She opened the door and blinked in surprise to see Cade. He was wearing only a shirt and trousers, both fresh, probably supplied by Bran. Cade looked equally tense and yearning.
“Come in.” She stood back so he could enter. “I didn’t feel you there.”
“Bran suggested using stealth so I could visit with you in private,” he explained as he closed the door.
“What a very fine idea!” She stepped up to him and rose on her toes to slip her arms around his neck so she could draw his face down for a kiss.
Passion flared as his mouth opened against hers and his beautiful strong hands stroked down her back, kneading and caressing and bringing every fiber of her being to life. The kiss lasted for a gloriously long time. As heat and a golden glow rose between them, she thought dizzily that she didn’t need Mrs. Williams’s shawl anymore.
Then Cade broke the kiss and stepped back, luckily keeping his hands on her shoulders or she might have lost her balance. “This isn’t why I came here,” he said unevenly.
She tilted her head. “No?”
He swallowed hard, his face tight in the lamplight. “At least, not the main reason.”
He was serious, she realized. She stepped away, glad she hadn’t dropped the shawl since she was cold again. “Have a seat.”
She gestured at the room’s one wooden chair, then perched on the edge of the bed, pulling the shawl tight. “Did Bran sense what’s between us?”
Cade sighed. “Of course he did.”
“Not surprising considering how well he knows us both.” She bit her lip. “What was his reaction?”
“He wants us both to be happy and if it’s with each other, we have his blessing,” Cade said tersely. “But . . .” His voice trailed off.
“Of course there’s a ‘but,’” she said a little tartly. “Does he think a romance between us will shatter the Tribe of Tremayne?”
“Not necessarily.” Cade paused as if searching for words. “But he’s concerned that we’re moving too quickly. I’ve always known that I love you, but for you it’s a new idea. Desire can be a kind of madness and it might masquerade as love when, in fact, it’s only madness.”
She drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them as she considered his words. “That’s a fair point, but Bran may be worrying unnecessarily. Don’t desire and love often go hand in hand? They seemed to when Bran and Merryn met.”
“Yes,” Cade agreed, “but our situation is more complicated.Muchmore complicated.”
She studied his strong, concerned face. Cade and Bran were the oldest Tremayne sons and they’d modeled themselves after Rhys, who was the most responsible, compassionate, and protective father imaginable. As the bastard son of a smuggler, Cade in particular was always willing to put his own needs last if he thought doing so would help another family member. The dear, foolish man.
“Cade, your desire to protect me from my own possible errors is admirable but unnecessary. I have the right to make my own mistakes.”
He frowned. “I didn’t think you ever made mistakes.”
“They’re rare,” she agreed, “but I’m quite sure I’m not making one now. Though your declaration of love was a shocking surprise, it released a part of myself that I’d been suppressing. Because of that, I’m sure of what I’m doing.” She uncoiled from her position on the high bed and slid to the floor. “And it’s not a mistake.”
She moved forward and embraced him again, leaning into him both physically and emotionally. “I know you don’t ever want to hurt me in any way.”
“I would die first,” he said unsteadily.
She smiled up at him. “Isn’t that rather melodramatic? I don’t want you to die. I want you to trust me enough to make my own choices and my own mistakes.” She laughed a little. “Which we have both admitted are extremely rare!”
His expression eased. “I can’t think of any mistakes you’ve ever made.”
“I could give you a list, but what I want you to accept is that I have the right to choose my own path, and what I choose isyou.”
She raised her face for another kiss, and when their lips met with intoxicating desire, she rolled her hips against him. His response was instant and unmistakable.
“I can’t resist you,” he said a little helplessly.
“You aren’t supposed to resist!” she said as she caught his hand and tugged him toward the bed. “We are here together now, wanting each other equally. I trust you to take care of me when I need it, and you need to trust me to care for you equally. Can you do that, my darling man?”
He began to laugh. “I’ve never been able to win an argument against you!”
