“I did a bit of denying, too.” She had poured her feelings into her diary while hiding them from Connor even once he was free to love her. Much of that time, she had denied them to herself, too. She had almost convinced herself that loving him was merely a fantasy and could not be real. Then the party had started and all those beautiful debutantes began to flutter around him.
Oh, that pain of losing him was quite real.
What would have happened had her parents not arrived when they did? She might have remained at Chestnut Hill trying to pretend she did not care if he chose someone else. She would not have been here for Connor to finally accept these feelings he had for her. Persephone would not have had any competition and might have weaseled a marriage proposal out of him.
No, it would not have happened. Likely he would have remained a Silver Duke, ever resistant to marriage.
“Your happiness matters more to me than my own,” he said. “There should only ever be honesty between us. Well, there it is. The honest truth laid out before you. I haven’t said anything yet to my mother, so no harm done if you choose Aubrey over me.”
“But your children know.”
“They only know that I meant to propose to you. They will get over the disappointment if you reject me. Is this not whatchildren do best? Recover and move on. But the champagne toast is ready…whether it is me or Aubrey that you choose.”
“That is awfully generous of you,” she remarked, moving into his arms, which he closed around her, his expression clearly one of surprise and relief. “You do recall that I told you I loved you.”
He cast her a wry smile. “Yes, Eden. But you may have said it because of a false impression about Aubrey.”
She shoved at him lightly.
“What?” He laughed when she gave him another gentle push. “Am I not being gallant and admirable even though my heart is at risk of being ripped to shreds?”
“For someone with your reputation with the ladies, you really know nothing about us.” She took his hand. “Come with me.”
She led him into the garden and the fishpond tucked away in a far corner.
“All right, here we are. The original scene of the crime,” he teased. “What happens next?”
“What happens next is that you kiss me, Connor.”
He glanced up at the sun hanging low on the horizon and still shining. Sunlight glistened upon the waves so that the water shimmered blue and splendid. “It is still daylight.”
She nodded. “I’ll have my moonlight kiss now, if you please.”
“Now?”
“Yes, because I have belatedly realized it isn’t the moonlight that provides the magic. It is you, and only you. The time of day is irrelevant. Although moonlight is awfully nice, isn’t it?”
He smiled and drew her into his arms again. “Yes, it is nice. But so is this… Close your eyes, Eden. Imagine a thousand stars twinkling overhead. There’s also a moon shining full and bright above us. Do you see it?”
She closed her eyes. “Yes, I see it shining very brightly in my heart.”
“I’ll give you starlight and moonlight every night for the rest of our lives, if you wish it,” he said in a throaty whisper, before lowering his head to hers and capturing her mouth with possessive heat as he proceeded to make her dreams come true.
She had waited a lifetime for his kiss.
Thiskiss.
Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as Connor sank his lips onto hers with all the confidence of an experienced rake, pressing warmly, deeply upon hers and proving he was right. She was going to love all his kisses. This first one and all those to come throughout their lives. She was going to love them because she lovedhimand always would.
She kissed him back with all the sincerity and hope in her heart.
He had to know that she would respond this way, trusting him and his Silver Duke prowess as he unleashed all the sensual power under his command.
Dear heaven.
It was considerable, a full assault on her senses.
Her skin tingled and her senses reeled, for he made her entire body thrum and spring to life with every light graze of his hand along her spine and the subtle shift in pressure upon her lips. She gave herself over to these new sensations, amazed at the complexity of a single kiss. There were so many nuances, and Connor understood them all, for his kiss showed both sides of him. Rough and yet tender. Conquering and yet protective.
