Page 29 of A Season for Christmas

“I know. I am as well.” He took a deep breath. “I was angry at you for a long time, and you did not deserve that anger. I was not in your position. The more I have thought about things, the more I wish I had been more understanding. I could not have changed the circumstances, but I could have changed my reactions to them.”

“You do not need to apologize. I was not strong enough back then. I led you on?—”

“Did you love me the way you say?” he asked, raising his eyebrows at her because he already knew the answer. He’d known it then, too. But in his youth, he had not understood that love was not necessarily enough. There had been toomany obstacles, too many expectations laid upon her by people she cared about.

“I did. Which is why I should have?—”

“Stop.” He shook his head. “You loved me; therefore, you did not lead me on. I know if the choice had been your own, you would have chosen me. I came to understand that, even though I hated it. But I never hated you. I always loved you. I still want to marry you.”

Her breath hitched, and he continued before she could make any response.

“You do not have to answer me now, but I wanted you to know. So if that is not even a possibility for you, that you can tell me. And?—”

“Yes.”

Samuel blinked at the interruption, caught off guard and having to rethread his line of thought. She’d said yes. Did that mean…

“I… you want to marry me?” His voice went higher, stunned into disbelief. He’d wanted nothing more than to share his intentions, not to actually propose—though if she was saying yes, he was not going to walk the words back.

Her smile widened, eyes sparkling, as she lifted her hands to either side of his face.

“Yes.” She curled her fingers around his jaw. “Now, kiss me.”

Laughing, he lowered his lips obligingly to hers and kissed her. Deeply. Thoroughly. Every part of him internally cheering. No, he had not meant it to be a proposal, yet, somehow, it was the perfect one, the perfect moment. He was so caught up in his personal happiness, in their passionate kiss, he did not hear the cheering until he was pulling away from her.

Gregory and his mother stood watching them from infront of the fireplace, applauding and adding their vocal encouragement for the kiss.

“We are to be married,” Samuel called out to them, unable to hold back the news. Catherine laughed as the duchess squealed in delight and rushed to them to give them both an embrace of congratulations. Gregory followed, though a little slower than his mother, not from lack of enthusiasm but from a greater sense of propriety.

“You are such a good boy,” the duchess told Samuel, patting his cheek as she beamed up at him.

He was not sure exactly what kind of expression he had on his face, but whatever contortion happened, it sent Catherine into gales of laughter.

They finished out their visit in great spirits, departing with some reluctance and also a great deal of enthusiasm as they made their way to Gretna Green before returning to London.

14

Three weeks later– in France

Catherine

It had turned out Christmas was not so bad when spent with the right man, and the same held true for being married. They had only been married for three weeks, yet somehow, it felt as though they’d been together forever. She knew it was not true, but something had happened to the way time passed ever since they’d left for the Duke of Clarence’s estate.

Upon their return home from Gretna Green, they’d visited with the Marquess of Camden and his family, reporting their findings from Clarence. Samuel was quite firm that the duke had nothing to do with the demise of his father but passed on the discovery of the threatening letters, which gave Camden another avenue to pursue.

Then Samuel had arranged for a honeymoon trip to the continent for them. If there were any updates to the investigation, they would not hear of them until they returned. She’d thought she might be more impatient to hear if any ofthe mystery had been further uncovered, but once she and Samuel were away together, she found it hard to care. All of her attention was on their time together, the incredible places they were visiting, and their deepening love.

And here, in France, they had made a very special purchase that she was eager to utilize for the first time.

“I am not sure about this,” Samuel said as she pressed him back against the bed, his expression caught between consternation and excitement. She put her hand in the middle of his chest and pushed, forcing him down, his dark hair stark against the white pillow.

“We have already been using the dilators,” she replied teasingly, reaching down to stroke the leather cock that was strapped to her with leather straps secured around her thighs and hips. There was a little piece that pressed firmly against her clit when she put pressure on the dildo. It was smaller than his cock in girth and nearly as long, but considering what she wanted to do with it, she could understand his consternation. “I will be gentle.”

Probably.

She’d seen other men taken this way at the Society of Sin, and it had always interested her in theory. She’d witnessed men with other men and men with women wearing false cocks much like the one currently harnessed around her body. Many of them had both loved and hated it; all of them had found it uncomfortable before finding inexpressible pleasure. Samuel was the first to make her want to make an attempt. She did not mind his discomfort since she liked knowing he was taking it for her because he wanted to please her.

She’d known something of what to do, so she had done her best to prepare him with the dilators over the past fewnights of their honeymoon, stretching his anus until he could take the third largest of the set.

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