“Aye,” he agreed, his own smile tender. “It was.”
She shifted slightly, feeling the wetness between her legs—a combination of her desire and his seed. The sensation made her flush, but not with embarrassment.
With satisfaction. With possession.
“I love you,” she whispered against his skin.
Soon they would have to clean up and go down to supper, and pretend she hadn’t been irrevocably changed. Pretend they both hadn’t crossed a line into a new life they sodesperately wanted. Soon, but not yet. Tomorrow they would begin to plan their wedding, theirforever, and she could look forward to a lifetime of being held like this.
Bull’s lips brushed against her hair. “Good, because I love ye. How in the hell did I miss how remarkable ye were for so long, Rose? I’m sorry ye felt like ye had to be someone else to get my attention.”
She pushed herself up so she could grin down at him. “We both had some maturing to do before we were ready for this, Mister Linsday. I am just pleased you finally got around to noticing me.”
His chuckle was dry as one hand slid down her spine to cup her arse. “Aye, me too.”
Experimentally, Rosie squeezed her inner muscles, and when his eyes widened, she laughed with delight.
“What are ye doing, lass?” he growled, digging his fingers into her cheek.
“Just wondering when we can do this again.”
“Again?” Bull huffed, dropping his head back to the pillow as if exhausted, even as he began to stroke her sensitive skin. “I’m an auld man, love. I need time to recuperate.”
“Perhaps, but…” Remembering those naughty books she’d read in school, Rosie leaned down to brush a kiss over his lips. “Ido not.”
The noise he made was half a laugh, half a groan. “For fook’s sake, Rose.”
“Yes,” she whispered. “That is exactly the point.”
Laughing, Bull caught her hips and rolled them both over, pinning her to the mattress.
He then proceeded to show herexactlyhow well he could recuperate.
Twice.
EPILOGUE
“Well,” drawled Rourke, leaning on his silver-tipped cane as he kept a watchful eye on his twin children cavorting in the center of the dance floor. As the Duke of Exingham these last two decades, he was stern and serious, which was better than the icy and imperious arse he used to be. “Ye’re married. Ye. I never thought I’d see it happen.”
Someone had handed Bull a glass of whisky when he’d entered the room, but he didn’t need to sip from it to feel as if he were flying high. He grinned, watching the gathered crowd—friends and family—celebrating with him and his Rose. “Aye, I never expected it to happen.”
“They never do.” His brother-in-law, Crowe, Laird MacLeod, the first man to really raise him and teach him how to be a good man, sent him a smirk. “Wenever do. Honoria and I used to talk about what kind of woman would pin ye down, make ye grow up.”
“I resent the implications that I havenae grown up in the last twenty-odd years.” Bull’s attempt at a scowl fell to his smile. “And if I didnae, whose fault is that? After all, ye did yer best.”
“We all did, laddie,” sighed Rourke, which was as close to teasing as the somber man ever got.
Sebastian, the Duke of Morningwood, who had married Bull’s sister Althea a million years ago and kicked off the tradition of half these arseholes becoming dukes by surprise, leaned forward to catch Bull’s eye and toasted him. “No’ me. I always enjoyed having ye around, ye little shite. Mademelook positively angelic.”
Bull gave a flourishing bow. “I live to serve, Yer Grace.”
Beside him, Maxwell ‘Hawk’ Hawthorne jabbed his elbow in his side. “I think there’s a rule about mocking dukes.” Hawk had been his best friend for years, and had known the rest of Bull’s brothers and brothers-in-law since school. Since marrying Bull’s sister Marcia last year, he’d become a true brother. “And no’ the one ye’re likely thinking right now, which isaye, do it as often as possible.”
“Aye, do it as often as—oh, ye’ve heard that one?” Bull pretended surprise. “Am I becoming predictable?”
“Aye!” chorused his brothers, most of whom then chuckled.
Bull made a show of sighing as he grinned across the room at his bride. “Then it’s just as well I’m settling down and marrying, gentlemen. I need someone to keep me on my toes.”
