Page 46 of A Duke for the Taking

“Yes, and if this is a dream then do not ever wake me,” she said, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him. “Yes again with all my heart.”

He wrapped his arms around her, something he’d ached to do from the moment he’d set eyes on her. “Good…and now I have one other request of you.”

She looked up at him. “A request, Your Grace?”

“The name is Max. Have you forgotten it already?”

She smiled and cast him a sweet apology. “No, Max. I shall never forget you or your name, for you are etched in my heart.”

“Good, because I consider us bound from this day forth. You shall be my wife and partner in life. Of course, you may call me your beloved, or any other endearment you see fit.”

She nodded. “Oh, I think I shall have many of those for you. My love. My darling. My dearest. I am so much in love with you. But it cannot come as a surprise. All women fall in love with you. Well, except for Beatrice. But I think you would have won her over had she met you before Arlington.”

“Oh, of course,” he said with a laugh, not quite so prideful as to believe every woman would want him.

“Truly,” Harriet insisted, joining in with a light laugh before she grew serious again. “I do love you with all my heart. If this is enough for you, then I accept your kind offer of marriage with all my gratitude and my sacred promise to always be honest, faithful, and loving to you.”

“Excellent. Now there is another thing we must do.”

She nodded again. “Oh, yes. Tell your grandmother.”

He chuckled. “She already knows. I spoke to her before coming to find you because she deserved the courtesy and I also wanted to make certain she would accept you. Not that I needed her blessing or ever doubted she would approve.”

“Did she? Does she?”

“Yes, she claims to have known all along that we were meant for each other, especially once she learned we were cleaning the chapel. She knew I had to love you if I was willing to get down on my knees and scrub floors for you.”

Harriet laughed again. “It seems this is a necessity when one is truly in love. But you needn’t fear I will ever ask this of you again.”

“But that’s just it, Harriet. You canalwaysask it of me. I would do it because I love you. But to get back to the point.”

“What was your point?”

“I must do one more thing…and that is to kiss you. Close your eyes, love.”

She gasped, smiled, and then allowed her eyes to flutter shut.

As he pressed his lips down on Harriet’s and felt their soft give, Max knew he had chosen the right gem to take as his wife.

She responded with ardor and acceptance, with innocent yearning and an unawakened passion that he longed to fulfill upon their marriage.

He sank his mouth deeper onto hers.

With this kiss, he gave her his heart together with the promise of a wealth of years in happiness and faithfulness. As her body pressed closer to his, her curves molding perfectly to the hard planes of his body as though they had been cut from a single bolt of heavenly cloth, she promised the same in return.

The kiss was deep and endless, their mouths warm and hungry as they sought each other and pledged their hearts.

The rain began to fall outside the chapel and was soon a downpour. “Looks like we’re stuck here, Harriet.”

She laughed softly, looking up at him with sparkling eyes and so much love in them that he knew there could never be anyone else for him. “Oh, dear,” she said. “Whatever shall we do?”

Harriet was perfect for him.

“I could continue to kiss you until the rain stops,” he suggested.

She nodded. “I like that idea.”

“Good,” he whispered and kissed her again as the rain gently pattered against the stained glass windows.

Had George known he would fall in love with Harriet? Is this why his friend had sent his sister to him?

Was he smiling down on them now?

He would make certain Harriet’s brother was honored during their wedding ceremony.

As thunder now roared overhead, Max kissed Harriet again.

Even as the rain finally slowed to a light mist, he took his time escorting Harriet back to the house. There was little left to do but announce to his guests that he was no longer available.

This duke was decidedly and irrevocably taken.