* * *
Cordelia woke with a start. First, she had no idea where she was…again. Looking around the room, she realized it was well-appointed with rich mahogany and dark velvet drapes over the windows and the bed.
She sat up, pulling the covers with her. When had her clothes been removed? Her arm was still in the sling but everything else, besides her shift, was off.
It was dark. Had night fallen? Last she remembered; it had been morning hadn’t it? Details on the night before came flooding back and she gasped as she remembered she’d been kidnapped.
“What’s wrong?” a deep voice slurred next to her. “Bad dream?”
How had she not noticed she wasn’t in bed alone? Glancing to her right, Chad blinked up at her. “I didn’t know where I was.”
He gave her a sleepy smile. “You’re safe with me at the inn.”
“The inn?” she asked. “What of my family?”
He covered her hand with his. “Daring sent them a message saying that you were safely recovered but so exhausted from your ordeal that you were sleeping here. Of course, your family thinks that Minnie and Daring are with us as chaperones but I won’t tell if you don’t.”
“And Harry?” she asked settling back down on the bed.
He smiled and reached out to stroke her face. “Sleeping in the other room. The inn has graciously allowed me to hire a maid to stay with him.”
She relaxed her shoulders. “That poor boy. He seems lost.”
Malice drew in a deep breath. Hope gleamed in his eyes. “I’m hoping that you’ll consent to giving him a new home with us.”
Cordelia gasped. She lifted her hand to her heart, feeling it beat madly. “Is that even possible?”
“Well, considering you were just kidnapped by his mother, Daring is fairly certain he can have Lady Abernath committed. So I’d say yes, it’s more than possible.” Then he frowned. “If it’s all right with you.”
She rolled over to face him and without thought placed a kiss on his lips. “Of course it is. What a beautiful gift for you to give him.” Then she kissed him again, her mouth pressing to his, making her insides soft and gooey. “You’re a fine man, Chad Malicorn.”
He held her face in his hands and gave her a long lingering kiss. “That is better than being suitable.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Speaking of that.” Her heart began to pound in her chest. “I know after what’s happened you’ll want to rescue me from any consequences from my abduction.”
“There will be no consequences. We’ll be married and no one will question—”
She placed a hand on his chest. “I don’t think we should marry.”
“What?” His brow drew together. “You’ve already accepted my proposal.”
Cordelia licked her lips, trying to gain the courage to say the next part. “But you see. I love you. I’m in love with you.”
He stared at her, not saying a word.
She trembled as she continued. “I can’t marry you because it will break my heart to feel this way about you when you don’t return my—”
But he didn’t allow her to finish. Instead, his mouth covered hers in a searing kiss that stole the air from her lungs.
He slanted open her mouth and probed her tongue with his, making her groan in sweet desire as his body rolled on top of hers. He’d already removed his shirt and her hand roved along the bare muscles of his back, feeling every ridge and hollow. Finally he lifted up his head. “Corde, a man does not go around rescuing women, fighting opponents, and stealing kisses in gardens if he doesn’t love her in return.”
“What?” She pulled her head back deeper into the pillow to focus on his face. “You love me?”
He stroked her cheek with his thumb. “I love you as much as I love the warm rays of the sun on a summer day. As much as I love air, and blue sky, and fields of summer flowers.”
Something deep inside her burst with joy to hear those words. Could it be true? “Are you waxing poetic?” Her tongue darted out again and he stared at it, his body tensing.
“I am, my little pixie.” Then he slowly lowered himself down until his lips met hers again. “I love you so much I ache from it. I can’t stand being apart from you.” He slid his hand down her neck and over her chest until he cupped one of her breasts. Pleasure rocked through her and she arched into the touch. “If you let me, I’ll spend my whole life proving to you just how much I love you.”