Page 28 of The Rakehell's Seduction
Ambrose nuzzled her ear, placing a soft kiss there. “There’s no place I wish to be but here.”
“Good,” she murmured and was ready to drift off to sleep when she suddenly tensed. “Ambrose?” Her voice vibrated with new fear.
“What is it, love?” he asked, his voice a low rumble.
“Did you…take precautions? I forgot to ask you to.” She’d been so foolishly obsessed with him in her bed that she’d forgotten her cousin’s advice.
“I…” He sighed wearily. “I regret I did not. I knew better, but the moment you touched me I went up in bloody flames.” He kissed her shoulder. “But it’s unlikely you will find yourself with child the first time after you make love.”
“But if I should…”
“Then we face that consequence together,” he replied.
Consequence…the word seemed so dreaded, so heavy and unwanted. But would a child born between them be a consequence or a blessing?
“Be at ease, my love, please. I can almost hear your thoughts pounding in your head. I promise you I will take care of you should a babe result from tonight.”
Alex turned a little in his arms. “Do you want children? I mean not now, but perhaps someday?” Until she’d seen her father around Griffin and Emma, she hadn’t thought much of babies. Now she realized it would be nice someday to have a child.
He smiled a little, almost shyly. “Before today I would have said no. But a little mite throwing peas across the dinner table was much more entertaining than I had anticipated. It might be fun to have some little ones running about my house.” His tone was full of amusement and surprise.
His mind had been changed tonight, she could tell, and something about that gave her hope to dream. Because the moment they’d shared that first passionate embrace in the garden, she’d realized that she wanted to think of a future with him, even as foolish as it was to dream of marrying a rakehell.
“Alex, will you tell me what makes you afraid of London?” he asked.
She shivered in his arms. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
He sighed softly, the sound sad and sweet. “Talking about it might help. I want you to know you can be honest with me.”
“And would you be honest with me?” she countered, scrutinizing his features for any hint of an attempt to deceive her.
He nodded. “Ask me anything.”
“You and Lord Darlington…there’s a history there. What is it?”
“We were friends once. Close friends.” Ambrose trailed his fingertips along her arm, the touch soothing and sweetly sensual.
“What happened between you? It was obvious you weren’t on good terms.” Alex was surprised but delighted that he was talking to her.
“It was several years ago, but his parents died and he inherited the title of Viscount Darlington, and he inherited his father’s debts as well. That changed him. He didn’t want any charity that I or our other friend Gareth could provide. He wanted to support himself, but he started breaking me at the gaming tables, even though it wasn’t enough to sustain him. His father had bankrupted the estate, and Vaughn was holding on to his family’s holdings by the skin of his teeth.”
“And you didn’t agree with his method of surviving?” she guessed.
“No, I didn’t. And our friendship was the casualty of that war.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“Things happen. Friends grow apart,” he muttered and looked away from her for a moment, his gaze melancholy and distant.
“Ambrose.” She gently tugged his face down to hers and kissed him. He returned the kiss, but it was gentle and full of a softer passion, one that didn’t need to end up with them making love. For some reason that made her heart turn over, and she snuggled closer to him.
“Will you tell me about London now?” he asked.
The tender moment seemed to fade slightly as she realized she would have to tell him.
“I…was in love once, long ago. The man and I had an understanding, but he left for London right before my debut and married a wealthy heiress. When it came time for my presentation and my coming out, I simply couldn’t face theton. I couldn’t face him and his wife and see them together. It hurt too much.” There, she’s said it. Maybe he wouldn’t ask her anything else.
His fingers traced her jaw, and his eyes were soft as he gazed down at her. “Whoever that man was, he is a fool. I could not think of any reason to leave you, if you were mine.” This time he kissed her, and his lips burned, scorching a path from her mouth to her throat, then to her collarbone. It was a long while before they were sated and lying quiet again. He’d made her forget about her heartache and reminded her that life could still offer some joys even to those healing from broken hearts.
