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“Daenae worry about Kenney. He willnae be daft enough to have ye poisoned again,” Edwina told him, though she sensed that was not what he was referring to.
“I couldnae give a damn about Kenney,” Felix rasped, brushing his thumb across Edwina’s cheek. “I’m scared about carin’ for ye. I daenae have… feelings like this. They’re like a strong current, pullin’ me toward ye again and again, and… I’m worried that current is goin’ to drown me, one day.”
She allowed herself to relax, until her body was almost flush against his. “Why would ye worry about a thing like that? It’s nae as though I have anywhere to run to, even if I wanted to.” She paused. “I daenae, by the way. If I wanted to run from ye, I would’ve done it already, and I certainly wouldnae have let ye bring me through the forest in the dark if I hadnae believed ye were still faithful.”
“I fear loss,” he explained, in a quieter voice. “I fear the loss of ye, but I’m more afraid of nae holdin’ onto ye with everythin’ I possess. I’m more afraid of never kennin’ what it’s like to cherish ye with my whole heart.”
Edwina’s heart leaped in response, as her hands pressed to his chest. “Then daenae be scared of the future. Just think of the present, because that’s all any of us are guaranteed.”
His eyes widened a little. Either, he had never thought of it that way, or he wanted to do as she asked. She found out which just half a moment later.
Crashing against her lips like a wave on the sand, he kissed her. His shoulders lifted as his head bent, as if he was kissing her with his entire body. His hips pushed forward in kind, until there was no space between them. She did not hesitate to kiss him back. It was no longer an unknown thing that she needed to fear, but something she desired with all of her heart.
Her palms smoothed up the hard contours of his chest and looped around his neck, one hand sliding up into his hair to bring his head even closer. Her mouth caressed his, following the slow and fierce rhythm that he had begun. Not even the cold wind sneaking through the window could have cooled the heat of their reunion.
“I need ye,” he growled against her mouth, kissing her harder.
“As do I,” she confessed, molding into his body as one of his hands fell away from her face. His arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her close. So close that she could not breathe and did not want to.
Lost in one another, Edwina forgot where they were and all the promises that she had made to herself, to maintain the rest of her honor until tomorrow. After all, the gasps and moans that had slipped from her lips earlier that night hardly seemed like the sounds of an honorable lady. Nor were the ones slipping from her lips at that moment. She just wanted to feel more of the fire that scorched her mind, body, and soul in the best possible way, discovering everything that he could do that would stoke those flames.
He seemed to read her mind as he turned them both toward the bed, walking her backward without ever breaking their bruising kiss. As her legs bumped into the edge of the bed, however, a shy little voice whispered in the back of her mind,Daenae give into him again, Lass. Daenae give into him until tomorrow. If somethin’ goes awry, ye’ll be ruined.
She planted her feet firmly, knowing that if her back touched that straw mattress, she would not be able to resist him. Indeed, she did not even know what it was she would be resisting, but her vague notions were enough of a warning.
“I willnae do anythin’ to make ye uncomfortable,” he said, pausing.
She swallowed thickly. “I daenae trust myself.”
“What do ye mean?”
“If I lie down with ye, I daenae trust myself,” she repeated.
A smile turned up the corners of his lips. “Then put yer faith in me again, as ye’ve done before.” He dipped his head, whispering close to her ear, “I want ye, Lass, but I want ye more as my wife. To take ye to bed and call ye mine—I cannae think of a greater pleasure, and the waitin’ will only make it better.”
“Then, why have ye brought me to the bed?” She arched a suspicious eyebrow at him.
He chuckled. “Ye already ken that there are things I can do that willnae disrupt yer honor, Lass. If ye’ll allow me, it’d bemyhonor to show ye more.”
He must have taken her hesitation for permission, as his lips crushed against hers once more. The moment she felt that delicious pressure, she melted into his arms. After all, if she could face brigands at his side and make it out alive, she could certainly survive a night alone with the man who would be her husband soon. There was no cause to doubt him anymore.
They stood like that, next to the bed, wrapped up in one another as their kiss intensified. Slow and sensual, fierce and hungry, lingering and deliberate—there were ways of kissing that she had never even imagined, though she relished the education.
All from one touch of my calf—she could not help but smile at the thought, realizing that fate—however twisted—was surely favoring her.
“What are ye smilin’ for?” he murmured, pausing to brush his thumb across her lower lip.
She tilted her head to one side. “Am I nae allowed to smile?”
“Aye, but I’d ken the cause,” he replied, bending his head to kiss her neck.
“Ye, us, this.” Her breath hitched at the flutter of his lips against her skin, moving downward.
His hand led the way, as if to reveal what was to come before his mouth took over. Fingertips traced the swell of her breasts before he pulled down the edge of her neckline and let his kiss explore her bosom, still half restrained by her stays. As his tongue tasted her skin, he swiftly untied the ribbon that gave her dress a waist. The moment it came undone, the material slackened, and Felix’s hands wasted no time in pulling the garment up and over Edwina’s head.
“I thought… ye intended… to preserve my honor,” she gasped, though her arms had raised to allow him to undress her.
He chuckled. “I do.”
