“That’s because you haven’t been here long enough,” she said, before finishing off the ham.
“Perhaps,” he said between bites of an apricot.“This is so good,” he added, holding up the fruit.
“There are apricot and cherry trees on the D’Avalos property outside of town,” she said, helping herself to another section of orange.
“The farm with the sheep?”
Her mouth full, she nodded.
“How is it you’re not married?I would have guessed you were a widow, except I distinctly remember you saying you never married.”
Armenia nearly choked on the last of her orange.She contemplated telling him it was none of his business, but his curiosity seemed so sincere.“I refused the man my father arranged for me to marry,” she stated.“He was old enough to be my father and possessed the worst manners when it came to eating.”
Patrick was in the middle of chewing another piece of meat but stopped, his eyes widening with worry.
“Youneedn’t be concerned,” she said.“He chewed with his mouth open and made the most annoying noises.He ate much like pigs do.”
“What happened to him?”
She rolled her eyes.“He choked to death at his wedding banquet a few months later.DonnaRossi was never more relieved.”
Blinking, Patrick appeared not to believe her.“You are...joking with me?”he guessed.
She shook her head before popping a cherry into her mouth.“I am not.She ended up marrying his son from his first marriage.He was a widower,” she quickly added.
“Well, I suppose that’s one way to keep the family fortune,” he murmured.“You must have had other offers,” he prompted.
She sighed before clearing her throat.“Two, neither one very serious,” she replied.“When my brother’s wife died in the childbed, he required a hostess and never pursued a match for me, which I appreciated more than he could know.”She saw Patrick wince.“That doesn’t mean...”She stopped when she saw his expression suddenly change.“What?”she whispered.
“Will you marry me?”
She inhaled softly.“You haven’t even known me an entire day,” she countered.
“I want to learn everything there is to know about you,” he claimed.“I promise to honor you.I promise fidelity,” he added, apparently knowing that last vow would have her considering his proposal with more seriousness.
“Why?”she asked gently.
He inhaled deeply and let the breath out in awhoosh.“Something happened last night.I was minding my own business—literally—and then I saw you watching me, and it was as if my eyes were opened for the first time in years,” he explained.“As if I’ve been going through life blind and you made me see everything so clearly.Then you made me want you.”
Armenia swallowed, remembering her earlier thoughts on their meeting.“Want?”she repeated.“Like...like a possession?”
His shoulders noticeably dropping, he said, “I know it sounds like that, because part of it is.”
Shocked at his admission, she said, “Oh?And the other part?”She swallowed the other words she nearly blurted out.Never in her life had she wanted to accept a man’s attentions as much as she did Patrick’s.
Whatever was wrong with her?
“Armenia, I cannot abide the thought of another man with you,” he claimed.“I don’t think it’s only jealousy, either.I feel I have a duty to protect you.To make you happy.To make love to you whenever you’re of a mind to be worshipped.”He leaned down and placed a kiss on her bare shoulder.“Be my Venus, will you?”
Armenia inhaled softly, murmuring when he suckled her earlobe.“Might I think on it for a day or two?”
He nodded.“I’m not going anywhere.”He closed his eyes and made an odd sound in his throat.“I mean to say, I will go back to my lodgings when you’ve had enough of me today.But I hope you’ll allow me to continue paying calls on you, and not just for this,” he added, waving to the bed and the tray of food.“I enjoy your company.Especially your candor.It will take the rest of our lifetimes for you to show me all the Italian art in this town.”He kissed her cheek.“And I adore making love to you.”
Even before he had finished his litany of reasons he wanted to marry her, Armenia was already experiencing a renewal of the arousal she had felt earlier that day.The throbbing at the top of her thighs matched the beat of her heart, and her nipples hardened behind the blanket she still clutched to her chest.
“Put the tray on the floor,” she ordered.
Patrick jerked at hearing the command in her voice, but he quickly did her bidding.
