Dashlane stopped, pivoting toward him. “You really have gone mad.”
Chris shook his head. “Maybe. But if this is madness, I like it.” In fact, he loved it. He loved her.
Damn it all to hell, he loved Bianca. He’d gone and fallen in love. Air rushed into his lungs and he gripped his thigh to keep from shouting out his feelings. How could he not? Everything about her fit against him so perfectly. From her bubbly personality, to her sweet nature, and right down to those soft curves. Then a thought struck him like lightning in a summer storm. He was his best self when he was with her too.
Bianca made him the man he wanted to be. She made him better. She’d asked him once if he’d ever wanted to hurt a woman. The answer had been no. She’d already known what he’d struggled with his entire life. He’d never be his father. And certainly not if he married Bianca. They already had a stronger bond than his mother and father had ever had.
“What are you thinking?” Dashlane asked. “Are we still leaving tomorrow?”
“Nope,” Chris answered, patting his friend on the shoulder. “I’m not certain I’m going to ever leave and you might be stuck here until my wedding. And probably Crestwood’s too.”
“Crestwood?” Dashlane staggered back. “How could Crestwood succumb? He’s a rake through and through.”
Chris shrugged. “He chased an innocent out of a gathering, asking her father’s permission first. My guess is he’s engaged already. If he isn’t, he will be soon.”
Dashlane scrubbed his face. “And you’re getting married too?”
Chris shrugged. “If I’m lucky.”
“Lucky? Do you know how wrong that sounds? And what do you mean exactly? You haven’t asked her yet?” Dashlane had gone pale. “I told you this place was cursed. I can’t possibly stay any longer. I’ll never escape the marriage noose if I do.”
Chris chuckled. “Juliet wearing you down?”
Dashlane shook his head. “Juliet doesn’t tempt me in the least but Corde—”
Chris stopped laughing. Pitting sisters against one another, that was trouble. “You’re right. You should leave. Tomorrow. I’ll forgive you for not attending my wedding.”
Dashlane frowned. “And do what exactly? You and Crestwood are here. Why did the two of you have to go and get all silly over women?”
“Go have a drink, my friend. I’ll be back later.”
“No you won’t.” Dashlane groused as he turned on his heel. “You’re never coming back.” Then he turned and started down the road alone.
Chris would worry about his friend later. Right now, he needed to go secure his own future.
He skirted around a clump of bushes, hiding until most of the lights had gone out. At one point he heard rustling nearby and he peeked his head out to see a couple silhouetted in the moonlight. He couldn’t say for certain, but he’d bet money that it was Crestwood and Adrianna. Poor Mr. Moorish. The man had been overrun.
But that was his signal. If Adrianna could get out, surely he could get in. With that in mind, he returned to the house, scaling the balconies.
Reaching the one that he knew was Bianca’s, he found the door open. He slid inside, noting that several candles still burned about the room. And there, in the middle of the bed lay Bianca in nothing but a flimsy shift. Her head was propped on her elbow, her hip curving up from the bed. He forgot to breathe as he stopped to stare at her. She’d undone her hair and the dark locks trailed over her shoulder, covering her chest. He was going to take great delight in pushing that hair back.
Hell, he was going to take great pleasure in exploring every inch of her.
“You came,” she said, pushing up on the bed. If anything, she looked even more alluring. Her hair fell on one side, revealing one of her breasts and a creamy length of her arm.
“You didn’t doubt I would.” He took another step closer and then another until he reached out and ran a hand down the length of her bare arm, her skin like silk under his touch.
She shivered, looking up at him. “I need to talk with you.”
Talk? He’d wanted to do that too, he supposed, but not right this moment. “Later, love. Right now I’ve got a beautiful woman in front of me who I need to touch.”
She gave him a small smile. “Not yet. First we need to set a few things straight.”
Damn. He hated the sound of that.
* * *
Chris stood over the bed, looking down at her. Her chin tilted up to see his dark, heavy eyes assessing her. “Straight?”
Bianca took a deep breath. She had so much to say she didn’t know quite where to start. Still, she nodded, rising to her knees. “I asked you this once, and I’ll ask you again. Would you ever hurt me?”
He shook his head, reaching down and cupping her cheek with his large hand. “Never.”
Relief made her a bit limp and she leaned into his touch. “Despite what you told me about your past, I didn’t think so. Not that I didn’t understand your fear. And it isn’t that you’re not tough or strong but you have complete control of yourself. Even with Fred you didn’t—”
“Bianca.” He reached for her other cheek, holding her face as his thumbs massaged little circles on her cheeks. “Thank you for protecting me tonight.”
She held onto his wrists. “You’re welcome.”
He leaned down and kissed her, long and slow. “I want you to be my wife. I’m asking you to marry me.”
She squeezed his wrists, nibbling at her lip. “I have to tell you something first.”
He frowned. “What?”
She drew in a deep breath sliding her hands up his arms to his elbows. “Well,” she swallowed. “I believe I’ve fallen in love with you.”
He scrunched his brow, attempting to understand. She hadn’t consented to his proposal because she was in love with him? “I don’t understand.”
