Slowly, he leaned forward and took her hand in his. “I promised you that I would not take advantage of you in any way.”
Her eyes fluttered from the flames to his. Warm, wide, and brown, he lost himself in their deep pools. “You did.”
“I want you to know that I wasn’t trying to take advantage of you last night either. I just wanted to help you and—”
“I know.” She squeezed his fingers. “At least I understand now.”
He grimaced, not entirely certain what that meant but he decided not to ask. “I would never have touched you if my intentions weren’t honorable.”
She drew in a shaky breath. “What are your intentions?”
“I intend to marry you.” There, he’d said it.
She shook her head. “You don’t have to, you know. I know that we didn’t make a baby last night, and I would understand if you wanted someone better suited to the role of countess.”
“What?” He was taken aback. Did she not wish to marry him?
“It’s not that I don’t want to be your wife but…” Her lip trembled. “I come with Natty and the girls. I would understand if you didn’t want that much responsibility.”
“I love the girls,” he said. “I love you.”
Her head snapped up as color flooded her cheeks and her eyes sparkled. “You love me?”
“With all my heart,” he answered. “I know I told you about my father, about his nickname, but I didn’t tell you about how he always chose a game of cards over me. How he spent months off on some lark, and later, what it was like at school as the son of the Earl of Gold.”
She slipped from her chair, still holding his hand, and settled on the floor at his feet. Then she reached up and took his other hand in hers. “What was it like?”
“It was lonely,” he said, the single word seemingly easy to say, but he’d hidden that feeling deep within himself for so long, it felt Herculean to push out the word. “But with you here…” He pushed the chair back, sliding to the floor so that their faces were close. So close, he could place a soft kiss on her lips. “But now you’re here and for the first time in a long time, I have someone to share my life with. Someone who understands.”
A single tear slid down her cheek. “I do understand.” She leaned her forehead against his. “I had it easier than you in some ways. I remember love.”
“Penny.” He gathered her into his arms and pulled her into his lap. “You were living in the slums.”
He felt her laugh. A small one. “That is a good point.”
“You’ve had plenty of your own hardships.” He gathered her closer, wanting to be near her. “But I can make your life better. I’m sure of it and you can make mine better too.”
“I think you’re right,” she said, wanting to say more but he didn’t let her get the words out. Instead, he kissed her, long and hard.
She coiled her arms about his neck, her fingers sliding into his hair as she returned his kiss.
He lightly caressed her back as the kiss deepened and lengthened, their bodies needing to secure the bond their words had created.
When his hand slowly slid about the front of her dress to cup her breast, she arched into the touch.
And he groaned into her mouth.
The trouble was that he’d been aching for her for what seemed like forever and that need had gone unsatisfied. Her breast filled his palm, the nipple peaking into his hand.
Her neck arched back, and he trailed a kiss down its length, loving the taste of her. “Penny,” he ground between his teeth. “I need to stop. I can’t—”
But she pushed harder into his hand. “You’ll have to teach me how to please you. I’m afraid I don’t have the faintest idea.”
For a moment he was speechless.
How to please him? ‘You please me with every kiss and every touch.”
She paused then. “Yes. But. Last night. I had some sort of…” Her voice trailed off and her head dipped down.