She kept her lips tightly closed.
“Hmm. I see. In that case . . .” He reached out with his walking stick and lifted the latch of the coach, pushing open the door. They hadn’t moved. “Farewell, my dear.”
Cosette stared at the pouring rain beyond, then turned back to Davien, who wore a bland expression on his face. “You letting me go?”
He shrugged. “Isn’t that what you want?”
She frowned. “Well, yes, but . . . is that all?”
“What do you mean?” He looked down and inspected his nails, appearing completely bored with the conversation.
She stared at him in disbelief. “You’re not even going to try and . . . demand that I stay?”
He straightened the lapels of his jacket beneath the greatcoat. “Now why would I do something as asinine as that? What good should it do for me to beg and plead except to lower my dignity when your mind is already set on this course?” He waved a hand at the door without even bothering to glance her direction. “So goodbye, with my best wishes, of course.”
She shook her head, a laugh of incredulity breaking free. “I can’t believe your audacity, you stupid man!” she cried.
He finally deigned to look at her, his dark eyes glittering. “How does letting you go make me ignorant?” He flicked an invisible piece of lint from his trousers. “Isn’t that what you are doing for me?”
~ ~ ~
Davien wanted to smile. He was slowly luring Cosette in. He knew, before he’d even set out to find her, that it would take a king’s ransom in patience in order to convince her to return with him. He had to make her believe that together, they could surmount the toughest obstacles, and lay her insecurities to rest.
“That’s . . . different,” she countered.
“Oh? How so?” He could see the frustration in every line of her face.
“We’ve already been through this!”
He appeared to ponder her argument. “Have we? Because I don’t recall . . .”
“Dammit, Davien!” she cried. “Surely you can understand that I couldn’t live with myself if I hurt you again! The day I marked you—” She shook her head, as if the very mention of it was too difficult. “It’s true that the locket is destroyed, but because of the blood that flows through my veins, who is to say that dark power won’t return to control me someday?”
He shrugged. “And what if my beast is only laying dormant, and not completely expelled?”
She blinked, as if she had only now considered the possibility. “Do you think so?”
“I don’t feel its presence any longer, but that doesn’t mean we were fully successful.” He tilted his head to regard her, hoping that the reassurance in his words would be portrayed through his gaze. “The point is that we can’t live our lives worrying about what might happen. If so, we could very well miss whatishappening. If I’ve learned anything from this curse, it’s that we must live each day as if it’s our last. We don’t know when the clock of life will cease ticking. Mine already did once, and I don’t intend to waste my second chance on anything less than true contentment.”
Her chin wobbled, her frustration and anger melting away. “Is that even possible?” she whispered.
“I’d like to think so,” he returned softly. “I know that the only way I can achieve happiness is with you by my side.” He laid a hand over his heart. “You are the only thing that makes my heart continue to beat. I love you, Cosette. Without you, I would cease to exist. Marry me, and let me prove to you how much I do.”
She reached out and covered his hand with both of hers. Her dark eyes were sparkling with hope—and love.
“Are those words really coming from you? They’ve only ever been spoken in my dreams.”
He grinned. “I’ll be glad to prove that I’m only too real.”
“Rogue,” she teased.
“Does that mean yes?” he asked with a devilish gleam in his eyes.
She reached out and touched her lips to his. “It’s a million times yes. I love you, Davien Elswood. And while I hope we’ve seen the last of the beast, I will be honored to be your wife. I’m sorry for being such a coward.”
He tapped the tip of her nose with a finger. “You are many things, my love, but not that. Caring for someone means doing irrational things sometimes.”
“Does that mean you forgive me?”
