He took the ring, remaining silent for a time. She waited for him to be angry with her about all the trouble she’d been. Instead, he glanced up at the rafters. “Do you remember the last time we were caught in the stables together?”
Of course she did. But why would he bring that up now?
A moment later, he took her into his arms and kissed her soundly. His fingers dug into her hair, fitting her mouth to his while he conjured up the memory of that Christmas evening, ten years ago. He dried her tears, lifting her cheek to rest against his.
“I hurt you that day, when my father forced us apart. And there will be times when I might hurt you again, without intending to.”
He drew back, his gaze solemn. “But there is something good between us. Something I never expected to find. And I think it was worth waiting for.”
He stepped back. “You’re stronger than any scandal surrounding your family name, Emily Barrow. And so am I.”
And with that, he walked toward the stable entrance. “I’ll wait for you, if you’ll have me. The way I should have waited, so many years ago.”
Nearly an hour passed, and Stephen called himself every kind of fool. She wasn’t going to come. She’d made her decision, and he was wasting the blacksmith’s time. He should have known that Emily Barrow wouldn’t let herself be used by any man.
But he wasn’t just any man. He was her friend and lover. He intended to be the man who was going to change her life for the better, giving her everything she should have had all her life.
“I've a lot of marriages to perform, my lord,” the blacksmith remarked, his patience wearing thin. “It’s St. Valentine’s Day, and there are others waiting.”
“Let them wait.” The words contained all of his frustration, his anger at himself. Stephen didn’t care if they had to wait all night.
He wanted to marry the woman who would throw snowballs at him and break his windows. The woman who baked him ginger biscuits and kissed him softly, touching his heart as she slept beside him.
“Stephen?”
He turned to the door and saw Emily standing there alone, a vision in blue. She’d gathered up a bouquet of holly and evergreens, for there were no flowers to be had. Slowly, she walked toward him, her blond hair tucked away in a blue silk bonnet. Her eyes were wet, but she braved a smile. “I’m ready now.”
He took her hand, relief washing over him. “Are you certain this is what you want?”
“I’ve dreamed of this, all my life. I’m in love with you, and though I may be the worst sort of countess, I’d be even more miserable without you.”
He ignored the blacksmith and the witnesses, taking her into his arms again and kissing her. “I’m going to take care of you and your family, Emily.”
She smiled and took his hand in hers. “We’ve waited long enough. Now give me the ring and become my husband.”
Epilogue
Stephencametobedlate that night, sliding his hands beneath her nightgown as he kissed her. Against the thin fabric, she felt his warm male skin.
“I fell asleep,” she murmured, meeting his kiss with her own.
He removed her nightgown, covering her with his naked body. “You can sleep, if you’d like. But I’m still going to touch you.”
When he took her nipple into his mouth, arousal speared through her. He nibbled and tasted, his mouth moving over every inch of her torso. “I have to leave you at dawn, to return to London.”
His hard shaft teased at her wet entrance, and she grasped his hips, guiding him home. When he was deep inside, he began to move. Emily gripped the sheets as he slid inside with long, arousing strokes.
“Why do you have to go to London?” she asked, fighting to control the wild tremors building up inside. She didn’t want him to leave her for a single moment.
“It’s your brother. I received word tonight that his creditors are hunting him, and he’s in danger.” Stephen reached for her breasts, rolling the nipples with his fingertips. “I’ll take care of his debts and see to it that he’s safe.”
She shuddered when he changed tempo and entered her in short, swift strokes. “Bring him home, Stephen. And promise me that you’ll return as soon as you can.”
“I promise.” He forced her to arch her back, and drove himself harder against her aching center. The friction brought her to the edge of her climax, and she shattered against him, shaking as he claimed her.
He rolled her over, guiding her onto her hands and knees. From behind, he entered her womanhood, and the new position brought him even deeper, intensifying the pleasure of his lovemaking. With his hands at her hips, he fully sheathed himself, riding her hard until she came once again, crying out his name.
Moments later, he erupted within her, lying atop her and making her feel completely loved.
