Page 54 of Enslaved to the Seduction of a Lady
“I understand,” Alison said. She leaned a little further forward in her seat, until he could feel her breath on his face. A comforting warmth. “But there is nothing wrong with wanting to know where you came from. Goodness, if Teresa has taught me anything, it is that. And it sounds as though Jack wanted you to know.”
“He did,” Luke admitted. He let go of one of Alison’s hands and wiped at his eyes. “Her name is Lola, so he says… said. He told us that he knows we’re fighters and that we’ll do the right thing. He told us to follow our hearts.”
“And?” Alison asked.
“Andyouare my heart, Alison, My Love. And I will follow you to the ends of the earth. But I cannot deny that the desire to find my true family is… intriguing, if not overwhelming.”
“And you are my heart,” Alison said, although Luke saw the worry flash through her eyes.
“Jack’s final words have motivated me, I suppose,” Luke said. “I want to find my mother.”
“Are you sure?” Alison asked. The word was not harsh, not annoyed. It was curious, wondering. “You have spent so long without her. It might… I don’t know, upset you.”
Luke shrugged. “I don’t know. Answers, perhaps. Or maybe I just want to see for myself where I have come from.”
“I understand your need, Luke, I really do. But—”
“But what?” he asked, gazing intently at her.
“But will this not put paid to our plans? How will we be together—and before I am forced to marry the Earl—if you disappear in search of your past?”
Luke could see the hurt in Alison’s eyes, and he felt it too. He wanted nothing more than for them to be together, but he knew, too, that he had to discover the truth of his birth.
“Once I understand the past, I can face the future—a future with you. We can move on, and I will be in a better position to fight for it.”
“But Luke, time is of the essence, and—”
“And I will not allow anyone to force you into a marriage you do not want,” he said firmly, pulling her eyes to him. “Do you understand? Wewillbe together, and no one—not the Earl, not Jenny, not even your Father—will stop that.”
“I love you, Luke,” she gushed.
“I love you, too,” he said, and leaned forward.
His lips brushed against hers. It was not a kiss of passion or desire, but a kiss of promise. It was chaste and quick, respectful of the situation they were in and the people they were. But it was a kiss that spoke of his intentions and his sworn oath to make her his, both legally and morally. It was perhaps the most important, most meaningful kiss they had ever shared, despite its speed and pureness.
“We shall leave together, then, if the need arises?” he asked as he sat back in his chair.
“Yes,” she said, “and I think the need will arise sooner than we think.”
“I’ll be ready,” he said.
