“Yes.”
He gave a slight wince. “Before we go any further, are you able to forgive me for this evening’s subterfuge?”
“I understand why you felt the need to behave in this way, so of course I forgive you,” she answered without hesitation. “Do you forgive me?”
“Always,” he assured fervently.
“Thank you.” She gave him a tearful smile. “I should very much like to meet your friends under different circumstances. Most of all, I should like to thank them for saving your life ten years ago, and so allowing you to be alive to love me and so that I might love you in return. If you do still love me?” she added uncertainly.
James held her gaze as he moved round to stand in front of her. “This is far from the ideal place for this, but…” He took hold of one of her hands and dropped to one knee. “Beatrix Margaret Anne Winter.” He smiled when her eyes widened in surprise at his knowing her full name. “I love, adore, respect, and desire you with every particle of my being. Would you do me the greatest honor and become my wife and countess?”
Hot tears welled up and stung Beatrix’s eyes before cascading down her cheeks. “Yes,” she accepted wholeheartedly.
James rose to his feet, pulling Beatrix up with him, before taking her into his arms and lowering his head so that his lips could claim hers.
Beatrix was instantly bombarded with even more emotions.
Happiness.
Desire.
But most of all, love.
Chapter Eight
“What is this place?” Beatrix looked at their less than ideal surroundings sometime later.
“A row of empty shops bought by my uncle when he held the Ipswich title. The lads and I intend to refurbish them before I sell them.” He smiled ruefully. “I may now be the Earl of Ipswich, but they will always be my friends, and I will always want them to be a part of my life,” he explained.
She nodded. “As they should be.”
James frowned his concerned as Beatrix then gave a shiver. “Perhaps it is time I took you home?”
“Your home?”
His eyes widened. “I do not think that would be…appropriate.”
Beatrix burst out laughing. “I have been kidnapped, held hostage by three ruffians in an abandoned store, been proposed to by a fourth, and then kissed within an inch of my life. I believe we dispensed with propriety the moment your friend Billy threw me over his shoulder and carried me away from Shaftesbury House under your instruction!”
James’s lips curved into a smile, a humor that was reflected in the glint of his eyes. “It does seem so, yes.”
Her expression brightened. “We can send a note to Benedict assuring him of my safety once we reach Ipswich House, and then tomorrow, I am sure that you or Benedict will be able to secure a special marriage license from the Prince Regent. That way, we will be able to marry within the next week, and it will not matter if there are consequences to our having anticipated our wedding night by several days?”
A warm glow filled James’s chest at the thought of Beatrix becoming his wife within a matter of days. Nor was he in the least concerned with propriety. Except… “You will not think anticipating our wedding night is the same as me not treating you with the respect you deserve?”
She chuckled. “I will see it as you desiring me as desperately as I desire you.”
“In that case… My carriage awaits outside, my lady.” James swept her up into his arms and carried her over to the door, waiting until she had reached down and opened it before he carried her outside to where his carriage did indeed await.
Once they reached Ipswich House, James proceeded to show Beatrix exactly how much he respected and desired her, as much as he loved her to his very heart and soul.
Beatrix had never dreamed that such ecstasy existed as when, naked in bed with him, James suckled her nipples into the heat of his mouth or, having slid farther down her body, he lay between her parted thighs and his lips and tongue played with the nubbin hidden amongst the curls covering her mound until her body exploded in a cascade of rapturous pleasure.
“Yes,” she encouraged. She parted her legs wider after James moved upward, until the hardness of his cock nudged against but did not enter the opening to her weeping channel. “Please, James,” she urged at his delay.
He gazed intently into her eyes. “I love you so very much, Beatrix.”
“As I love you,” she assured. “Now please, make me yours,” she pressed breathlessly, her arms and legs wrapped about his chest and thighs.
He continued to hold her gaze with his as he rested his weight on one elbow while lifting up to use his other hand to guide and then ease his throbbing cock inside her.
There was a pinch of pain for a second or two before that hardness surged fully inside her. Beatrix joyfully met each pleasurable thrust as James claimed her, and she claimed him, for the rest of their lives.
* * *
“It would seem we both bear the scars of our past.” Beatrix traced the myriad scars upon James’s bare chest, arms, and back as the two of them lay naked in his bed a long time later.
