I gave you pleasure the first time. And you did enjoy it.”
“More than you’ll ever know,” she confessed. “Do you mind?”
He shook his head. “You’re very special to me.”
“Even when we aren’t lovers anymore,” she began, her eyes wide and worried, “will you still be my friend?”
That hurt. He sat down and lifted her across his knees, cuddling her close. “My God,” he ground out, his arms wrapped tightly around her. “You little fool. You don’t have some crazy idea that I was just satisfying a whim last night, do you?”
“I hoped it wasn’t that.”
“I’m going to marry you,” he whispered. “This isn’t a one-night stand. For God’s sake, Elissa, you’re part of me now.”
She trembled a little at the urgency in his voice, at his warmth and fervency. She turned her mouth against his throat and kissed him. “Thank you,” she said.
“I don’t want thanks.” He lifted his head and looked into her eyes, his expression both thrilling and puzzling. His dark gaze went over her slowly, lingering on her breasts. “I’m more old-fashioned than I realized,” he said unexpectedly. “If you ever let another man touch you like I did, I’d break his neck!”
“Well!” she gasped, but his mouth covered hers fiercely, blotting out the world.
“You’re my woman,” he whispered against her responsive lips. “You belong to me. We’re going to get married and enjoy each other for the next eighty years or so.”
Her arms linked around his neck, and she savored the pressure of his mouth for a long, spinning minute until he finally satisfied his hunger and lifted his head.
“Get dressed,” he whispered. “I can’t take much more of that without laying you down and ravishing you again.”
She smiled softly. “I adore you.”
“I adore you,” he whispered. He smiled at her, new to possession, new to that look in her eyes, that total fulfillment his loving had given her. It made him proud that he could fulfill her, that he’d done it her first time.
“You look smug,” she mentioned.
He dumped her onto the bed, looming over her to press a hard kiss on her mouth. “I feel smug. Now get up.”
“Yes, Your Worship.”
He glanced at her on his way out the door and smiled again as he closed it behind him. He couldn’t remember a time in his life when he’d felt so pleased with himself, so satiated with happiness that he felt as if he could do anything.
She dressed quickly, taking time to sneak down the hall to her room and mess up her bed—only to find that he’d already done it. She smiled to herself as she went downstairs, wrapped in the sweet illusion of loving and being loved.
He was sipping coffee when she got to the kitchen, and his eyes when they met hers were dark with acquisition. His chin rose, all male arrogance in the smile he gave her. His eyes ran down her body with remembered possession, and they kindled like dusky fires.
She tingled all over as she joined him, her mouth softening at his welcoming kiss.
“Here,” he whispered.
She opened her eyes to find him sliding a solitary emerald onto her ring finger. It was in a delicate antique filigree setting, and a perfect fit. She caught her breath, her eyes searching, questioning his.
“It belonged to my grandmother,” he said, his face solemn. “You can give it to our eldest son...”
“King.” Tears fell like rain from her eyes. She went into his arms, trembling all over. If only she could stop wondering if it might be guilt and a sense of responsibility that had led to this. She knew he didn’t love her, although he was fond of her and he did enjoy her body. But maybe in time he might learn to love her. She clung to him. “I love you so much,” she said shakily, her eyes closed so that she missed the delight on his dark face. “So much.”
He held her, his expression one of contentment, rocking her softly against him. God, she was soft. Sweet. Deliciously female. She smelled of flowers, and he wanted to hold her all day. She felt just right in his arms. He smiled, closing his eyes.
“Now, ain’t that pretty?” Margaret sighed from the doorway, smiling benevolently at both of them.
“Look,” Elissa said tearfully, sitting on King’s lap to extend her slender finger with the emerald ring on it.
“Glory be!” Margaret exclaimed. “We really are having a wedding!”
“Looks like it, doesn’t it?” King said affectionately.
“I’ll go tell Ben.” Margaret grinned and walked away.