Even in the dark, color flushed her cheeks. “I didn’t know if that changed your desire to marry me. But I won’t run from my feelings. You should understand them before we go any further.”
His answer was to lean down and plunder her mouth with a long, hard kiss that left her breathless.
“My Brave Bianca,” he murmured against her lips. “I love you too.” Then he kissed her a few more times. “I love you so much that I ache from it.”
“Oh,” she breathed as he hooked an arm around her waist and brought her against his chest. She threaded her arms about his neck as he lowered them both to the bed, his weight pressing down on hers. “Really?”
“Really,” he whispered against her lips, tracing the curve of her waist. He stopped and lightly squeezed along her ribs, her waist, her hips. Her chemise was riding up her legs and she hooked one leg around his, bringing their pelvises together and making them groan.
“You…you love me?” Her breathless words were interrupted as he kissed her again and again.
“I do,” he answered. “Not only do you bring out the best me, my love, but you fill in my gaps in ways I never imagined.”
She curled her fingers into his hair. “You fill in mine too. I didn’t understand that it would be like that.”
He smiled against her lips. “Neither did I.”
“What next?” she asked, trailing her hands down his back.
He cleared his throat, cocking one shaggy eyebrow. “You could say yes.”
She giggled a little, scrubbing his hair with her hands. “Yes.”
He kissed her again. Slower and more tender than before as he slid his hands behind her back. “I love you, Bianca.”
“I love you too, Chris.” She sighed into his mouth. Then she traced his shoulders with her hands. “How do I get this thing off?”
He chuckled as he lifted off her and shrugged off his coat, cravat, and then shirt in quick succession.
She gasped out loud as his sculpted chest came into view. He really was like a statue. “My goodness. You’re so beautiful.”
He furrowed his brow. “Thank you, sweetheart, but I don’t hold a
candle to you. You are light in all the ways I’m dark.” And then he slowly lowered himself back on top of her.
She couldn’t help herself, she ran her hands all over his chest and back, feeling every powerful muscle, each finely carved ridge even as he kissed her neck and chest. “I don’t care what you say. You are positively divine.” She sighed. “I want to see more of you.”
He chuckled a bit as he lifted up again and removed his boots. She lifted up on her elbows to watch and when his feet were bare, he turned back to her, lifting one of her legs and kissing the inside of her ankle. “Your feet? That’s the more I get to see?”
He kissed a bit higher on her calf. “I want to see more of you first.”
“See me?” She gulped down a protest as his hand skimmed the hem of her chemise up her legs. He kissed a trail behind the fabric making her ache with need even as she began to tremble. When his lips had reached the inside of her thigh, she’d melted into the bed, her body a jumbled mess of need.
She ached for his touch between her legs and she was near begging when his mouth finally brushed her most intimate folds. Bianca bucked against the touch, a moan ripping from her lips. He pressed a hand flat on her belly, holding her in place as he repeated the touch.
She fisted her hands into his hair, wanting to beg but unable to find the words. Chris understood anyway and used his tongue to apply pressure exactly where she craved.
“Beautiful Bianca,” he murmured against her flesh, even as her need made her twist one of her hands into the blankets, her head thrashing back and forth. She wasn’t certain she could stand much more.
“Chris,” she begged and then her pleasure broke. Crying out, she looked down at him knowing that she would never love anyone else the way she loved him.
Chapter Sixteen
Chris looked up at her, desire and love pulsing through every nerve in his body. He kissed up her belly, pushing her chemise up and over her head. Never had a woman captured his attention so completely; he was sure he could spend hours kissing her like this.
Bianca slid her hands down to the small of his back, urging him up higher until his lips were level with hers.
He kissed her again, his bare chest pressing to hers, the feel of his skin only deepening his need. Bianca tugged at the falls of his breeches, and he groaned into her mouth. “Love, I’ve only got so much control.”
She giggled even as she finally got the falls undone and pushed the fabric down over his hips. “Control? Why?”
The tip of his manhood landed in the soft folds of her most intimate area and he shuddered, need pulsing through him. Even the small movement made the tip sink in between her folds and Chris squeezed his eyes shut. He wanted to wait until they were married but she was so warm and willing underneath him that he pressed a bit further into her channel.
His mind was a hazy mix of pleasure and yearning. Bianca pressed closer, whispering in his ear. “I want to be yours, Chris.”
Those words pushed him over some invisible edge and he thrust into her, burying himself deep inside her even as she stiffened and gave a tiny cry of protest.
“Are you all right?” he asked, kissing her again. His body cried for more, but his heart and his head held him still.
She gave a tentative nod even as he peppered her face with kisses. “I’ll be fine. I just need a moment.”
Brushing her hair back, he kissed her forehead. “Take all the time you need.”
Slowly, she relaxed under him, her fingers brushing up and down his back until finally she nodded into his shoulder. “I’m ready.”
He eased back out and then back in, testing her body to see how she was adjusting. Her channel was decidedly tight but she didn’t cringe in pain. “Is that okay, my love?”
“Yes,” she breathed against his neck. “Much better.”