James’s scars had mainly occurred, he had told her, from his having been attacked with knives by rival gangs during his early years of living in St. Giles. Latterly, James and his three cohorts had taken over as the leading gang, and those fights became less frequent.
He grimaced. “Living in St. Giles was not always…pleasant.”
“Will you tell me about it one day?” she prompted softly.
“Of course,” he agreed readily. “Those ten years helped shape me into the man I am today.”
“Which is one of fairness and kindness.”
James smiled at her indulgently. “I was not sure you thought that a week ago.”
Beatrix looked pained. “Please tell me you understand why I had to do what I did?”
“I do.” He nodded. “I only wish it had been less painful to me. I really thought you did not love me, Beatrix.”
“What made you realize the truth?”
“You did.” He smiled at her lovingly. “We had been friends before, and the Beatrix I love would never be deliberately cruel or hurtful to anyone. Therefore, there had to be a reason for her appearing to be so toward me.”
Tears stung her eyes. “It was never my intention to hurt you, James. I merely wished for you to see me as being a whole and desirable woman. One who is your equal and not in the least in need of your pity.”
“I confess, something your brother said indicated as much.” He sighed heavily. “I had not realized until then how my proposal might have sounded that way to you.” His arms tightened about her. “Please believe I do not see your scars, love, only your beauty, inside and out.”
“I see your own scars as the physical evidence of the things you have suffered through in order to survive and bring you to this place.”
“In bed with the woman I love,” he stated with satisfaction. “I could wish for nothing else.”
Neither could Beatrix.
Epilogue
Ipswich House, London
One year later
“Who would have thought, even twelve months ago, that all of us would be here today, cuddling our sons and heirs, after returning from having them all christened together at St. George’s?” James mused to the four gentlemen, Blackborne, Andover, Winter, and Shaftesbury, seated with him at one end of the sitting room in Ipswich House as he absently rocked his own son in the warm security of his arms.
He glanced across the room to where Beatrix and the other four wives were sitting drinking tea together, their husbands having all offered to entertain their sons while they did so.
As if she were aware of his glance, a warm smile curved Beatrix’s lips as she turned to look at him. They shared a moment of intense love before Beatrix’s gaze dropped to the baby snuggled against James’s chest. Her breasts rose as she seemed momentarily overwhelmed with love for both of them, then her gaze lifted back to meet James’s,
and she blew him a kiss before her attention was taken by his sister, Bethany.
“My darling wife is beside herself at having the king not only attend the christening but also stand up as godparent to our son,” James confided to the other gentlemen.
It had been Beatrix’s idea to christen all the babies together, as they had been born with scarcely two months between them.
James had put forward the idea of asking the new king to stand as godparent to their own son, a request echoed by his four friends in regard to their own heirs.
The previous Prince Regent, now King George IV, was never one to stand on ceremony when amongst friends, and he was currently standing across James and Beatrix’s sitting room, involved in what appeared to be a hilarious conversation with James’s three friends from St. Giles.
To James’s relief, Beatrix had taken a great liking to Billy, Arthur, and Sean, and the three were often invited to return home with James at the end of their working day to enjoy a meal with the two of them at Ipswich House. Indeed, Beatrix had told him she believed Billy had taken rather a liking to one of the housemaids, and that the liking was returned.
“My wife had a similar reaction when I made the same request of His Majesty,” Blackborne drawled.
“And mine.” Winter smiled at the sleeping baby in his arms.
“At least my son behaved during the church service.” Shaftesbury remained placid as the baby in his arms now screamed at the top of his lungs.
“Unlike mine.” Andover chuckled indulgently.
Andover’s son had taken an aversion to the water being drizzled on his forehead during the service and made sure everyone was made aware of it. He’d had to be quickly removed from the king’s arms and returned to his mother’s, where he had proceeded to hiccup accusingly through the remainder of the service. Contrarily, he was now fast asleep in his father’s arms and completely unperturbed by the crying of the other baby, who, along with the three others present today, was destined to become one of his closest friends for the rest of their lives.
James glanced affectionately at these four men and their wives. They were as much his family as Beatrix, their month-old son, his sister Bethany, and the three men from St. Giles, who would forever be his brothers of the heart, were.
A family James had once believed would never be his and which he now treasured as much as he did Beatrix, their young son, and any more children that might bless their marriage.
