She let out a slow breath, wondering if she dared to take such a leap of faith.
*
Cormac had neverimagined kissing Emma would be like this. He’d expected her shyness, but the touch of her hands on his face, as if she were learning every edge, every line, drove him mad. He imagined her exploring his body with those sensitive hands, and it nearly sent him over the edge.
He drew back and noticed that her lips were swollen, her blue eyes bright. Her dark hair was tangled about her face, and there was a becoming flush to her cheeks.
“Do you have an answer for me?” He moved his hands to her waist, keeping them there lightly if she wanted to pull away.
“I have more questions than answers,” she admitted. “My brain is spinning.”
“What does your heart tell you?” He sensed that the kiss might have tipped the balance in his favor.
“The wise answer would be no. There are so many things that could go wrong,” she said.
“Don’t be wise,” he said, leaning in to steal another kiss. “Be very, very foolish.”
A sudden laugh broke out before she turned somber. “Lord Dunmeath, I am grateful for what you did for my father. But—”
“Don’t say no—not yet.” He cut her off before she could finish the sentence. “I suggest we draw up a marriage contract between us. You tell me all the things that you don’t want and tell me what you do want. We will make an arrangement out of it. I have only one condition of my own, besides needing an heir.”
She studied him and asked, “And what is that?”
“We cannot fall in love.” Though he understood that Emma had a soft heart, he already knew he was dying. He didn’t want her to grieve for him, nor did he want to fall in love with her, knowing that they would never have a future together. “Friendship would be best, considering how little time we have.”
Her expression turned pensive, and she seemed to consider it. At last, she answered, “I suppose we’ll need paper if we’re to draw up a contract, won’t we?”
Her answer brought a rushing sense of relief. “And a pen and ink.”
“I will want Mrs. Harding or Mr. Gregor to witness our contract,” she said. “Since I cannot read it for myself.”
“A reasonable request,” he said. “But if we could draw up the terms first and then have them witness our signatures later, perhaps that will give us time to discuss anything we might be disagreeing on?”
“All right.” She waited while he found paper, a pen, and opened the inkwell. He dipped the pen in the ink and wrote,We will not fall in love.
“What is your first condition?” he asked.
“First, do not reveal my vision difficulties to your staff,” she said. “Let me try to find my way around. They will eventually learn the truth, but at first, I don’t want them to judge me by my failings.”
He wrote it down but said nothing. She didn’t know how very large his home was, and it would take quite a lot of time for her to get accustomed to it.
“Second, do not ask me to read or write,” she continued. “I’ll need a secretary to help me with that.”
He wrote quickly, noting all her requests. Most were related to household affairs, and as he wrote, he noticed that none were about their marriage. After he had written down six conditions, he said, “My turn.”
She paused, and he read aloud as he wrote. “You will do your best to willingly give me an heir as quickly as possible. There can be no delay.”
Though he knew it was quite a lot to ask of her, it was his reality. In another few weeks, he might not have the strength to sire a child.
Her face turned crimson, and she glanced downward. “I—I will try.”
He saw the shyness in her expression, but he sensed that she wasn’t repulsed by him, which was a benefit. Then he added his next condition.
“Next, you will tell me if something is bothering you. I am terrible at reading the minds of women. I know I’ve offended many during the past year, though I don’t know why.”
“Asking a woman to wed you ten minutes after you met her might have something to do with it.”
In her voice, he heard a light teasing, but he didn’t take offense. Instead, he pushed back and replied, “You’re right. I probably waited too long.”
