Page 105 of My Gentleman Spy
Hattie licked her lips, teasing him. Will growled. She leaned over and planted a soft, but enticing kiss on his lips. Their bodies were close, intimacy beckoned. She had given him the answer he needed, now she would allow him to claim hisreward.
The shackles of polite social behavior were tossed aside, in its place was a deep hunger which demanded to be slaked. Will claimed Hattie’s lips with a kiss which brooked nomisunderstanding.
She gave into her deepest desires. As Will's strong arms pulled her tightly against him, her hands searched for his hair. She speared her fingers through his dark brown hair offering him her unspoken encouragement. They both knew where she would be sleeping thisnight.
As they finally ended the kiss, Hattie realized she still had one question which needed answering. She knew Will wanted her, but she did not fully comprehend why. Somewhere in the deep recesses of her mind there was still the worry belief that he felt compelled to marryher.
“Before you ask me the question that we know is coming. I need to understand why you want me. For many women it would not matter, but since I fled a betrothal to someone who didn’t want me for me, I would like toknow.”
Will kissed her oncemore.
“I want you because I love you. I love the Hattie Wright who is before me. The Hattie Wright who made the decision to claim her role in the world. The instant I saw you drop over the side of the ship and into the harbor you became the woman for me. The girl who Peter Brown took by force is long gone. In her place is you, a woman who makes choices about her life, and about whom she wishes to love. I can only hope and pray that it is me,” hesaid.
She cupped his face in herhands.
“I have done everything I could not to fall in love with you. I ran away because I knew I would never be able to resist you if I stayed. You have held a power over me from the very firstday.
Believe me Will, when I say I never saw you as something to use and then throw away. I wanted our affair on the boat to happen because I knew you were someone whose love, even if it were held for only a short time, would be worth it. To tell you the truth, I was frightened of how you made me feel. When we made love, I felt reborn. You touched a part of my soul I thought no longer existed, something I didn’t know if I wanted toreclaim.”
“So, what you are saying is that you loveme?”
Shechuckled.
“Of course, I do. Any woman who does not fall for your charms is made of stone. I love you Will Saunders. You have rescued me, and I promise to spend the rest of my life making sure I stay that way,” shereplied.
She kissed his forehead. He smiled when she kissed his nose. As she pulled back to take in his handsome face, she saw the light of passion ignited in hiseyes.
“So, you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” heasked.
“Yes.”
“Thankgod.”
The sense of relief in his voice had her on the verge of tears. No one had ever wanted her purely for herself. In Will she had found someone who valued her for just being Hattie. Joy mixed with overwhelming humility left herspeechless.
“Which now leaves the question of what to do with you tonight,” saidWill.
It would have been easy enough to ask Mrs. Little to make up Hattie's old bed. But sleeping anywhere else but in Will’s arms tonight, was out of thequestion.
“I won't force you to do anything against your will. Ever,” hesaid.
They had come so very far from the day they had met. She trusted him and her heart felt fit to burst knowing that he trustedher.
“I have gone half mad missing your touch. I need you inside of me. I need to hear your roar when you come,” shemurmured.
The growl of need and desire which came from deep within him gave her the answer she craved. He had missed her too. Knowing he wanted her, filled her with the furious need to be naked and under him. To seal the connection that was no longer in any doubt betweenthem.
He rose to his feet, pulling her up withhim.
“Come tobed.”
She mewed disappointment, and looked at the couch. The couch was the right height; and had a soft enough back that he could easily take her while she was bent overit.
He shook hishead.
“The bedroom. This will not be a quick coupling. I intend to take my time. As soon as I have you naked on the bed I am going to slip my tongue inside you, and then hold you down while I take you to the brink. Rest assured my love I am not going to spare you this time. You can forget aboutsleep.”
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