Aidan was looking at her with such shock and confusion written all over his handsome face, it was hard to look away, but she did. Couldn’t let him sway her with his lies any longer.
He grabbed her chin in a soft, but firm grip and tilted her face up to his. “Rhia, the only person I want to marry, and am going to marry I might add, is the woman standing in front of me. You heard me right on that, you are going to marry me. I will not take no for an answer.” Rhia didn’t want to look at him, or hear this, but he held her face in place. Gently.
“I have never touched that woman. Not ever. The very thought makes my stomach turn, and my entire body shudder. I was with my mother, Cole and the girls the other night planning my proposal to you. I wasn’t with her. I have never been with anyone in that way, let alone her. The closest I came to being with someone in that way was you Rhia. I would rather be alone for the rest of my life than be with her. I wouldn't do that to you. I am not the sort of man to do that. Never Rhia. She is the last person I would want. And I would never lie to you about that. Why would I ever want that witch when I have perfection in human form standing in front of me? I have never said anything about you that was unkind. Never put on an act to make someone believe something that wasn’t true. Everything I did to defend you was me, protecting you and failing apparently. Do you really think I would say something horrible about the woman I love? That I could? That I would treat you that way? That I don’t want more from you? I want everything Rhia.”
His eyes sparkled as it was her turn for her jaw to drop open. “What?” He was untouched? Like she was? That couldn’t be right. And he said he loved me? It wasn’t all an act? “But I heard her...”
He smiled gently and cupped her face in his hands, “If you would have found me and spoken to me last night, I could have cleared this up. I know what she said my love, but listen to what I am saying now. All she has ever done is hurt you and insult you. I should have put a stop to it and made them leave after the first time they spoke to you in that way, regardless of the consequences and I apologize for that. I will never stop apologizing for being such an idiot and letting them stay. That I let them continue feeding you lies and hurtful words. That I didn’t protect you from it, even though I vowed I would. I am beyond angry that they would dare spread such lies that would have affected so many lives. That they almost ruined our happiness.”
Aidan sighed, and shook his head. He leaned down and kissed Rhia on her forehead, and put his forehead to hers, “I love you Rhiannon. You. So much it hurts. You are the most perfect woman I have ever seen and I wish there was some way I can prove it to you. I have been in love with you since I found you; out in the rain, shaking with cold, and covered in mud. You were so kind then, even though you were cold, wet and hurting. You didn’t know me, didn’t know who I was, but you were still worried about me. I brought you home and cared for you. I hated that you were ever in pain, and slept by your bed most nights, just watching you breathe. After your fever broke, I was so relieved, and I sent my family away. I had to be the one to be there when you woke. And I didn’t care that it was inappropriate. I was beyond caring. Then you woke, and knowing more about you, finding out how strong you are, and seeing that strength in person. Never once did you lash out at me, or my family. Even when you were deathly ill, and trying so hard to recover. You were always kind. From the first moment, when you had no reason to be. You were kind.”
He kissed her softly, “You are the one I love. And will always love. The girl I knew I was meant to be with. That was meant to be mine. My gift after my life of hell, pain and pure darkness. There was something about you that I was drawn to. It was like my soul knew it had found its other half, my heart knew that it was finally whole. It almost brought me to my knees, that knowledge, but at the same time made me want to fly. I want to share my every secret with you, my thoughts, feelings, and more.”
He kissed her softly again, “I want to see your face every day when we wake up together, at breakfast, at lunch, at supper and every night in our bed in our room. I won't sleep apart from you, I won’t be separated from you. I want to have children with you, to raise them together, to be the parents that my mother was, and wished my father could have been. I want to take you on adventures and see the world. I want to take you to every single ball in London to show the ton that you are mine and mine alone. To show the men there that I found an angel, and I would want the women to see that I found the most beautiful woman who ever lived. To make them all jealous with the love we found. I want to grow old with you, and see how beautiful you will be as the years go on. You have made me happier than I ever thought I could be Rhia. I didn’t realize I lived in darkness until you brought your light to my life. Didn’t know that I only saw in shades of black and white. Until you brought your color to brighten up my world. Please say you will be mine. My wife, my love, my life. I love you Rhia. Marry me and make me the happiest man alive.”
And with that, he produced a box from his coat pocket and sank to one knee in front of her.
She put her hands to her mouth, tears running down her face. She started nodding and finally moved her hands, “Yes, Aidan, oh yes! I would love to marry you.” Still trying to understand that this man loved her. As much as she loved him.
She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart, and her tears, “Oh Aidan. I am sorry I left like I did. I just was so caught up in the emotions of hearing that my love, the man I wanted to be mine, was not mine at all. That you would only want me for your mistress, it broke me Aidan. Broke my heart and I swear I left pieces of it behind. Bleeding and broken. I couldn’t take the pain. Didn’t want to be reminded of it with every moment I stayed in that house and saw your handsome face. I wish I had found you last night, but I believed her. Believed that you didn’t want me and I didn’t want to face that. I want all those things too, every single thing you said, I can see it with you. I imagine my life; my future and you are all I see. I love you Aidan. So much.”
