Page 119 of To Pleasure a Prince
That got no response except a frown.“And?”she bit out, a hint of anger in her tone.
Then he realized what she wanted. Why hadn’t he said the words before?
Because he’d been afraid that if he said them, she would have the advantage. She would assume she could do as she pleased, and he would be unable to stop her.
But now he didn’t want to stop her. He trusted her not to hurt him or be disloyal to him. She had come back here, even after all the nasty things he’d said to her. She’d come back for him.
Any woman who would do that, who would brave the dungeon for him, who would fight this hard for him, could be trusted with his heart.
“I love you,” he whispered.
Her eyes filled with tears. “Are you sure?”
“I love you.” Instead of feeling as if chains closed around him, he suddenly felt free. Completely free.
A giddy joy rose in his throat. Releasing the bolts, he caught her head in his hands. “I love you!” He kissed her mouth and her cheeks and her chin. “God, how I love you,” he said hoarsely.
How could he not love the woman who’d come through the door with her heart shining in her eyes, talking about how clever and protective and considerate he was? Who’d defended him to her friends at the opera? Who, the first time he’d seen her, had stood up to him in all her virginal fury and demanded her due?
She began to move atop him. “Oh, Marcus, I love you so much, I thought I would die when you left me.”
“I’m an idiot.” He buried his face in her neck, in her fragrant hair. “I’m an utter fool.”
“Yes, you are.” She clutched his shoulders as she moved on him, up and down, gloriously hot, gloriously sweet. “But you’re my idiot. And I will never let you go, do you hear?”
“Good. Because if you do, I will loose the dragon.” His breathing grew labored. “I’ll send him…flying over the countryside…until he finds you…and drags you back…to me.”
The rush to release built inside him thrust by thrust, until he thought he could bear it no longer. Yet he waited until he heard her breathing grow labored, too, and felt her muscles tighten around his cock. Until he felt her give herself completely into his keeping.
The storm overtook him then, and his cock filled her with his seed the way he wanted to fill her with his love. As she cried out her own pleasure and strained against him, he clutched her close against his chest.
“Hold on, my love,” he rasped. “Hold on to the dragon. Because I will never let you go.”
They did not stay long in the dungeon. Now that Regina had accomplished her purpose, she wanted a comfortable bed, where she could hold her husband close and remind him that they belonged together forever.
Louisa had the good sense not to disturb them, thank heavens, so they spent the night in the master bedchamber in a daze of sweet words and kisses, of sealing the vows of their marriage as they never really had.
When she awoke near dawn to find him inside her, thrusting hard, taking her to ecstasy yet again, she could only thank whatever god had sent her out here weeks ago. Because if not for Marcus, she might have spent her entire life letting her fears about her defect keep her from finding this wild and wonderful love.
Only after they lay in each other’s arms, satisfied and replete amid the tangled sheets of the spacious bed, did she venture to ask a question that had plagued her. “Marcus, what do you mean to do about Cicely?”
He shrugged. “I thought we already decided that. She’ll live here.”
“I wasn’t sure. You were so annoyed at the thought of my needing her—”
“Only because I knew you didn’t need her. I knew you could learn to read eventually.” He brushed a kiss to her hair. “And because I was selfish. I wanted you to needme.”
She snuggled close. “I do, I assure you. But while I may not rely on Cicely much anymore, she relies on me.”
“I know, dearling. We all rely on you.” He stroked her back. “When we go to town today, we’ll bring her home, wherever we decide that home is. Besides, Louisa can use a companion, even if we stay in town for the remainder of the season.” His voice grew husky. “We’ll be too busy for chaperoning.”
A delicious thrill shot through her, but she had one more question. “Speaking of Louisa, why did you arrange a meeting for her with His Highness?”
With a sigh, he settled her against his chest. “I realized you were right. Louisa did need to hear the truth about her possible parentage, and not just from me. I’m no longer even sure if I know the truth about anything anymore. I spent so many years resenting Prinny that I don’t know who he really is. So this meeting is as much for me as for Louisa.”
“It has sent Simon into a real dither.” She pressed a kiss to his chest. “He came to the town house to demand what was going on.”
“What did you tell him?”
