Page 84 of Wicked Designs
The abduction of Emily Parr hadn’t changed just him. The League’s bond epitomized the hard love men shared with each other, but when it came to Emily, they were all helpless. Ashton admired Emily’s purity of soul, Charles her playfulness, Cedric her love of the outdoors, Lucien her cleverness, and Godric—he lovedeverythingabout her.
The thought shocked him. If he could love all thethings within a person, did that not mean he loved the person? The question plagued him.
He ran a hand through Emily’s hair, coiling a silken tendril between his fingers. Never in all his years could he have expected such a creature, so different from him, to make him so happy. He lived to see her smile, to make her laugh, to kiss her. He wanted to spend all day reading with her, all night loving her. Find every ticklish spot and every place that made her moan and sigh. He wanted a life with her, but it wasn’t possible.
“Godric?” Emily’s voice cut through his brooding. He hadn’t realized she was awake.
“I’m sorry, darling, did I wake you?”
“I am a light sleeper.” She raised her head a little, her violet eyes pale and silvery in the moonlight. “May I ask you something?”
Godric fought the urge to smile. “Oh, I suppose.”
“Ashton mentioned your father, and how he—”
Godric’s smile faded. “How he disciplined me?”
“Yes.”
“What is it?” His tone was harsher than he meant. The ache of that old wound still stung.
Emily put a hand on his chest, right above his heart. “I am sorry he hurt you.”
“That is not a question.”
Her forehead creased. “No, I suppose not, but…but I wish he hadn’t hurt you. I don’t know how anyone could want to hurt you.” She pressed her lips down on his chest, in an enticing kiss. It was so pure in its affection, in its tenderness, that Godric’s throat tightened. He didn’t know how to tell her that her words meant everything to him.
Instead, he wrapped his arms about her waist and slid her up several inches, to his mouth. Her lips parted. Her fingertips stroked his jaw, and she sighed contentedly.
“I have another question,” she said at last. “A real one.”
He was amused by the shrewd gleam in her eyes. “All right then, my dear, let’s hear it.”
“When you and the others abducted me, how did you know I was in the carriage? I thought I’d fooled you with the false bottom of that seat…” She laid her palms flat on his chest and pushed up a little, which gave him a pleasing view of her breasts.
“You had me quite fooled. Ashton, however, noticed a piece of your evening gown sticking out. He devised a plan to wait for you.” Godric grinned as the memory of that night flooded him, the adrenaline, the sheer exhilaration of chasing her, fighting her, capturing her…
Emily frowned. “And what if I hadn’t gotten out of the carriage? I might have suffocated.”
“I dare say it couldn’t have been airtight.” Godric tried to lift his hips, but Emily slid an inch out of reach.
“Did you really have to use laudanum? I despised that.” She scowled now, which somehow resembled a puppy growl.
“We used it at Ashton’s recommendation. We were worried you might scream for help.”
“Why didn’t you just gag me?”
“And have you squirm in my lap the entire way? You could have fallen and injured yourself.”
“Your lap?” Her eyes were warm, but her nose wrinkled in consternation. “You carried me?”
Godric tugged one a lock of her hair, winding it around his finger. “Absolutely. Once I set eyes on you, I refused to let any other man have responsibility for you. I wanted you all to myself, which, let me assure you, was quite a battle. I had to endure nearly an hour of Charles’s grousing. He’s a dreadfully sore loser.” Godric chuckled.
Emily digested all of this in silence.
“Did you plan on seducing me before you saw me?”
That was a volatile question, and Godric decided the truth was best.
