mother was, now it’s somehow even worse. That seems very un-American too.” She was no longer listening to him, she was making her case.
Jay had to stamp on his own toe not to laugh. He’d love her forever, even after death.
“Should we—or perhaps you two—leave the room?” Hugo’s face was a bright crimson now.
“Yes.” Jay grabbed her elbow and all but shoved her into the hall, though she didn’t stop her argument.
He stepped towards the bannister, almost back where they first met, first spoke.
“Well, if you’d permit me to marry you, people will very much assume we do all manner of that sort of thing, at least for the beginning, and none of it will matter,” he said.
She was smiling, though she fought it—illuminated by the gaslights against the mahogany paneling.
He had to shove his hands in his pockets so not to carry her away that very moment.
“That’s not a very good reason for me to marry you.” She stuck out her lower lip.
He rolled his eyes.
She was going to really make him grovel, beg—and now he was thinking—
Urusla wasn’t finished. “Avoiding scandal, I mean. That seems like a coerced marriage. Also, did you just say that we’d eventually stop?”
Delicious. He wrapped a single arm around her waist. “First, we are never, ever going to stop doing that. I’d need to be entirely incapacitated. Second, I already told you, I love you. I don’t deserve you, but I love you.”
She leaned into him, her heartbeat already coordinating with his. “And that should be enough?”
He caught a free curl and bounced it. Her lips, her beautiful, kissable, lips...
“No, it’s enough because you love me too. You trust me, and I trust you. Look, I’m going to fail, or more likely, slip. I’m not ‘curable.’ I promise you I’ll try hard, but be honest with you, whatever happens.”
“I know. That doesn’t matter to me. Well, it does, but not as much as being with you.” Tears glistened below her deep, thick lashes.
He swiped his sleeve across his face. Bollocks, his eyes were damp too.
“I want to be your partner, Urs, for the highs and the lows because the idea of not being in the same room with you—that’s all I want.”
Tears now dripped from her cheeks, down her neck and mingled in her bosom. It took all his self-control not to blot them.
“You never turned over your cards.” She sniffed.
He threw back his head and laughed. “Urs. Are you joking? This isn’t the time.”
She smiled the most wicked of smiles, the smile she smiled right before she was ready to pay attention to his dragon. His entire body throbbed. Is this what cavemen felt like before they threw women over their shoulders?
“It’s a fair request. I want to know whether you are doing this to regain your parents’ house.”
“What do you think?” He touched a finger to her nose. He just couldn’t resist.