That was all he needed to hear, his own passion overwhelming him. He’d never experienced such emotion in lovemaking and the words to tell her how much this meant failed him. But his body said it for him. He held her close, their hearts beating together faster and faster until his need finally broke.
He cried out her name, her body fitted to his. Chris never wanted to be anywhere else.
“Chris,” she said, stroking back his hair. “Are you all right?”
“I’m wonderful,” he answered, rolling onto his side and taking her with him. “Bianca, thank you for being with me. For being mine. Now that I have you…” He took a deep breath. “Say that you’ll be mine forever.”
“I love you,” she gently rubbed her nose against his. “I’ll love you forever.”
He gave her a ghost of a smile. “I just have one more question then.”
“What is it?” She leaned back, looking into his eyes.
“Does marrying you mean that I’ll have to act out a Shakespeare play?”
She pressed her lips together, her eyebrows rising. “I’m afraid it might.”
He grimaced. “And if I stutter?”
She brushed back his hair. “My family will love you for who you are, Chris. Juliet is a giant pain in the rear and we still love her.”
He chuckled at that. “I’ve never had a family before. Not a real one anyhow.”
She laced her arms about his neck. “Welcome.” Then she giggled. “You will alternately love it and hate it.”
“Why’s that?” he asked, his brows drawing together.
She shook her head. “I shan’t tell you until after the wedding.”
That made his brow rise. “Why not?”
“You’ve already taken my maidenhead. I can’t frighten you away now.”
He rolled on top of her again, kissing her long and slow. “I love you, Bianca. Nothing will scare me away now.”
She ran a hand over his brow and down his cheek. “I love you too.”
“How soon will your father allow us to marry?”
“Ophelia and Rathmore are marrying inside of the month,” she said. “I’m sure we can do the same.”
His thumb traced the curve of her lip. “Start planning the wedding.”
“And what will you do?”
“Find us a home. I can’t take you away from your family now. I’ve only just joined.”
She kissed him again. “Let’s marry on the front lawn, overlooking the ocean. Do you think sunrise is too early?”
“Not for me. I think it sounds perfect.”
Epilogue
One month later…
Bianca walked toward Chris, the first rays of morning sun just touching her back. She wore a new gown that was a soft violet color. It floated about her legs even as the breeze ruffled a few loose strands of her hair. Her father held her hand in the crook of his arm as Juliet gave a jaw-splitting yawn.
She nearly giggled. She’d convinced her family to have her early morning wedding but not everyone had been happy about rising before the sun.
In fact, a few of her sisters had been rather adamant that the ceremony take place at a more respectable time. She wasn’t certain but she suspected Chris had stood behind her, glowering at them until they all stopped complaining, which was fine by her. Let them think he was scary. She knew better.
Right now, he didn’t look frightening at all. In fact, a large grin split his face as he reached his hand for hers.
Her father leaned over even as he gave her fingers a gentle pat. “Wonderful job, Bianca. I’m so proud of you.”
“Really,” she asked, reaching for Chris even as she looked to her father. “You think so?”
“That man loves you with his whole heart.” Her father gave her a small wink. “I’m so happy for you.”
She stepped up next to Chris, the rest of their guests melting away. Rathmore was there, along with his cousin, the Marquess of Hartwell, and of course, Dashwood and Crestlane. But three new guests had also arrived. The Baron of Balstead and his sister along with the Duke of Danesbury had arrived. That had been a comedy that she’d remember for a very long time.
But she didn’t
want to think about them now. Because in front of her was the man of her dreams and he’d begun to say his vows. “I promise to love honor and cherish you until death do us part.”
Her hands shook in his as she repeated the same line.
The vicar lifted his, saying, “You may kiss the bride.”
Chris pulled her close and a loud cheer rose as his lips covered hers. She opened her eyes to see the bright orange globe cresting the morning sky. “There it is.” She pointed. “The start of a brand new day.”
He wrapped his arms about her waist. “You are the start of my brand new day.”
Dashlane scoffed next to him. “Who knew that your stoic façade covered such a mushy man?”
Chris glared at Dashlane. “Your turn is coming very soon.”
“It certainly is,” Juliet added, winking. “And so is mine.”
Balstead cleared his throat. “It would seem weddings are contagious.”
Everyone laughed and Bianca squeezed Chris’s hands. “It’s quite the family we’ve built here after all.”
He gave her a smile. The sort that curled her toes. “What would I ever do without you, my love?”
She gave him a large smile. “We’ve just married. Fortunately for both of us, we’ll never have to find out.”
He pulled her in for another kiss. Bianca was home.
* * *
Why a Marauding Marquess is Best
Romancing the Rake Book 4
Tammy Andresen
Why a Marauding Marquess is Best
Dane Summerset, The Marquess of Hartwell, sat in the carriage staring out at the ocean views as his sister chattered incessantly. “A wedding. It’s so exciting. Isn’t it?”
Dane grimaced, not looking at Charlie. Her proper name was Lady Charlotte Summerset, but no one called her by her given name. Anyone familiar enough to know her, referred to her just as Charlie. “Hardly.”
Where to Woo a Bawdy Baron: Romancing the Rake Book 3 Page 10