Aidan grinned so wide and stood, sweeping her into his arms and kissing her hard. He pulled back long enough to put the ring on her finger, then he was kissing her again.
He kissed her until they were both breathless, and he pulled back again. She didn’t like that, so she stood up on one tip toe and brought his mouth back to hers. Loving the feel of his firm mouth against hers, the taste of him in her mouth and his body surrounding hers with his warmth.
His hands roamed down her body and she shivered. He broke the kiss to move his lips down her jaw, placing soft kisses every inch or so as he moved down to her throat. Her head fell back, and moved from side to side as he explored her neck. Feeling him lick her softly and kiss her all over.
She moaned when he kissed her just below her ear, sucking lightly on her skin there, and then the skin of her throat where her shoulder met her neck. He moved down to where her robe covered her up and nuzzled her where the fabric met her skin. He was like a man possessed. He could not stop himself.
“We need to stop, or I am going to make you mine before we leave this room. Take you and make you my wife in the oldest way. You are far too tempting and I am on edge. Having you gone like that has made me a little insane. I want nothing more than to throw you on that bed and show you what you mean to me. Show you exactly how I feel about you. But you deserve more than that. You deserve for me to treat you like a lady and wait for our wedding night. I need to remember to be a gentleman.” He panted as he pulled away.
She was panting too. “I know that is what we should do. It most certainly isn’t proper, but, don’t stop Aidan. I don’t care about propriety anymore. I just want you to make me yours. I am yours. I wouldn’t want it any other way. You told me you loved me in this room. And I want to feel you surround me, and love me like you said. Please Aidan.”
Aidan groaned in surrender, and took her mouth in another blistering kiss. He pulled back slightly, “Are you certain? There is no going back. You already are going to be my wife, but there is no changing that you bel
ong to me and I belong to you. Not after this.”
She nodded and took matters into her own hands as she unbuttoned his jacket, pushing it off his wide shoulders. It hit the floor with barely a sound. “I am.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Aidan
Northumberland, England Sept, 1812
He took her lips again, frantic in his passion. He needed her naked, to finally see her in all her beauty. He set to undoing the tie on her dressing robe, and slipped it from her shoulders where it pooled on the floor, leaving her in her threadbare shift.
She quickly unbuttoned his waistcoat and it too hit the floor. She put her hands on his chest and he groaned at the feel of her fingers through his shirt. Loving her touch on him, but needing more.
Pulling her against him, he kissed her again and then moved to her throat and to her collarbone he had uncovered. He loved kissing her soft skin, seeing the marks he left there when he sucked on her skin lightly.
They were both breathing hard and Aidan’s fingers trembled when he reached for the tie on the front of her shift. Pulling it, the front parted, showing the tops of her heaving breasts.
Just thinking about how perfect they fit in his hand, made him suck in a breath. He loved just how they fit in his hand. Even overfilling them with her size. Pulling the material aside, it slipped off one shoulder and he pushed it off the other. Seeing her smooth skin made him want more.
The shift slid down her body, catching on her slightly flared hips and she pushed it all the way off until it hit the floor. It made no noise as it did so, and then it was forgotten. Just a heap of fabric that joined all the others.
She was worried he would see her scar and turn away from her, but it was only for a heartbeat. He too had scars, she knew it was his worry. So, she let her worry about hers go with that small thought.
He cupped one of her perfect breasts in one hand and drew his thumb over her nipple. It pebbled under his ministrations, and she gasped and arched her back. Lowering his head, Aidan took one pink nipple in his mouth and sucked. Rhia cried out at the sensation and arched more.
She tasted divine. Like soap, and her. There was no other way to describe her. It was his favorite flavor. Her taste was decadent and divine. Moving to her other nipple, he suckled it too.
Her hands grabbed his hair in fistfuls and disheveled it from its queue. “Aidan.” She gasped out, “Oh, oh Aidan…”
He groaned at the sound of her moans and his name spilling from her lips, and how she responded to his touch. He picked her up when he couldn't take it anymore, and put her on the bed. He needed more. Seeing her naked body on the bed, was something from a dream. He leaned down over her, kissing her hard, before moving down and capturing her soft nipple in his mouth again.
She reached for his shirt, trying to pull it up his body, but he hesitated. Letting her nipple slip from his lips, he was panting hard. He reared back and she opened her eyes, looking at him.
Her breasts were still heaving and were now wet from the ministrations of his mouth. “What’s wrong?” She gasped out.
“I, um, I.” He cursed under his breath softly and he knew she could see red creep up his neck. He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment and cleared his throat. “I haven’t taken off my shirt to show anyone my scars before. There are a lot of them, Rhia. A lot. I don’t know how you will feel when you see them.”
She smiled at him, her eyes gentle and full of love and heat. “Aidan, I love you and your scars. You have seen my scars. They don’t bother you. Do they?” Aidan shook his head and leaned down and kissed the long scars on her leg. Paying homage to each line and pucker in her perfect skin.
