“Just about... a rake.” She grinned, planting another chaste kiss on his lips. “My rake.”
“Forever.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
It was an easy promise to make. He loved her. Irrevocably. Unequivocally. Without end. The kind of love she had dared to name and he dared to claim. Because this was the kind of love that remade a man, reshaped his very soul. And if she was his dream, he would make sure he was worthy of hers. Every day. For the rest of his life.
Epilogue
Dare’s lips lingeredon Leonora’s, the heat of her breath fusing with his as they tumbled onto his bed. The world outside—his cousin, her family, society at large—seemed far removed from this, trivial in comparison. It was just them—his pulse in his ears, the soft curve of her body beneath his, and the promise of everything he thought he could never have.
It hadn’t been a dream.
She’d hunted him down to the warehouse.
She’d told him she loved him.
She was in his home. His arms. His bed.
Then—knock knock knock.
Dare groaned, breaking the kiss with a reluctant sigh, resting his forehead against Leonora’s. She let out a breath of laughter, and he closed his eyes for a moment, willing the interruption to vanish.
The knock came again. “My lord?” a muffled voice came from the other side of the door.
“What is it, Brett?” he called impatiently.
“Sorry to interrupt, my lord, but you have a caller.”
He groaned louder, rolling off of Leonora and sitting up on the edge of the bed. “Tell them to go away.”
There was a pause, then, “It is Lord Heart, my lord.”
Bloody hell.
“Heart is here?” Leonora shot up beside him, her wide blue eyes darting between him and the door. “What do we do?”
He looked at her, his lips curling into a wicked grin. “What any self-respecting rake who has already been ruined would do. Cry foul.”
She laughed, the sound bright and carefree. Trusting. “Then go cry foul, my lord.”
The way she said it, with that playful lilt to her voice, made him want to stay right there with her. But if he didn’t deal with Heart, the man would probably turn the whole damn house upside down searching for him.
He shoved off from the bed and made his way to the door, cursing the fates for being so cruel. Damn Heart. With one last, regretful glance at Leonora, he left his bedchamber to go and deal with his future family-in-law.
Descending the stairs, he slowed before coming to a complete halt midway. Heart stood at the bottom of the staircase, a scowl etched across his sharp features and his hands clenched at his sides. His whole body bellowed righteous indignation.
Heh.
No matter what Dare felt for the man, there was something undeniablyentertainingabout the way they could never truly stand each other. And if he were being honest, there was always a tinge of amusement to be found in watching him squirm.
Their eyes locked, and Heart’s face darkened—if possible—even more.
“Do you always greet guests half-dressed?”
Dare glanced down at his attire. He and Leonora had come straight from the warehouse, so he hadn’t given it much thought. At least he was wearing a shirt. He shrugged. “I’m comfortable enough.”
