He laughed. “Go right ahead. Embellish to your heart’s content. Although my Silver Duke reputation is not completely unearned. I don’t think much embellishment will be required if ever you were to join me in that bed.”
Her cheeks burned redder.
“However, when it comes to speaking from my heart…I’m sorely lacking in that regard. I’m sorry I waited so long to reveal my feelings for you. I almost lost you because I was such a fool.”
She placed a hand to his cheek and looked up at him. “No, Connor. There was a reason you waited. Your heart simply wasn’t ready.”
He hoped that was affection he saw in her beautiful hazel eyes, and not pity because she had decided to reject him. “Let me come in, Eden. What was it you had to tell me?”
“No, you mustn’t come in.” She placed her hand on his chest to hold him off. “You are going to try to kiss me after I tell you what I need to tell you.”
“Then it is something good?”
She nodded. “But it doesn’t change a thing. I want my first kiss to be a moonlight kiss.”
“Eden, I—”
She took a deep breath and groaned. “I love you, Connor.”
Chapter Thirteen
Eden strolled downstairsto join the others in the parlor before supper. Evelyn’s maid had gone out of her way to make her look pretty this evening, no doubt sensing something was in the air. Had she noticed Connor standing outside her door and seen the two of them speaking intently to each other?
Perhaps it was the starlight in Eden’s eyes as she had washed and dressed that gave her away.
She hoped Connor would admire her in this gown of sea-blue silk that had several diaphanous layers of matching blue over the silk to give the gown an ethereal sway and movement. She rarely concerned herself with matters of fashion, but she wanted this night to be special in every way.
Her mother was seated amid a circle of older guests and still complaining about her shoe buckles. Never mind that she had almost cracked open her father’s head—to lose a buckle, now that was a true crisis.
Eden merely smiled and hurried past her and her friends before she was caught up in that excruciating conversation. But as she moved further into the room, she suddenly stopped and blinked, not trusting her own eyes.
To her surprise, her father was also here. “Papa?”
“Ah, Eden. Lovely party Lynton has thrown, isn’t it?”
She nodded numbly, wanting to glance back at her mother but not daring to do it while these two were in the same roomand actually behaving. Fortunately, her father stood on the opposite side of the room from her mother with drink in hand as he engaged in conversation with Lord and Lady Lothmere. She greeted them warmly, for she liked them even if their son was a hound.
But what was her father doing here? Had Connor invited him?
Perhaps he had invited himself over. Yes, this was just the boorish sort of thing her father would do.
But she was glad he felt well enough to be up and about, and no doubt enjoyed showing off his stitches to all who would look and listen to his harrowing account.
Connor had become used to her parents after all these years and long since accepted the inevitability of their constant rancor.
Still, Eden was never going to speak to her mother or father again if they ruined this night for her. She wanted nothing to interfere with her moonlight kiss or the celebration that would occur when she accepted Connor’s proposal of marriage immediately thereafter.
She was about to look for Connor on the terrace when he strode into the parlor and immediately captured everyone’s attention with his commanding presence. He looked incredibly handsome in his formal attire, black tie and tails that accentuated the darkness of his hair that had a light sprinkling of gray, and his eyes that were hawk sharp and could pierce a girl’s soul.
She certainly was not immune to his stunning good looks. Nor were any of the other ladies in the room. Sighs could be heard floating all around.
Ah, yes. The Silver Duke aura on full display. His shoulders were broad, and he exuded power and danger as he started in her direction.
Eden’s heart was now pounding and her legs were in danger of buckling as she watched him move toward her with the lithe grace of a jungle creature. His eyes, the deep blue of a May sky, remained focused on her with predatory precision.
She had been wearing her spectacles and now hastily took them off and tucked them in the cleavage of her bosom, because these elegant gowns did not have any convenient pockets and she did not know where else to stick them where they would remain secure.
Connor grinned wickedly as his gaze darted to her breasts. “Let me know if you need my help retrieving your spectacles,” he teased upon coming to her side.