“Then why would the scars I don’t even see bother me? I love your scars Aidan. They are part of you, like mine is part of me. They made you who you are, the man you are today. They made you into the man I fell in love with. They won’t scare me away. They don’t bother me, in fact, they make me love you more because of them.”
He nodded, shutting his eyes for a moment, and then removing his shirt. He heard her suck in a gasp. Opening his eyes, he looked down, knowing he had a few scars on his shoulders, but they were mainly on his back. “What?”
She smiled again, this time with hooded eyes. She must have liked what she saw.
Rhiannon
Rhia studied Aidan’s body with heat in her eyes. She knew he could feel it as she looked over every inch of his perfect physique.
His body looked like someone sculpted him from marble. He was broad in the shoulders, his chest hard, with very little hair on it, and his stomach was lined with muscle. His arms were large with muscle as well, and she had to suck in a breath. Knowing just how those arms felt when they carried her, and when they wrapped around her.
He had a small strip of hair leading down from his navel and into his pants. His hips were practically carved into a 'V’ shape. The extreme “V” of his hips was making his pants fit lower than they should have, and she could see his erection tenting the front falls of his breeches.
Looking at him, remembering everything they had done just moments ago, and earlier, in the stables, she felt her body get wet. Wetter than she had ever been before. She was slippery between her thighs, and she ached low in her belly.
She knew he had given her pleasure before, but this was different. With them both naked, Rhia couldn’t wait to feel Aidan’s skin against hers. She wanted to feel every single thing.
To be with him in the way they were destined to from the start. To feel every single inch of his magnificent body against every part of her. He stood head and shoulders over her, and she loved how big he was, how tall, how strong. How his body seemed carved from stone.
She couldn't wait any longer. She wanted to be his in every primal way they could. And she knew that those thoughts shouldn't be in her head, but she found she didn't care.
She wanted to be one with this man. The man who loved her as much as she loved him and she couldn't wait for that moment. But first, she had to see everything. To have him show her what he was so scared to reveal. His scars were part of him and she loved them already.
Her mouth went dry and she cleared her throat. “You are the most perfect man I have ever seen. The only man I have ever wanted and loved. I need to see them Aidan. Show me.”
She watched Aidan take a deep breath and he turned around.
Aidan
Aidan heard her gasp, the bed creak, and he felt her body warmth as she stood behind him. He was breathing hard and was nervous about her gasp. He shut his eyes, hoping that she wouldn't reject him for this.
Then he jumped slightly when he felt her fingertips touch his bare skin. He held still, letting her explore him as she saw fit. And explore him she did. She let no part of his skin go unexplored. And he marveled that she touched him with no hesitation, or fear.
He started again when he felt soft kisses touch the uneven skin. All over his ruined back. He turned to look down at her over his shoulder.
She smiled up at him, “You are so beautiful to me. These scars made you the man you are. I love them for that. Not for the pain they caused you, but because you are still here, fighting, loving. My warrior. I wish upon every star that you didn’t have to go through what you did to get them, but they do not bother me. They never have. I love you Aidan. You are so perfect. Even more in my eyes. Mine. My love.”
He smiled, “I have never seen anything more perfect than you.”
She reached for him and he went to her willingly. He kissed her lush mouth again to thank her for not giving up on him. For accepting him, scars and all.
Their kiss turned heavy and their tongues dueled with each other. He felt her hands run up and down the uneven skin of his back.
He too ran his hands up and down her bare, creamy skin which felt like silk. He stopped at her hips, using them to lift her into the air and onto the bed. He took a minute to ground himself against her until she cried out in his mouth, and then he cupped her full breasts in his hands.
<
br /> He tested their weight, and squeezed them in his hands. He had large hands and her breasts fit inside them perfectly. She let out a moan. And it made him smile. Knowing how he affected her.
He pulled back and scanned her perfect body, her breasts round and firm with the most beautiful pink nipples that just begged for his mouth again.
She also had a triangle of dark hair between her thighs that practically pointed the way toward paradise. Her perfect long legs. One interrupted by a large scar on her knee that led up to her thigh. But to him, she was perfect. The scar only added to her beautiful body.
He stood back from the bed as he unbuttoned his falls on his breeches and pulled them off.
She sucked in another breath and he looked down again, not seeing why she was distressed. “What’s wrong? Are you all right?”
She swallowed, looking at his engorged erection. Her eyes wide, and a little wary. “You... you are rather large. Are we even, um able to fit? I mean, I know the logistics of this, but can you fit? I am worried you will be too big for me.”
He smiled, “You were made for me Rhia. Like I was made for you. Trust me love, I will fit.”
She nodded and he joined her on the bed, kissing her mouth again. His tongue sweeping in to taste her.
He moved back down her body and sucked a nipple in his mouth, then did the same to the other one. He nudged her knees apart and moved his hand down her belly to the tangle of hair that covered her core, and never having touched her there before, he wanted to see if she was wet for him. If she wanted this as much as he did.
He could feel the heat coming from her and he slowly moved his finger into the wetness that awaited him there.
The Duke Who Loved Me Page 30