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He was just being obtuse. “For heavens sake’s, Marc, all those otherwomen—”
“The ones you’ve lostcountof?”
“—how many of them did you involve yourself in their children’slives?”
“Not all of them hadchildren.”
“Marc!” She shook out ofhishold.
He heaved out an irritated sigh. “But you were just fine with me tracking down Rachel when she’d gonemissing?”
“It’s not the same thing,” Carolinereplied.
“No.” He grasped her hand and drew her back to him. “It’s exactly the same thing. I am either in your life or I’m not. You can’t have itbothways.”
Caroline swallowed nervously. Oh, good heavens, what had she gotten herself into? She never meant for this. She never meant for any of it. And she wasn’t entirely certain how it had even happened, except…well, except that was a lie.Shewas the one who had very blatantly suggested that they begin a torrid affair, and just that morning she’d asked him to stay in her bed every night. And she wanted that, she did want him in her bed, and if she wasn’t so afraid, perhaps she’d want him in every other aspect of her life too. But that idea had never seemed like an actual possibility, not with his reputation, not with hishistory.
“What makes you think this time is different than it was with all those otherwomen?”
“Because none of them were you,” he said so quickly, so evenly as though it was an unquestionable truth. “You, Caroline Elizabeth Beckford Staveley,youare the only woman I have ever loved.” And then he dipped his head down and captured her lipswithhis.
Oh! His lips felt so heavenly, warm and insistent, the absolute perfect pressure to make her melt against him. His hand pressed against the small of her back, his tongue slipped inside the crevice of her mouth, and all rational thought flitted away, right along with her heart. Caroline steadied herself by grasping onto his lapels, and heaven help her, she kissedhimback.
Marc lifted his head, his light blue gaze so steady on her. “I don’t intend to lose you because you think I’m going to leave.” He shook his head as though the suggestion was ridiculous. “I willneverleave you, not as long as there is breath in mylungs.”
Caroline’s heart was lighter than it had been in so long. He loved her? Did he really? It hardly seemed possible with all she’d ever known of him. But instead of saying anything prudent or rational or even romantic, what came out of her mouth was, “I had no idea you knew mymiddlename.”
“Really?” Marc laughed. “That’s all you havetosay?”
“Well, it’s just surprising is all. I think my father was the last person to call me that.” And her father had been gone since shewasfive.
“I know all sorts of things aboutyou,mydear.”
“All sorts of thingsaboutme?”
“Everythingis about you. My entire existence. My entire reason forliving.”
He was being ridiculous again. And Caroline couldn’t hide her grin as she shook her head. “And here I thought everything was about beingbedded.”
“That too,” he agreed with a wink, pulling her closer to him once more. “If you’re doing itright.”
“We’ll find out soon enough, Isuppose.”
That rakish twinkle was alight in his eyes. “If we escaped now, I’m assuming Beckford would bring the girlsbackhome.”
“Oh, no, no.” Caroline shook her head. “You want to be in every aspect of my life? Part of that entails being a responsible parent who doesn’t abandon one’schildren.”
And as soon as those words were out of her mouth, Caroline wished she could call them back. He had, after all, very publicly abandoned his own daughter to his Saddleworth Hall,hadn’the?
He didn’t seem to think anything of her statement, however, as his smile didn’t dim in the least. “Now I have to be responsible? I hardlythink—”
“Kirkburn, is that you?” came a voice a few feet away, and Marc’s hold on Caroline tightened, almost painfully so. What in theworld?
* * *
God in heaven.Marc’s heart nearly stopped in his chest. That was a voice he could go the rest of his life and never hear again. His gaze flashed to the clearing in the hedge and St. George stood there, smiling as though he wasn’t one of the worst bastards to have everbeenborn.
Marc grasped Caroline’s arm tightly, and then protectively stepped in front of her as though it might be possible to shield her from the villain’s view. “St. George,” he said to the man who had come, seemingly, fromnowhere.
