Page 66 of Unmasked By a Captivating Lady
He exhaled slowly, staring at her. And then, before she knew it, he strode towards her, taking her in his arms.
“I was so worried,” he whispered, gazing down at her. “I was so worried, that he had done something else to you…”
She stared up at him. “I am well, Miles,” she whispered back. “He did not hurt me, besides pushing me and grabbing me. You do not need to worry about me. Truly.”
He blinked back tears. “I think I will always worry about you. It seems as natural to me as breathing now. But if you say that you are recovering from the ordeal, then I believe you.” He paused. “I am glad that you came to see me, before I leave…it warms my heart, to see you in the flesh and know that you are safe and sound, in one piece.”
She frowned slightly. “Why do you have to leave now? You could wait until morning, so that you are well rested for the long journey. Or better yet, you could just stay here, and send Papa’s men to accompany him…”
But he shook his head. “I cannot, Ara. Imustsee that he is finally secured, with my own eyes.” He took a deep breath. “I could not rest properly, knowing that he is still out there, and there is a chance that he might escape. Not after what he did to you.”
Ara sighed deeply. “You do not need to do this, if you do not feel able to. I am concerned about your injury. You have already done too much today, when you should have been resting yourself…”
He grinned slightly. “You are concerned for me? Does that mean that you care for me…just a little bit?”
Ara felt her heart beat harder in her chest. She felt suddenly shy, as if she wanted to run away from him, which was utterly ridiculous, considering she had climbed out of bed with the express purpose of seeing him.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you for what you did for me…”
Suddenly, tears were streaming down her face. Appalled, she abruptly turned her face away from him, embarrassed, but he gently took her chin in his hand, forcing her to look at him.
“I wouldneverlet anything happen to you,” he whispered fiercely, staring into her eyes. “I love you far too much…”
The tears wouldn’t stop falling. Desperately, Ara tried to stem the flow. Her vision was so blurred that she could barely see him for a moment. Furiously, she blinked them away, so that his face was there, right in front of her.
She sighed heavily. His face. His beloved face. She thwarted a sudden desire to raise her hand to trail the length of it, from the lines of his cheekbones to his chin.
“There is another reason,” she whispered. “There is another reason that I had to see you, before you left.” She gazed at him unblinkingly. “I had to tell you how much I love you…”
He stared at her, stupefied, for a moment. And then, he grabbed her tightly, twirling her around in his arms, as if he would never let her go.
When he finally placed her down, as carefully as if she were made of spun glass, she realised that this was probably the happiest moment of her life.
The joy bubbled up, almost overwhelming her. She felt so elated she could barely contain the feeling.
I have just told him that I love him,she thought, wonderingly.This is the first time that I have uttered those words. And it is the first time that I realise, at long last, the truth of them.
She couldn’t quite believe now that she had only just realised it. She had felt it coming over her, almost like a slow burning fever, but it had been easy to discount it. Her anger at him had sufficed, at first. It had been easy to cling to that anger, like a safety net, because it blinded her to the truth of how she felt about him.
She took a deep breath. She had struggled so hard to deny this truth to herself. But now that she had admitted it, at long last, it felt like an enormous weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
He had proved himself. He had admitted that he had made a mistake in pretending to be the Duke of Lancaster, and that he was sorry that he had hurt her by doing it. But that had only been words, at first.
Now, he had proved how much she meant to him. He had journeyed to Dorset to find her, he had endured a bullet wound, and still he had searched for her, rescuing her from that awful man. A man he was bringing to London, to make sure he was properly dealt with, when he was in no condition to do so.
If thatwasn’tlove, then she surely didn’t know what it was at all.
He tightened his grip around her, and suddenly, he tilted her head, so that she was gazing up at him. Her heartbeat quickened. Before she knew it, he had claimed her lips with a kiss that was tender, yet passionate. A confident kiss, that showed her, with dizzying clarity, just how much she meant to him.
She clung to him, drowning in the feel of his lips on hers, never wanting it to end. She moaned softly as he deepened it, arching her back so that her face tilted higher. Once again, those wild sensations were swamping her. She wanted to open to him, completely. She wanted him to claim her, at long last, and reveal to her the final mystery of what happens between a man and a woman.
It seemed to go on forever. But eventually he loosened his grip, letting her go. His face looked pained as he stepped away from her, and he was breathing heavily, almost panting. She could see how much it cost him to do it.
“It is not the time,” he breathed, his eyes glittering with desire. “But soon it will be, if you will wait for me, my love. I promise you, that when it finally happens, I will make you the happiest woman in the world…”
She nodded, feeling faint with desire. She had no doubt that everything he said was true. And now, she was so eager to lie with him that she simply did not know how she could wait.
All the shame and doubt seemed to have melted away, like the last remnants of snow on a sunny day. She no longer believed that anything they had done together was wrong. All of it was beautiful, an expression of their love and passion for each other. It was as natural as breathing.
