“I’ve always loved you too,” she assured him. “And it was always hard to pretend that I didn’t.”
“It was my fault for pushing you away.”
“It’s also your fault for being so irresistible.”
He took a deep breath. “You would make me the happiest man if you would agree to live out all your days by my side.”
“Yes.” She could hardly get the word out in her excitement. “Yes, a thousand times yes.”
His handsome grin made an appearance, and he slipped the ring on her finger as the people around them clapped, including both of her parents, who stood nearby smiling.
As Bellamy climbed to his feet, his gaze held hers and was filled with all the love she’d ever dreamed he would direct her way but never believed would happen.
She studied his handsome face, wanting to run her fingers over his features to ensure herself that he really was here and really was in love with her. “Am I living in a story-world and just imagining this?”
His charming grin cocked up on one side. “Do you need some proof that this is real?”
“What kind of proof?”
When his gaze dropped to her lips, she knew exactly what he had in mind.
With a smile, she wound her arms around his neck and drew him down at the same time he bent in. As his lips passionately collided with hers, he left her no doubt just how real their love was.
28
He was a married man.
As he turned the door handle of the pub, Bellamy paused and kissed Zaira’s forehead gently. Oh, how he loved her. He loved her so much his chest ached from the loving.
Laying her head against his arm, she released a soft sigh.
He was learning what her sighs meant, and this was one of contentment. In a pink silk gown decorated with dozens of pink rosettes, she was picture-perfect. Her hair was fashioned in an elegant chignon, and a wreath of a dozen more of the pink rosettes graced her head. In his mind, he’d been painting her all morning.
“Are you ready for this?” he asked, unable to stop himself from kissing her forehead again.
She had both hands linked through his arm and was pressed against him as though his side was the only place she wanted to be. She smiled up at him, her eyes alight with happiness. “I’d like another kiss first.”
They’d kissed for most of the carriage ride back from the cathedral where they’d gotten married an hour ago. Evenafter the carriage had come to a halt outside the pub, they’d kissed again. He’d been so swept up in their kissing that he’d lost track of time until Kiernan had banged on the carriage door and told them they had to stop and come inside because everyone was waiting for the celebration dinner.
Bellamy wouldn’t mind skipping the celebration, sweeping Zaira off her feet into his arms—even with his injured shoulder—and carrying her up the outside stairway to their apartment above the lawyer’s office across the street from the pub.
He’d offered to buy her a home of her own, even to build her a new home if that’s what she wanted. With the money from all the paintings he’d sold, he had more than enough to purchase anything she wanted.
But she’d insisted on finding something close to the pub because she knew he wanted to continue to help his family. Not only that, but the pub was the best place for him to mingle with people who wanted the services of the local matchmaker.
Zaira had claimed that just being with him was enough for her, that she didn’t care where they lived as long as they were together. And he felt the same way.
When he’d started inquiring into accommodations in the area, the first place they’d visited was the apartment across the street. Zaira had loved it from the moment they’d toured it because it had a second bedroom he could use as a studio and she could use for her writing.
She’d spent the first couple of weeks of August since the night of his gallery show cleaning and fixing up the apartment as well as purchasing furniture and rugs and decorations. Her mam had even come to help her from time to time.
Although Zaira’s relationship with her parents would never again be the same, she seemed to be forging a new path forward. While they still weren’t happy about her publishing venture, they loved her enough that they would eventually set aside their traditional views on a woman’s role and accept her and her writing.
Traditional ways weren’t a bad thing. After all, he was the matchmaker, and that was about as traditional as things could get. But there were areas, especially when it came to women’s abilities and talents, that traditions needed to grow and expand.
“I love kissing you, Bellamy.” Desire darkened her green eyes to a shadowed woodland, and as she trailed one of her hands down his arm, heat speared his stomach.
He needed to kiss her now. Swiftly, he took her lips captive, tasting her and devouring her but never getting enough of her. He knew he never would, not as long as he lived. But he would sure enjoy trying, especially since all he’d gotten over the past couple of weeks was a stolen kiss here and there.
