Page 44 of The Tempting of a Devilish Lord

Shaking her head, Lucinda twisted to view the boat, bobbing some way out on the lake. Had she really run away from Alex for this? Or was she simply too scared to risk it all again?

“Bernie, I am sorry.”

She did not want her future dictated to her, that was certain. Did not want Alex forcing her to pay attention to him. But she did want her say. She did want it to be her decision. And she suspected she had already made it the moment she leapt from the boat.

Bernie scowled. “Lucinda?”

“I am not the woman you want me to be and I never will be. You can keep your proposal.” She grabbed her skirts and turned around.

“I just said I was thinking twice about proposing. That did not mean I would not.” He stepped in front of her. “Whatever are you doing?”

She shrugged. “Causing a scandal, most likely.”

She moved around him and waded into the water. Behind her, she heard Mary-Anne give a shout of encouragement whilst the onlookers chatted excitedly. Perhaps her mother was in a faint and would not see a thing but either way, she was done paying for her one mistake.

Once the water reached waist height, she began swimming, making her way back to the boat. Alex must have been watching her interaction with Bernie, but he stared at her for some time before he tore off his jacket and his boots and then dove into the water. With strokes far more powerful than hers, he met her where water was still only shoulder deep and latched his hands around her waist.

“You were right,” she said. “I do love you. I’m not certain how or why but I do.”

“I knew it.”

She looped her arms around his neck. “I do not care that you are a rake or that this is the most scandalous thing I have ever done in my adult life. I cannot live like that anymore. I cannot be a wife to a man like Bernie.”

“What about a wife to a man like me?” He pushed wet strands from her face with a hand. “Because, Lucy, I’m going to kiss you right here, and you will most certainly be ruined and have to marry me.”

Biting down on her lip, she nodded eagerly. It had been all too clear, standing in front of Bernie, what her life was going to be like. With Alex, she had little idea, but she did not care. That was the excitement of it.

“I tried hard to be a gentleman and court you, you know.”

“I know.” She pulled him into her and pressed a swift kiss to his lips.

“What was that for?”

“I could have drowned, you know,” she replied with a grin.

“And now you have ruined me.”

“You had better ruin me back, I suppose.”

He gave a wicked grin. “That I can do.”

He took her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers, his mouth warm and delicious against the coldness of the water. He kissed her until she could scarcely draw in a breath and the chill from the water had vanished.

Somewhere on the shoreline, she heard her sister let loose a whoop.

Epilogue

“You know she sent us here with exactly this in mind, do you not?” Adam lifted a glass of brandy to his lips and took a long, slow sip.

Leo rolled his eyes and leaned back in the armchair. “He’s been saying this for months now.”

Alex shrugged and finished the last drop of his own brandy and then masked a yawn with the back of a hand. The hour was late, the drawing room lit by lamplight that suffused the masculine smoking room with a warm glow. Despite the fact they were heading into the height of summer, rain pattered against the windowpane. “It’s probably true.”

Leo shook his head. “Yes, but he does not need to be so smug about it.”

“One married and another in two days’ time,” Adam mused. “I expected it from you, Leo, the moment Rebecca set foot in Langmere, but not you, Alex.”

Alex narrowed his gaze at his brother. “Do you have a problem with my pending marriage?”

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