Epilogue
Several months later, Gannet House High in Arbuckle Priddy’s fourth floor garret…
He’d nevertire of gazing ather.
Especially as now, here in the special place they’d claimed as their own, and at the gloaming hour. She’d left the small but comfortable bed they’d dragged up to Priddy’s old workplace and gone to stand before the row of tall, slanting windows that gave such a breathtaking view of the sea and, in the distance, the masts of the many ships in Aberdeenharbor.
Greyson pushed up on an elbow, aware as always that, to him, nothing fired his blood more than the woman beforehim.
His bride, and his love, though he had yet to confess as much to her. A great fondness, his overwhelming delight in her, and the powerful passion she stirred inhim…
All that, he told(or showed)herdaily.
But he held back the unbarring of his heart, not wanting to make their end more hurtful for her if she chose to leave him by the end of a year and aday.
That time he’d insisted on giving her, just as his handfasting ancestors had done. It scarce mattered that Smithers had wed them, using his right as an erstwhile holy man aboard theSilver Thistle, and other ships before her. If the limitations of a slender purse proved too hard on her and she wished a betterlife…
He’d let hergo.
But oh how her loss would guthim.
Yet this was now and so he simply looked across the room’s wide open space, grateful to appreciate how the late afternoon’s light limned her in soft shades of violet. Clothed as she was in only her chemise, he could relish the lushness of her curves. He also felt a tightening in his loins when he admired the sheen of her unboundhair.
Only moments ago, she’d sat astride him, riding him like a wild-hearted Valkyrie, her glossy raven hair swinging over her bare shoulders and lusciousbreasts.
The air was still scented with the musk of their loving. Even so, he wanted heragain.
He knew he alwayswould.
She turned from the windows then, almost as if sheknew.
“Tell me again,” she said, her gaze locking on his. “Was there truly a seahorse on myback?”
Greyson blinked, having long since forgotten what he now suspected had only been a trick of thelight.
“Aye, well…” He left the bed and went to her, naked as he was. “I did think I saw such a mark,” he said, speaking true. “But when I looked again, it’dvanished.”
“You did see it,though?”
“That was months ago, sweetness.” He wrapped his arms around her, drew her close. “The first time I made love to you. Does itmatter?”
“Yes,” she said, slipping away from him to touch the frame that held the silver bit of cloth from her special shawl. A double-glassed frame he’d had specially made to enclose the silk so that it could be viewed from bothsides.
The frame, fine silver he’d splurged on, hung by an equally silver ribbon in her favorite window – the one that gave a partial view of the rooftops of Aberdeen. She looked that way now, and he could tell by her silhouette that she wassmiling.
But when she turned back to him, she appeared more earnest than he’d ever seenher.
“You didn’t want to speak of it then and I didn’t press you,” she said, her hand still on the dangling frame. “We were, afterall-”
“We were otherwise occupied.” Greyson couldn’t hold back his smile. Nor could he stop another sharp tugging in his loins. “I was so besotted I couldn’t bear to share you withwords.”
“Do you think I was any lessdesirous?”
“Nae,” he said, his smile spreading. “You are the earthiest, most wildly passionate bride I could ever havewished.”
“Am I still?” She leaned up on her toes and kissed him. “Will you always wantme?”
Greysonfrowned.
