Ceana’s heart beat so fast that she feared it would slip out of her chest.
Gazing into her soul, he asked her the question he had wanted to since the birth of the morn; “would ye spend the rest of yer life like mine? I would want nay other woman but ye. I would love ye every day until the day I take me last breath. I will protect ye, and I will keep ye safe. Ye shall want for naught. All I ask in return is that ye love me, alone.”
Shock, glee, and bliss filled Ceana so fully that she feared she would swoon. She looked down at the ring he held out to her, and her heart almost stopped. The band was made of silver, decorated with too-many-to-count tiny gemstones that caught the light. At the center was a gorgeous ruby that stood bold and proud. It was a masterpiece.
She looked into Torcall’s eyes and saw something she had never seen before—uncertainty. He wasn’t sure she would say yes, she realized.
Ceana could not contain the joy that erupted within her.
Oh, ye silly man, she thought to herself.I love ye more than life itself.
This was the only thing she wanted, and nothing mattered more, so she said the only words that were fitting; “Aye, I will be yer wife.”
She was swept into his arms and off the ground; she looked into his eyes and knew she had made the best decision in her life.
Epilogue
Finally, they were alone. Ceana breathed a sigh of relief.
“Tired?” Torcall asked, coming up from behind her.
“Nay,” she said. And then, fearing that she’d been too eager, she spoke again. This time, a measured “no.”
“Good,” Torcall said, a smile appearing on his beautiful face. “There is so much I want to do to ye. ‘Twould be a shame if ye were tired.”
Without warning, he pulled her to him and kissed her lips.
Ceana gasped. “Nay, nae tired.” She allowed herself to sink into the kiss, to let the feel of his lips drive her crazy. Without his urging, she parted her lips and allowed his tongue into her mouth.
His kiss was as hot as fire, searing into her heart and soul and leaving an imprint. Ceana knew that she would never forget his touch.
“I have wanted to do this all day,” Torcall groaned into her ear.
Ceana pulled him even deeper into her. “Kiss me, Torcall. Do nae stop.” She pushed her body into him, feeling her breasts against his hard chest and enjoying the delicious thrill it gave her.
“Ye are a work of art, me love,” he whispered into her ear before nipping at it. “I want to savor ye slowly, but ye make it so hard!”
Ceana was dizzy with lust. It consumed her to her very core. She couldn’t wait. She wouldn’t.
She placed her hands around his neck and pulled him down to her until she looked into his eyes. “Then do nae wait.”
Torcall paused and took a few seconds to register her words, and then, he pulled he groaned in her ear. She let him capture her lips as his fingers made quick work of her dress. Her hands ran over his chest as she pulled at his clothes. Naked. She wanted him naked.
They stripped each other until, at last, they stood before each other, naked. Ceana looked at him and blushed. She hadn’t been lucky enough to see how he looked without clothes the last time. But now she saw him, and she was wowed. Her gaze strayed from his handsome face to his firm chest and to his groin.
Ceana gasped. He was huge. How had that fitted into her?
“Torcall,” she looked up to him, nervousness obvious in her tone. But as soon as she met his eyes, the confidence that had carried her thus far was renewed.
She let him sweep her up in his arms and lay her on the bed.
“Trust me,” he said, “I will nae hurt ye. Nae this time.”
He kissed her lips once more and then her breasts, taking his time with each nipple. Ceana felt between her legs moisten and ache for his touch. She wiggled as much as she could, begging for his shaft, but he denied her still.
“Patience, me love…”
He kissed her stomach and then her thighs. And then, finally, he slipped a finger into her. “Oh, God, ye are so wet.”
