“Do you love me, Clare?”
How could she deny it? She’d known what he was about and had still fallen in love with him. She would just say the words and escape. And move on, without him and all the complications.
“I do love you.” She moved to push past him when he took hold of her shoulders and held her there.
“Good. That will make this all easier.”
“What?”
“Come outside.”
Iain lifted the bar and set it aside. He pushed the door, and it swung open.
He could onlysmile as she saw everyone waiting for them outside the warehouse. In addition to her staff from the school and his, Lord and Lady Nairn—Nairn and Caro they’d said to call them—and even the prickly but completely loyal Mrs. Hunter and most of those who worked in his office now stood assembled to watch what would either be his defining moment or utter humiliation. When he’d scoffed at Nairn’s public antics, Iain had not understood the strength of love and what he would do for that love. Now though, now he did. With the help of most of the people here, he had done as he should have when she’d given up the deed. Cairns walked up and handed him the papers needed to finalize the deal of his life.
For he knew that whether she accepted his proposal or not, this property and the ones around it would allow her to finish what had been her dream. And that it would give her some peace at the guilt she felt about the decisions she’d made. The ones she thought were mistakes of her past. Iain had never felt so good about his ambitions being stymied.
“Clare, this is yours.” He handed her the amended deed giving her full ownership to the four blocks behind them. “And these have been approved.” The plans she’d made for the warehouses and additional ones that her solicitors and staff had created.
“What is this?” she asked, staring at the pile of papers in her hands.
“Full ownership of the properties and buildings you need to complete your plans.”
That she was stunned pleased him. Nairn elbowed him then and Iain did what he’d sworn he would never do. Kneeling before her, he stared into her eyes, and he begged.
“I want to marry you, Clare. Will you marry me?”
Those gathered gasped and held their collective breath, as he did, waiting on her answer. Nairn nudged his shoulder, thankfully, because in his terror she would refuse him again, and in public, he’d forgotten the final contract. Sliding the folded sheet from his coat pocket, he held it out to her.
“What is this?” Opening it, she blinked and blinked.
“I would like this all to be your wedding gift, but if you accept my proposal, it will remain under your full control as part of our marriage contract.” He swallowed. “But it is yours no matter what you decide.”
He nodded at the very short agreement that would give her everything she already possessed and half of his. His solicitors had nearly fainted at his order to write it so, but luckily Cairns was made of sterner stuff than Brown was and accomplished it.
His stomach churned as he noticed the tears streaming down her cheeks. So, public embarrassment it was. The silence was becoming uncomfortable, and he heard Nairn cough and Caro whispered something.
“I will marry you, Iain.”
The cheering happened before the words sank into his terror-ridden mind. Nairn pulled him to his feet and shoved him towards her. Someone threw flower petals, Mrs. Hunter he thought, and people clapped.
He could not stand another moment of not touching her, so he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, claiming her as his for the first time. Her cheeks blushed when he lifted his mouth from hers.
“We will do well together, I think.”
“Do you not foresee any problems?” she asked in a teasing tone.
“Oh, I foresee many arguments followed by even more bouts of bedplay to make up for them.”
“I think I would like that, Iain.”
“We did not truly get tounspeakablein our previous efforts, but now we will have time for that.” His body reacted to the fact that she would be his—every day and every night.
“I would like that as well. Pleasurable and impolite were quite nice.”
“Nice?” he growled. “I do not do nice.”
“I fear for society’s survival now with such a daring earl among its members,” she said as he released her at her sister’s demand. “If they were shocked by Nairn’s rather tame efforts, imagine what will happen when the new Earl of Ardgour begins misbehaving.”
