AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And he was smiling in a certain way…as though they had a special secret no one else shared.
“It does. Doesn’t it?” Then he let go of her hand and cracked open the tiny, intricately carved wooden box. In it lay delicately folded satin and a gold ring with a large sapphire in its center.
She gasped as he removed the ring from the folds and reached for her hand again. “Miss Ophelia Moorish, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Her lip trembled as he waited for her answer. “I should tell you something before I answer.”
His brow crinkled and he leaned back a bit. “What?”
She swallowed. “It’s just that…well I find that…I am in love with you.” She drew in a breath. “And I know that you don’t feel that way about me, but I want you to know before we go any further that I’d like those feelings to grow between us. If you don’t think that can happen then I’m not certain I should say yes.”
He stood, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he pulled her closer. “It can’t happen in the future.”
“Oh.” Her heart sunk to her knees and she blinked several times because she refused to cry any more today. “I understand.”
“You don’t.” And then he pulled her left hand toward him, slipping the ring on her finger. “I can’t fall in love with you in the future because I am in love with you now. I wanted to deny it but I think you might have stolen my heart from the first moment we met.” Then he pulled her close and kissed her. Her chest swelled with emotion even as her body hummed with desire. This…this was exactly the fairy tale she’d always wished to have. Only it was even better because this fairy tale was real.
* * *
Ophelia trembled in his arms, meeting each of Chase’s kisses with a passion that stole the breath from his lungs.
She twined her fingers into his hair as her mouth parted under his, their tongues tangling together. He lifted her again, carrying her into the alcove, where they were sheltered and warmed by the candles. Laying her down on the blankets, he pulled another over them, creating a cozy sanctuary.
She pulled away and gave him a grin. “Am I going to have to give you the ring back so you can propose again at a sanctioned meeting?”
His eyes widened and he chuckled. “I suppose so, although, I hate to see the jewel removed from your hand. It looks so perfect on you.” He reached for her fingers, bringing them to his lips. “The ring was my mother’s favorite.”
She gasped and looked at the stone again. “You had this with you?”
He shrugged. “I carry a cravat of my father’s as well. To be honest, putting the ring on your hand…I feel like she’s part of our future.” He leaned his forehead down to touch hers. “I’ve been searching for my future for a long time, growing increasingly restless and now…I am at peace.”
She grasped his face. “I am too.” Then she kissed him again, hard and long. “Chase.” There was an edge to her voice that made his heart race in his chest. “I want to live out the whole fantasy tonight. I want to make love to you under the stars.”
He growled out his need, trying to calm his body’s driving need. “Ophelia, we should wait until we’re married.”
She shook her head. “This is our night. We begin our future together here and now.” She slid her fingers down his neck and into the V of his open shirt.
His pulse raced as she touched him. “Ophelia. Do you have any idea how desirable you are? Good God, woman, you could drive a man to…” He looked down at her, searching for the word.
“Remain faithful?” She quirked a brow.
He grimaced. “You needn’t worry, my love. I was searching for you and now that search is over.” He kissed her again, trying to express the depths of his emotion in a single kiss. But the kiss wasn’t enough. He pulled up, shrugging his shirt over his head. Then he leaned back down and brought Ophelia to him before working on the row of buttons at the back of her dress.
Her bodice slumped forward and she lay down again, wriggling the fabric over her hips. In response, he started working the ties of her corset, saying a silent prayer she wore short stays. In a flurry of activity, they stripped down several more layers, both frantic to touch each other’s skin.
He caressed her everywhere. Cruising his hands over her torso, down her arms, across her thighs, around her back. He touched her as though he created a map. The swell of her hips, like rolling hills, her stomach a valley. And when he brushed through the curls between her legs, they both groaned.
She traced the ridges of his back and then slid her hands into his trousers, touching his backside. “Take down your pants, I want to see all of you.”
He wanted to see her too. But Chase worried just a bit. Passionate as she was, Ophelia was still a virgin and the male sex could be rather…intimidating. “Are you certain you’re ready for it? We can just do what we did last time.”
She shook her head, reaching up to his face and grazing her thumb over his lip. “No. This is our big moment and I will not squander our opportunity because I got scared. Heroes and heroines take the big risks.”
He had to smile. “It’s not huge. Perhaps just right.”
“Are we discussing the risk or something else?”
He started pulling her shift up over her hips. “The danger, mostly. There is no chance I am letting you get away from me. You will be my wife very soon.”
