Loving her regardless.
She covered her mouth with her hands, overwhelmed.
“Say something,” Ash murmured, still searching her face, almost pleading.
Clare launched herself forward, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him. It wasn’t graceful. It wasn’t soft. It was desperate, wild, and full of every emotion she had buried sincethe moment she had walked away. “I love you too,” she breathed against his lips.
“Does that mean you’ll marry me?”
“Yes,” she said, crying tears of joy this time. “Yes, I shall marry you.”
“Finally,” he groaned, pulling her closer, one hand tangled in her hair, the other settling against her hip.
When they pulled apart, she pressed her forehead to his, breathless. How in the world was her maid sleeping through all of this? She suspected the girl was merely pretending at this point, but she was too happy to care.
“I have been miserable without you,” he whispered.
“All two hours of it?” she said with a wry smile.
“All two,” he replied, nodding.
“Meredith is rubbish at keeping secrets,” she added next.
“She’s also not the most careful speaker. She called me an idiot more than once.”
Clare giggled. “She called me an idiot too.”
He pressed his head to her forehead again. “You’re not an idiot, love, butyou are so damn stubborn.” He chuckled, though his voice was thick with emotion.
She smiled. “But you like that about me, don’t you?” She gave him a saucy wink.
“I likeeverythingabout you,” he said before pulling her close again for another kiss.
EPILOGUE
One Year Later, The Duke of Southbury’s Town House
Clare and Ash, Gemma and Lucian, and Meredith and Griffin all sat in the drawing room of Griffin’s town house. Their babies, so near in age, were all settled on their father’s laps.
“Who would have ever thought the three of you would be such devoted fathers?” Meredith said, shaking her head as she looked about the room.
“Are you quite serious?” Griffin replied, looking quite affronted. “I have been waiting to meet our son forfartoo long.” He bounced the baby on his knee, smiling at him with a ridiculously proud look upon his face.
“I’m telling you, Southbury,” Ash interjected, “you’ll want a daughter as soon as possible. I am in love with mine.” He stared down at the little girl who lay cuddled in his arms, rubbing a fingertip tenderly over her tiny, soft cheek.
“I second that,” Lucian said from his seat across from the settee. “I amthrilledto have a daughter.” He leaned down and kissed his baby’s forehead. “She’s absolutely gorgeous and willbe even more so when she comes of age,” he finished with a wink at his wife.
“You’ll have to beat the suitors away with a stick,” Gemma replied to her husband, laughing.
“Speaking of beating someone,” Meredith interjected, clearing her throat and arching a brow. “How’s the Earl of Marsden doing?”
The three gentlemen gave each other knowing glances.
“Ahem, I hear his ribs are nearly healed,” Ash said, the hint of a smile on his lips.
“His broken nose may take a bit longer,” Griffin added, poking out his cheek with his tongue.
“Perhaps even longer than his broken arm?” Lucian speculated.
