“Let’s go tell him and get it over with,” Martin said, taking Isabella’s hand. His confidence almost convinced her. With him by her side, Isabella felt stronger and more capable of standing up to Lord James’s wrath. But she still feared for Martin’s safety, as well as her own.
“He just went off for a ride. He may not be back for some time.” She wasn’t sure whether to be distressed or relieved that the confrontation wouldn’t be immediate. When the time came, she hoped she wouldn’t lose her nerve.
“Then let’s find a private place to talk where we won’t disturb your sister.”
Isabella nodded and turned to Adelaide. “Drink some water and get some more rest. We’ll return soon, hopefully with good news.”
They left Adelaide to recuperate, and they made their way through the castle halls, looking for a quiet place for a private conversation. But every room they checked seemed to be occupied. There were too many people in this castle for privacy.
“We could go to the dovecote. There was no one but the birds in there earlier.”
“Let us go and see.”
Hand-in-hand, they headed out into the bailey and across the open yard to the dovecote. As she had hoped, no one was inside the round stone building but a lot of doves and pigeons. Shafts of afternoon light filtered down through the openings in the roof where the birds flew in and out. It was quiet except for the low warbling of the occasional bird.
She turned to face him and found him looking at her with such awe and longing, she could hardly breathe.
“I can hardly believe my good fortune, my love.” He raised her hand to his lips and turned it over, pressing a kiss inside her palm and then to the inside of her wrist. “I am humbled that you have chosen me, and I promise to spend every day of my life striving to be worthy of you.”
He kissed his way up her arm until he reached her neck. “So beautiful,” he murmured, taking her in his arms and turning her into a bonfire of desire.
But now was not the time to lose her head. They were beset by danger. Much as she wanted to give in and surrender herself to the heady mix of sensations and emotions he brought forth with his touch.
“We should plan.” Talking about Lord James was the last thing she wanted to do as Martin buried his face in her neck, breathing deeply, but they had to keep their heads until they were safely at sea.
“First, we need to talk.” He nipped at her shoulder, and she gasped at the burst of pleasure that obliterated every practical thought in her head.
“This doesn’t seem like talking.” Wrapping her arms around him, she melted against him, kissing and nipping at his ear. Never mind talking. They had other priorities at the moment.
He groaned as he pulled away and took her face in his hands. “You shared what was in your heart. Now it’s my turn. I need you to know that I am yours. You have utterly undone me. I wanted to win you from the moment we met, but I quickly realized there was no winning with you. I’ve lost my heart to you and there is no getting it back. I am yours, body, mind, and soul, until the day I die.”
Unable to find words to respond, she pressed her lips against his in a desperate kiss to show him all of the love and devotion she’d never allowed herself to feel before. She was drowning in the sensation, letting herself fall, letting herself trust for the first time in her life.
“Say you’re mine as I am yours. Let me hear the sweet words from your lips,” he murmured, forehead resting against hers.
“I’m yours as you are mine. You’ve won my heart. I can’t fight this any longer. I want to be yours for the rest of our lives and beyond.”
He made a guttural noise and pulled her into another bone-melting kiss. She could hardly stand as he walked her backward until her back met the thick wood post at the center of the dovecote. His body pressed against hers as he continued to caress and kiss, and the evidence of his arousal strained against her core, making her tremble and gasp with desire.
“Take me. Make me yours,” she murmured in his ear. “I need you.”
He shook his head as he rained kisses on her neck and chest, loosening the ties of her dress and reaching into her gown to free her breasts. “I need you too,” he said, taking her hand and holding it against his hard length. “Feel how much I need you.”
She squeezed, making him moan.
Pulling her hand away, he said, “But much as I need you, I won’t take you like this. The first time I make love to you, I want to be somewhere where I can lay you down and strip every scrapof clothing from your body. I want to touch and taste every inch of you, taking my time to pay homage to your beauty as you truly deserve.”
“But…” How could she describe the hunger that consumed her? His kisses only made her more ravenous for something she could not put into words.
He licked and nipped at her chest, taking the tip of her breast in his mouth before pausing to murmur, “Have no fear. I know what you need, and I will give it to you. But truly consummating our marriage will have to wait.”
Whatever he was doing with lips and tongue to her nipple was absolute heaven, but it sharpened the craving lower down. She squeezed her knees together against the intolerable desire that was driving her mad.
“Do you trust me, Isabella?”
“Yes.” A short while ago, the answer would have been a resounding “no,” but everything was different now. She trusted him more than anyone else in her life, save her sister. It was terrifying and exhilarating, and she needed what he was offering so badly, even if she wasn’t certain what he would do.
“I promised I would never touch you without permission. May I touch you and bring you bliss?”
