His eyes gleamed with the raw passion she loved. At the same time, there was a playfulness in him that she'd not seen before. 'Twas as if they both sensed the shifting winds and had decided to throw themselves fully into this present moment. In tacit agreement, they'd put aside their troubles and worries. To spend this one night together with nothing but desire and joy swirling between them.
As he let her slide down to her toes, she pressed herself fully against him. Her blood thickened when she encountered the protruding evidence of his desire.Goodness, he was red-blooded. With great daring, she shimmied against that hard bulge, smiling when he groaned against her lips.
"'Tis nice to know you missed me," she said.
"Bold as brass." His lips quirked. "Good thing for you I like that in a woman."
"Not just any woman," she reminded him.
"No," he agreed huskily. "Mywoman."
Melting like an ice from Gunter's, she tipped her head back for his kiss... and blinked when his lips brushed her nose.
"Lusty chit. There's plenty of time for that." When she flushed, he laughed aloud and kissed her hard on the mouth. Then he removed a velvet box from his jacket pocket. "I have something for you."
"For me?" Shelovedsurprises. Opening the lid, she lost all power of speech. Ran a reverent finger over the exquisite piece of jewelry. Fashioned in gold, the brooch took the graceful form of a feather. Yet it was no ordinary feather—a tiny sapphire dripped from its tip. A drop of ink from a quill.
"I had it specially made. Gifts for the aspiring female novelist are difficult to come by."
His thoughtfulness made her eyes swim. "Oh, Gavin. It's the mostbeautifulthing I've ever seen." She threw her arms around his neck. "I shall wear it with pride."
After another long, smoldering kiss, he murmured, "God Almighty, you whet a man's appetite. But I have another surprise planned. Shall we eat first so we can keep up our energy?"
Following his gaze, she saw the magnificent feast laid out upon the Aubusson rug. Everything from roasted meats to vegetables in aspic and tiered plates piled with dessert.
"A picnic by candlelight," she sighed. "Howromantic."
"Just don't tell anyone. I have a reputation to uphold."
"I know. The dark, terrifying Lord of the Underworld." She settled happily on the carpet, patting the space next to her. "Well, even he has to eat."
"What about you, buttercup?" He arched his brow as he got down beside her. "No slimming plan this time?"
Percy grinned. "No. This time I intend to indulge myself."
His eyes gleamed. "Allow me the pleasure, then." Reaching over, he plucked a rich, purple grape off the stem. He bit into it, eating half and placing the other at her lips. "Open for me, Percy," he murmured.
She did, and as the tart sweetness filled her mouth, she saw the way his eyes went heavy-lidded. An answering warmth curled in her tummy. Oh my. Who knew eating could be such a stimulating exercise?
Next came a tidbit of chicken. The fragrant smell of rosemary and garlic made her mouth water. When she made to take the succulent morsel from his fingertips, he pulled it out of reach.
"There are rules, sweet," he said.
Her stomach growled. She'd been too excited to eat at Charity's and now she was hungrier than she realized. Eyeing the piece of meat, she said, "What do you mean rules?"
"You recall what I told you last time. About the nature of my desires."
Asifshe'd forget. Heat crept into her cheeks. "Oh. You mean... this is part of it?"
"If you will allow it." The golden flames of the fire reflected in his dark eyes. "I want you in all ways, Persephone. To make love to you, take care of you... even to feed you."
His possessiveness caused a pulse to thrum in her throat. Somehow, his proposition seemed more shocking even than the instruments that had littered the bar. A binding more permanent and deeper than a piece of rope could provide.
Tingles of desire and anxiety ran up her spine. She licked her lips. "Our truce, it still holds, doesn't it?"
His gaze hooded. "I won't force you into anything." Eating the piece of chicken, he wiped his fingers on a napkin before filling a wine glass. "But I will win this bloody wager, and you will marry me," he said with calm arrogance. "You know you want to."
There it was: the proposal she'd yearned for.
