A Wicked Wager (Avenging Lords 2)

Devlin shrugged. Some things were more important than sleep. “After what we’ve learnt, I doubt either of us will sleep tonight.”

“Then let us make haste.” Juliet stood. “You want to talk and dance, and I want you to make love to me again.”

Blood pooled heavy in his loins at the prospect. Her honesty fed his desire. Oh, his wife had a way of making him forget everything else in the world existed.

Devlin stood, too. He took hold of her chin and kissed her once on the mouth. “Do you like the feel of me pushing inside you, Juliet?” After a night of lies and deceit, he needed to hear the truth. He needed the only thing in his life that was real.

“Like it?” she said, a little breathless. “Devlin, I have never felt more complete.” She cupped his cheek. “Surely by now you know what you mean to me.” After swallowing deeply, she gazed into his eyes for the longest time. “I love you.”

The sudden rush of emotion almost choked him.

The power of it almost knocked him off his feet.

How had this magical thing happened?

They should have been wrong for each other in so many ways, yet everything about their relationship felt right—felt perfect.

Devlin kissed her then, with a passion that he’d spent a lifetime saving just for her. “You’re the love I never thought to find. You’re the love I thought denied me. You’re everything to me, Juliet. Everything.”

“Then take me home and show me all that is in your heart.”

Juliet pushed the thin bundle of letters down between her chemise and stays. They hurried back to the house. The rain pelted their faces. The wind whipped at their clothes. The cold air nipped at their cheeks. But still, they stopped on the stone bridge and kissed each other until they were panting, until he could think of nothing other than filling her full.

After hiding the letters under the mattress in her room, they stripped naked and slipped into bed. Devlin covered her body, and she wrapped her lithe legs around him.

“Don’t wait,” Juliet whispered. “I need to join with you now.”

Making love to her had a new meaning tonight. While lust raged through his veins, wild and hot and rampant, his heart swelled to the point it might burst from his chest. The urge to make her understand the depth of his emotions, to speak the truth plainly, pushed to the fore.

“I am in love with you, Juliet.” He came up on one elbow for fear of squashing her. “You captured my heart, took me as your prisoner the moment we met.”

The smile that warmed her face this time was brighter than any he had ever seen. Happiness swam in her eyes. “And despite being intimidated by your size, you intrigued me, Mr Drake.”

“Do I intrigue you now?” he drawled as his hard cock pressed against her thigh.

“More than you know.”

“I love you, Juliet.” Oh, it felt so good to say it.

“I love you, Devlin Drake.” She stretched her hands down to his buttocks, dug her nails into his flesh, urged him to hurry. “Show me.”

A wave of ecstasy swept through him as he entered her body in one long, deep thrust. He had everything he’d ever wanted. The only thing he needed. Her body was used to him now, accepted him with ease.

“Tell me you’ll sleep with me every night,” he said as he withdrew only to enter her again in a slow, sensual slide.

“Oh, I want … I want nothing more than to lie in your arms each night,” she panted.

“No one will ever come between us.” He pushed deeper this time. Harder. “No one will ever tear us apart.” He would throttle the baron if he tried.

“Yes … we will …we will always be together.”

“Always,” he said, trying to ignore the sudden pang in his chest that said their troubles were far from over.

Chapter Nineteen

“You must promise to visit us soon.” Lydia took hold of Juliet’s hands as they stood in the entrance hall. “Having lived with each other for the last five years, it does the men good to spend time together.” Lydia smiled. “And it would give us time to converse privately.”

“I would love to see the old stone circle you mentioned.” At dinner, Juliet had been fascinated to learn of the ancient monument. “It makes one think of druid rituals and dancing naked in the moonlight with flowers in one’s hair.”