the dips, and shallows. The manner in which his arms bunched as he held her. The way he looked at her, as though she was the sun and the moon and the stars.
When pleasure cascaded through her, she cried out his name, and it echoed around them, quickly joined by his guttural howl that was her name, the sounds weaving together as their lives would. Bending forward, sated and content, she rested on top of him, savoring the feel of his arms folding around her, holding her close.
For several minutes, she simply absorbed the warmth and comfort of him. She wouldn’t need her dances on the beach any longer. She had him. “When shall we wed?”
“As soon as possible.”
“Perhaps we could get married in the church in the village.”
“We’ll get married wherever you like.”
It was early in July. She had a few more weeks to gather memories here, memories with him. “Afterward, although I know you’ll need to be in London each day to see to your business, as it’s not such an awful distance, perhaps I could stay here and you could join me each day until the middle of August.”
“You can stay here as long as you wish, visit whenever it suits.”
Silly man. He hadn’t yet recovered enough from making love to her to think clearly. “It goes to my cousin the day after my birthday,” she reminded him.
“Actually, Kathryn, he’s giving it to you as a birthday present, to celebrate you reaching a quarter of a century.”
Sitting up abruptly, she stared down at him. “I beg your pardon?”
He grinned with such satisfaction and so much love in his eyes, that she thought she might melt on the spot. “He has decided he has no use for it and would prefer to see it in your hands.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Because he has secrets to be kept.”
She threw a hand over her mouth, striving to decide if she should be horrified or thrilled. “You threatened to reveal his secrets?”
“Took me nearly a week to discover them. Then we had to have a discussion about them. Otherwise, I’d have come to you sooner.”
“You scoundrel. If he weren’t so odious, I might feel badly for him.” With a laugh, she hugged Griff as hard as she could in their prone positions. “But I’ve no doubt he deserved a visit from you. I love you so much, Griff.” Then she sat back up. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“Because I didn’t want you to feel that you owed me—before I asked you to marry me.”
“You were planning to ask me to marry you?”
“Mmm. But I prefer the way it happened.”
So did she, but still she liked knowing he would have asked if she hadn’t. “Acquiring the cottage must have been done at great inconvenience to yourself.”
“Indeed, it was. Although, this time I won’t ask for anything in trade because you’ve already given me the only thing of importance I could ever want: you.”
On a sunny Saturday morning, they were married at the village church, with only close friends and family in attendance. She had little doubt that the curious would have filled Westminster if they’d married there, but she had no interest in putting on a display for anyone who had ever shown him even a teaspoon of unkindness.
Her parents weren’t particularly pleased, didn’t understand her giving up a duke for a rapscallion, but they did give their blessing to the union, and her father walked her down the aisle. Althea and her husband were there, but Marcus was noticeably absent, and while Griff didn’t give any outward indication, she knew he was worried about his brother and the fact that he’d heard nothing from him since that night by the Thames.
After the ceremony, everyone strolled down to the shoreline for a picnic that Mrs. McHenry had prepared. Simple fare along with champagne and wine.
Laughter and conversation floated on the wind. The sun glinted off smiles. As a couple of gents from the village played a tune on their violins, her husband waltzed with her over the sand.
“Happy?” he asked.
“Very. Today is perfect. Absolutely perfect.”
“Wait until we get rid of this lot”—grinning, he jerked his head to the side, encompassing all the Trewloves and their spouses, Wilhelmina, and Kathryn’s parents—“and I can have my way with you. I’ll show you perfection.”
She eased closer to him, her bosom brushing against his chest. “What do you have in mind?”
“Making love to you until dawn.” His brow furrowed as he stilled. “Who is that?”
He