‘Oh, Blake.’
He held his hand up and stopped her saying anything more. ‘I was a fool, of course.’ Emily swallowed back what felt uncomfortably like tears: she was not going to disgrace herself. ‘I did not understand what I felt when I discovered I was holding you in my arms last night. I did not understand what it meant when I realised that I never wanted to touch another woman when I had you to make love to. I did not know that I was in love with you until I saw you in that lieutenant’s arms and felt jealousy and possessiveness hit me like a fist in the gut.’
Emily found she had lost the power of speech. She could only sit and stare at him and wonder if the blow to her head last night had disordered her senses so she was hearing the words she dreamed of. Blake was saying he loved her…
‘I understand,’ he added ruefully, ‘that you did not marry me expecting this. You married me for practical reasons and expected a rational, companionable sort of arrangement. Well, I am sorry, Emily, because I have no intention of being rational or sensible, although I will do my best to be companionable. I don’t know if I can make you love me, but I am doing to have a damn good try.’
‘You would be wasting your time, trying,’ she said and saw his jaw harden and his eyes darken. Emily found she was on her
feet, her hand still tight in Blake’s grasp. ‘Because I already do love you. I married you, loving you. That is why I was so upset when you talked about leaving the army. I am ashamed of it, but I thought you would become a civilian for the estate, but not for me. Not that I would ever ask you to abandon your duty, but I was so frightened that I would lose you and –‘
She did not finish the sentence. Blake pulled her to him so she was caught between his strong thighs and held while he kissed her with such passion that she could hardly breathe, such determination that she thought he would never let her go. When he did, finally, raise his head she could only drop her cheek to his shoulder and cling while their hearts thudded against each other as though they had been fighting for their lives.
Perhaps we have, Emily thought hazily. Fighting to have love for the rest of our lives.
‘I thought you did not really want me,’ she murmured against his neck.
‘Why ever not?’ Blake managed to find her chin with one finger and tip her head back so he could look into her face.
‘Because when you made love to me it was –‘
‘Not good?’ he asked and she felt his whole body stiffen.
‘No, it was wonderful. But you were … careful. And you did not show me what to do to please you, so I wondered if perhaps you were just being kind.’ She hesitated, knowing she was becoming pinker with every word. ‘I thought if you loved me you would be unable to control your passion. But I do not know much about it,’ she added hastily.
‘I didn’t want to frighten you,’ Blake bent to feather kisses over her lips. ‘I thought I would shock you.’
‘I was shocked this morning when you kissed me like that in the pasture. I was shocked at myself when I made love to you just now. I think I would like to be shocked some more,’ Emily murmured. ‘If there was anything outrageous you felt like doing. Or that you would like me to do.’
Blake closed his eyes as though he was in pain but she felt the pressure against her lower belly and wriggled herself a little closer, wickedly happy when she heard him catch his breath.
‘Yes, there are a hundred things. Emily, you can do whatever you like. You can tie me to the bed and torment me with peacock feathers if it gives you pleasure.’ Blake surged to his feet, laughing, she supposed, at the expression on her face. Tied to the bed? Peacock feathers? ‘Come on, let’s get out of here now before I faint with lust.’
Somehow they got out of the inn. Behind them the landlord stood clutching a lavish number of coins and shaking his head over instructions to repack Blake’s bags and have them delivered to the Star Castle. Scrambling up the steep hill, towed along by Blake’s ruthless grip, left her breathless, but Emily still just had strength to run with him up to the castle gate.
‘I can’t,’ she panted as they came to the uneven stone steps winding up to the battlements so Blake simply scooped her up in his arms and carried her upstairs, across the bridge and into her chamber.
‘Now,’ he said as he set her on her feet and threw the bolt across the door. ‘Have your wicked way with me.’
‘Take all your clothes off,‘ Emily said as she tore at her own. ‘Darling Blake, I do love you.’ The force with which she threw herself into his arms rocked him back against the door.
‘Ough!’
‘Oh, your shoulder! Blake, I am so –‘
‘Come here,’ Blake growled and lifted her off her feet. ‘Put your legs around my waist.’ As she obeyed he spun round and set her back against the panels. ‘And I treat you as though you are fragile, do I?’ He pushed with his hips and slid, hot and solid and wonderful, straight inside her where she was so hot and wet and aching for him and then, even as she clung gasping to his shoulders he began to thrust deep and fast so that the sensation crashed through her leaving her no room to think, only to feel the power and the love in him, to hear his gasping breath, smell the mingled musk and heat of their bodies.
Before, Blake had been slow, gentle, careful of her pleasure. Now he seemed to trust her to find her rhythm to match his, to shift position to find the point of most exquisite contact, to urge him on with incoherent cries as the pressure built and twisted inside her to the point of pain and beyond into an explosion of sensation.
Emily screamed and heard Blake’s own shout as he convulsed against her. The room swirled and shook around them, colours flashed as though they were inside a lightening storm and then there was nothing except complete peace.
‘Emily.’
‘Mmm?’
‘I love you.’ Blake’s voice was husky with an emotion she had never heard before
‘I love you too.’ There was skin, slicked with sweat, under her cheek and she turned her head and kissed it. Her eyes fluttered open and she found they were still against the door, their bodies still joined. ‘Shall we go and lie down?’