Page 49 of The Rebel's Prize

He stalked across the tent, green eyes blazing, and had her back in his arms before she had a chance to come up with any reason to resist.

"Say it again," he muttered, lips pressed against her neck.

Her heart pounded, the sensations rushing through her equal parts elation and trepidation. "I love you," she whispered unsteadily, unable to deny it despite the whirl of emotion threatening to upend her.

Maybe he caught something of the fear underlying the words because he pulled back, eyes searching hers, the green searing through her. "You never said that before."

"You said you didn't trust me. Why would you believe me?" Even if she'd been ready to say it. To believe she could feel it and have it not end in flames and chaos.

"You're scared," he breathed, hand stealing around to rest on the back of her neck.

She bit her lip, then nodded, trying to find the breath to answer. "Yes."

"Because of Charl?"

"Do you blame me?"

"No." He shook his head and then leaned his forehead against hers. "But I am not Charl. I will not betray you. I won't hurt you. And if I ever leave you, it will be because my heart stopped beating."

She wanted to believe it. Knew sheshouldbelieve it.

"If I could change one thing in my life," he continued, "I would go back to Imogene's betrothal ball. Make damned sure I crossed that ballroom and introduced myself to you as soon as I saw you. Make sure it was me who caught your eye so he never got the chance to hurt you."

Her heart ached, though she wasn't sure if it was with sorrow or joy. It was hard to imagine it, how her life might have been. But she had loved Charl—that much was true. And perhaps she and Lucien had needed to go through that to reach this place where they stood now.

"He hurt you, too," she said softly.

"Over and over again," he admitted. "Because he took you and he didn't cherish you, and then he threw us both away. I will never forgive him for that. I thought once that I could. But if he is what keeps you from me, then he will have broken us again. He will win. Do you want him to win?"

"No." She knew that for sure. Charl had broken her heart and demolished her life once. She couldn't give him the power to break the new life she had a chance to grasp now.

That truth was like light suddenly breaking over the horizon. She wanted a life of freedom. But she didn't want only that. She wanted someone beside her. Someone who saw who she was. Someone happy to let her fly but who would catch her when she fell. Who would be a safe place for her and she for him.

And the only man she trusted to do that was Lucien.

She should have known it when she'd chosen the marriage mark back in Deephilm. A tower. Brilliant starlight. A free flying raven. Strength and joy and discovery. Safety and delight and a life grown together.

"No," she repeated. "I don't want him to win. I want us to win. I wantyou." She laid her hands on his cheeks. The joy in his eyes nearly sent her to her knees. "Do you believe me?"

"Yes."

There was no magic behind the words, no song in the air to tell her he was using his power. But she only needed the certainty in his voice. It echoed through her, truth and trust, deep as the earth beneath their feet.

"I love you," she said again and then kissed him. The taste of him, the thrill of it, pushed any lingering doubts away. All that mattered was him.

Here. Now.Forever.

"I love you," she purred, tilting her head back to give him better access to continue doing whatever it was that was waking every nerve in her body with delight.

He laughed and moved his lips to her mouth, fingers working on the ties that held her dress together. "I love you."

She would have helped him, but she was busy with his coat, trying to push it off his ridiculously broad shoulders. Maybe she should make him buy some clothes that were more in the local style. Looser. Easier to remove.

Her dress fell from her shoulders before she'd made much progress.

He went still suddenly, and she froze, too. “Is something wrong?”

He touched the chain at her neck. “You’re wearing your ring.”

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