Page 127 of Three Weeks with a Princess
His big body stiffened beneath her. “About what? About our impending marriage? Because that is not up for debate, Lia. Wearegetting married, and sooner rather than later.”
She sat up and tried to pull out of his arms, but he refused to release her. Instead, he cupped her chin and feathered a kiss across her lips that quickly transformed from gentle to demanding, full of heat and hidden promises. She sighed and wrapped her hands around his strong wrists, taking in the sweep of his tongue with an eagerness she wouldn’t deny. Too soon, he eased away to trace the curve of her cheek with his lips. Lia couldn’t hold back a shiver of pleasure.
“Sweetheart,” he murmured between kisses, “I almost lost you tonight. I swear that would have been the end of me.”
She reluctantly retreated from his delectable kisses to study his face. His dark gaze burned with hunger, propelling a rush of desire through her body.
“Do you love me, Jack?” she whispered.
His smile was crooked and endearing. “I can’t believe you need to ask. My darling, don’t you realize how much I need you? You’re everything to me.”
“You say that now, but—”
He took her firmly by the shoulders, gazing at her with an intensity that made her tremble. “I willalwayssay it. Lia Kincaid, I love you more than anyone on God’s earth. I want to marry you. Now, is that clear enough?”
Joy unspooled in her heart like colorful strands of silk. “Yes, thank you, and I love you, too. But—”
“No buts. We’re getting married.”
“Well, perhaps . . .” She wrinkled her nose when he scowled at her. “Very well, but not right away.”
His expression lightened. “Ah, do you wish to have the ceremony at Stonefell?” He cut her a sheepish grin. “You want a proper wedding, with Rebecca and the rest of your family. Of course you should have that, and I’m a brute to suggest otherwise.”
“No, I think I need more time than that,” she confessed. “More importantly,youneed more time than that.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
Lia pulled out of his embrace, and this time he reluctantly let her go. She folded her legs to sit tailor style facing him. “It means I should visit my half brother and his wife in Vienna before we make any final decisions. Captain Endicott has made it clear he would be delighted if I stayed at least three or four months. I think that’s an excellent idea.”
Jack crossed his arms over his chest, looking so put out she was tempted to laugh—if she didn’t start crying first. She loved him so much it made her heart ache. Leaving him for even a few months was an awful prospect. What if he decided he didn’t truly wish to marry her? For his sake, though, she needed to take that risk.
“I think it’s a horrific idea,” he said.
“This is a momentous decision, Jack, and you need time to think it through without me right in front of you, making you feel guilty.”
He rolled his eyes. “You do not make me feel guilty.”
“Jack, you feel guilty about everything.”
He was about to deny it when she lifted her eyebrows, prompting him to let out a disgruntled laugh. “Very well, I partially concede your point. But we’re still getting married, and it’s because I love you and want to be with you, not because you make me feel guilty. That’s just nonsense.”
“Of course you feel guilty. You feel obliged to marry me because you rather precipitously stole my virtue.”
“I did not steal it, nor was I precipitous. I took it with full knowledge of what I was doing.” He gave her a smug smile. “That was part of my plan.”
“It was not,” she exclaimed.
He waggled a hand. “Well, perhaps not right away, but it certainly is now.”
“Jack, that’s ridiculous.”
“I’m joking, sweetheart. Trust me when I tell you that I would never have laid a hand on you if I had doubts about what I was doing.” He gave her a wry smile. “Especially considering the consequences of my actions. I’m well aware of the challenges before us, which should convince you of the seriousness of my intentions. This is not a feckless or haphazard decision on my part, Lia. I make it with full understanding. And,” he added quietly, “it’s one I make with a great deal of gratitude and happiness.”
“Oh,” she whispered, pressing a hand to her chest. “That’s . . . that’s rather lovely.” When he put it that way, it was hard not to see his logic.
“And because I’m such a wise fellow,” he said, “I also understand that I need your help. No one knows Stonefell as you do. If I don’t marry me, I’m sure to muck everything up.”
She had to smile. “Now, that’s plain silly. But what are you going to do about Stonefell’s situation? You need to get the money somewhere.”
