Isabella held his gaze. “I know that you’re not capable ofbeing faithful to anything but your currentlifestyle. The hum of excitement runs through your veins.” She shrugged. “As far as how you feel about me, I think you made that abundantly clear when you appeared downstairswith that…woman hanging off your arm.”
He looked at her for several moments.“Itseemsyou have me all figured out.” He turned away from her and Isabella’s heart twisted. However, he didn’t leave the room, but merely took something out of his desk and walked back over to her. “And yet, I fail to see how your current accusationscould haveproduced this.” He held out a neatly folded piece of parchment.
Isabella took it with shaking fingers to reveal something completely unexpected. “Is this—?” She couldn’t even finish the sentence.
“A special license? Yes.” Ridge plucked it from her fingersand tucked it back in the desk. As he shut the drawer, hepaused, his hands splayed on the oak top. “I leftyouyesterdayin orderto procure that, along with requesting an audience with the Regent. It took quite abit of lining the right pockets, but thanks to Simon’s smuggling money,I was able to gain, not only Prinny’s blessing, but that document.” Hesquared his shoulders andstood up straight,regardingherwith an even stare. “I had planned to return to Ashfield Hall thismorningand break down the door if necessary, and not leave until you were by my side.”
Isabella couldn’t contain the buzzing in her ears. “Mr. Claymoore.” She swallowed heavily. “Are youaskingme to…marry you?”
“In a roundabout manner, yes, I suppose that’s exactly what I’minferring.”
Isabella didn’t want to get her hopes up too high, but she had to know the reason behind it all. “Why?”
He lifted a brow, his mouth lifting up in the corner. “I thought that wouldn’t be so difficult to figure out.” His eyes glimmered with heat, as hewalked backtoward her and tookher inhis arms. “But perhaps it’s better if I just show you.”
***
The taste of her lips was intoxicating, like the sweetest honey or the finest wine. It was like the first time Ridge kissed her, and heknewit would be the same for the rest of his life. Isabella had stolen the one thing that no other woman had been able to accomplish—his heart.
He touched the side of her face, cupping her silken cheek in his palm, his fingers threading through thestrandsof that brilliant, red hairthat framed her faceas he deepened the kiss. She sighed against his mouth and his cock respondedbybursting to life with vigor. He pulsed with the need to sink into her body, but he wouldn’t rush things. Tonight was about her.
He pulled away long enough to pluck the pins from her hair, watching as the curtain of fiery, copper lockscascadeddown her back. “In all my life, I’ve never seen anything more beautiful than you,” he whispered.
She was breathing heavily, her dark eyes gleaming with desire, as he began to divest her of hercloak and traveling dress.Bothfell to the floor in a puddle offorgotten material.Once more, he lifted her into his arms and carried her over to the bed,where he sat her on the edge. There, he bent down and began to unlace her boots. Once they were free, he slid his hands up her legs, until he reached the edge of her stockings,thenheslowlyrolled them down and tossed them aside.
Left in her stays and chemise,Isabella held still asRidge trailed his palms back up her legs, taking the edge of her chemise with him. When her lower half was exposed to him, he bent down and tasted her inner sweetness. Isabella’s head fell back as he pleasured her, but just before she reached her peak, he withdrew and turned her over onto her stomach to unlace her stays.
“You’re a…wicked man,” she panted.
He leaned down to whisper in her ear, “But you love the torment.”
Once she was unbound, Ridge swiftly removed her undergarments from her body in one fluid movement, and then he turned her backover.At the sight ofher hair spread across his bed, the tips of her full breastshardwithanticipation, Ridgefairlyripped off his trousers, but he refrained. Instead, he availed himself of her delights, taking a rosy peak into his mouth and sucking.
She clutched at his shoulders, gasping and pleading with him as he continued his sweet assault. He inserted a finger into her passage, finding the rhythm she liked, but just before she would have found her release, he moved away from her and she gave a sound of frustration.
“Patience, my love,” he soothed. He rose to his feet and she rose on her elbows to watch him as he removed his clothes. It was highly erotic, for he loved the way her eyes flared when his flesh was fully exposed. When his manhood was free, she sat up and took him in her grasp. But when she licked the tip, hejust aboutcame undone.
With a groan, he eased her away from him. She glanced up at him through her lashes. “What? Can’t you stand a bit of teasing in return?”
“Minx,” hemuttered, as he captured her lips once more.
After that, the time for talking had passed.
They tortured each other with hands and mouths and tongues until they could take no more.Sweat dotted Ridge’s brow by the time he entered her,and the sensation of her tight, wet heat had him clenching his teeth. As he moved, she met his every thrust with an eager lift of her hips, until they were grinding against each other in a desperate plea for completion.
“Ridge…”she sighed his name as her body trembled, and hecould tellshe was close to her release.
He reached out and lightly pinched the tips of her nipples, and with a hard, deep thrust, she came apart, her entire face lit up in rapture as she soared to the heavens of ecstasy. She shuddered and the waves of her climax flowed over his cock until he gave a shout of release and poured himself into her. He saw stars, the glorious moment of being one with her, of their souls touching, almost more than he could bear.
Eventually, the haze of desire dissipated and he collapsed on the bed beside her. After they caught their breath, he turned to Isabella and pulled her into the circle of his arms, lightly kissing the tip of her nose.
She glanced at him though sleepy lids, a replete sense of satisfaction on her face. Ridge smiled, knowing that he could die right now, that he’d lived his life with purpose—to make this woman happy.
It was terrifying how much he cared for her, how much he wanted to wake uptoher every morning and tumble into her bed every night.
But he found that some things were worth the risk.
