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Dracott sighed as he sank into the mattress. His tortured body moaned at the pleasure of comfort. He didn’t know how to express his gratitude to this family, except to make good on his promise to love Maggie for a lifetime. A promise he would fulfill with pleasure.
A soft hand slid along his arm, and whisper-soft kisses caressed his sores. He hadn’t realized he had fallen asleep. He opened his eyes to find Maggie at his side.
“Maggie,” he whispered.
She placed a finger on his lips. “Shh. Let me speak. You spoke so eloquently in front of my family of the love you hold for me. Your words left me speechless. I want to express the feelings I hold for you.”
“There is no need, my love. I can feel them here,” Crispin reassured her, drawing her hand over his heart.
“I want to.” She took a deep breath. “I am nowhere near the poet you are, my love. However, I can express how your love makes me feel like I am floating on air, and I know you will catch me when I fall. The first time I saw you, you awakened my soul. You understood me without even knowing me. I want us to spend a lifetime learning everything about each other. I understand the secrets you keep are painful or perhaps even shameful to share with me. But I hope in time you will because I will keep your secrets guarded close to my heart. And if you choose not to, it will never alter my love any. The only secret I hold is how I prefer to dress like a boy and ride horses. Also, I detest wearing dresses and acting like a lady. But my friends and family have knowledge of that secret.”
Crispin pulled Maggie to him and kissed her with all the love in his heart. It was the first kiss of many they would share. When Maggie moaned, he fought with himself to pull away.
“I am sorry, my love. While I wish nothing more than to strip this robe from your body and worship you with sweet kisses, I will not disrespect your family. We will wait until our wedding night before we make love again. I should never have been so selfish before and taken your virtue. I should have waited like a proper gentleman.”
Maggie’s laughter teased his senses. “’Twas not a gentleman I wanted.”
He rolled Maggie over and hovered above her. “Is that so? What did you want?”
She brushed the hair from his forehead. “I wanted the man whose eyes spoke of danger, whose touch set my soul on fire, and whose kisses stole my very breath away. The very man who just asked me to become his bride today.”
“Ah, Mags, you undo me.”
He couldn’t help himself. He needed to taste her lips again. Maggie wrapped her arms around his neck, urging his mouth to hers. However, he needed no encouragement. He ravished her lips like a starving man. These past few days without her had been torture enough. While he suffered through his beating, his mind had only thought of his salvation. Maggie. Crispin fed his soul with one kiss after another. He never let his hands stray and kept them still, holding her in his embrace. He meant what he said, and he promised himself to honor it.
Once her kisses satisfied him, Crispin settled her in his arms. They lay there for a while in silence, content to be together. However, Maggie couldn’t stay still and rolled over, propping herself on his chest. She would never tire of staring at him.
“Maggie?”
“Mmm.” She placed a kiss on his chest.
“I want to share my secrets with you.”
“You do not have to.”
This time, he placed his finger against her lips. “I want to. I will not go in depth about them tonight. However, I want to tell you a little of my past. And of another secret that I must ask you to keep from your family.”
She curved her hands against his cheeks. “I promise you I will guard your secrets as my own.”
Crispin took a deep breath. He wasn’t proud of what he was about to confess, but he didn’t want any secrets between them. If he wanted to become a better man, then he must overcome his past.
“I was a young boy when my mother became involved with Lady Langdale. However, they thought I was old enough to partake in their schemes. They used me as a decoy to distract their intended target. Sometimes I had to pretend I had become separated from my parents, and other times I had to steal something small to have them chase after me. While I caused a distraction, they would sneak in and steal from their marks. Then, while they were deep into their cups celebrating their heists, they would use me for entertainment.”
Maggie frowned. “How?”
He avoided her eyes. “As a punching bag. They would place bets on who would knock me down. After about the third time, I realized the games they played. So I fell to the ground after the first punch. Well, this only infuriated them, and they found other ways to torture me. None of them were pleasant. However, once Ravencroft arrived, he put a stop to it. But the damage had already been set.”
“Was the terror you suffered through the other night a result of their torment?” Maggie asked.
“Yes. I had a flashback, and it triggered an episode. I am so sorry, Maggie, for scaring you.” His voice hitched.
“Shh. There are no apologies in healing, my love.”
“I do not deserve you, but I refuse to let you go.”
Maggie smiled. “Good.”
His hand trembled as he ran it through her curls. “Once I grew older and matured, Lady L used me for different purposes. My role changed, or should I say the way I attempted to distract the mark changed.”