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About the Author
Carole Mortimer is a USA Today Bestselling Author and recipient of the RWA Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award 2015, RT Career Achievement Award 2017, RT Pioneer for Romance Award 2014. She was also recognized by Queen Elizabeth II in 2012 for her ‘outstanding service to literature’. Carole has written over 260 contemporary, Regency and paranormal romance novels.
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She is happily married to Peter. They have 6 sons, and live on the beautiful Isle of Man. She also loves to hear from Readers!
Other books by Carole Mortimer
Regency Scandal:
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WANTON (Regency Scandal 1)
More books to come in this series
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Russian Dragon Heat
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VLADIMIR (Russian Dragon Heat 1)
VAUGHN (Russian Dragon Heat 2)
More books to come in this series.
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Regency Club Venus:
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Bastian’s Surrender (Regency Club Venus 1)
Gabriel’s Torment (Regency Club Venus 2)
Benedict’s Challenge (Regency Club Venus 3)
Julius’s Passion (Regency Club Venus 4)
James’s Lady (Regency Club Venus 5)
Series now complete.
* * *
Dance with the Devil Series:
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MATTEO (Dance with the Devil 1)
LEON (Dance with the Devil 2)
KILLIAN (Dance with the Devil 3)
More books to come in this series
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Regency Men in Love M/M (Written as C A Mortimer)
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Hidden Lover (Regency Men in Love 1)
Hidden Desire (Regency Men in Love 2)
More books to come in this series.
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Regency Lovers Series:
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INDECENT (Regency Lovers 1)
OBSESSION (Regency Lovers 2)
CRAVING (Regency Lovers 3)
FORBIDDEN (Regency Lovers 4)
SURRENDER (Regency Lovers 5)
SCANDAL (Regency Lovers 6)
Series complete
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Steele Protectors Series:
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LOGAN (Steele Protectors 1)
ATTICUS (Steele Protectors 2)
BRYCE (Steele Protectors 3)
ROURKE (Steele Protectors 4)
HAYDN (Steele Protectors 5) Author’s 250th book
LUCAN (Steele Protectors 6)
Series Complete
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Dragon Hearts – Contemporary paranormal
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Nathaniel (Dragon Hearts 1)
Deryk (Dragon Hearts 2)
Bryn (Dragon Hearts 3)
Dylan (Dragon Hearts 4)
Grigor (Dragon Hearts 5)
Garrett (Dragon Hearts 6)
Aeran & Rhys (Dragon Hearts 7)
Dragon Reunion (Dragon Hearts 8)
Series Complete
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Regency Sinners Series:
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Wicked Torment (Regency Sinners 1)
Wicked Surrender (Regency Sinners 2)
Wicked Scandal (Regency Sinners 3)
Wicked Deception Regency Sinners 4)
Wicked Captive (Regency Sinners 5)
Wicked Temptation (Regency Sinners 6)
Wicked Sinner (Regency Sinners 7)
Wicked Christmas (Regency Sinners 8)
Series now complete.
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Regency Unlaced Series:
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The Duke’s Mistress (Book 1)
Claimed by the Marquis (Book 2)
Taken by the Earl (Book 3)
Pursued by the Viscount (Book 4)
Desired by a Lord (Book 5)
Captured by a Gentleman (Book 6)
Pleasured by a Duke (Book 7)
Seduced by a Marquis (Book 8)
Tamed by the Earl (Book 9)
Series now complete
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Knight Security Series: Spin-off to ALPHA series
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Resisting Alexandre (Knight Security 0.5)
Defying Asher (Knight Security 1)
Challenging Gabriel (Knight Security 2)
Capturing Caleb (Knight Security 3)
Tempting Zander (Knight Security 4)
Enticing Ian (Knight Security 5)
Seducing Ethan (Knight Security 6)
Series now complete
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ALPHA Series:
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Christmas Alpha (Alpha 1)
Dark Alpha (Alpha 2)
Shadow Alpha (Alpha 3) Author’s 200th Book
/> Midnight Alpha (Alpha 4)
Renegade Alpha (Alpha 5)
Warrior Alpha (Alpha 6)
Rogue Alpha (Alpha 7)
Savage Alpha (Alpha 8)
Series is now complete
James's Lady (Regency Club Venus 5) Page 5