Page 132 of A Reign of Roses
“Who else?” He placed the final candle along the brick beneath his feet. “Everything…it’s all for you.”
My feet carried me to him without thought until I was grasping his hands in mine. Both were chilled from snow, but I hadn’t even noticed until I saw the little flakes decorate his thick brows.
“Are you cold?”
I shook my head. “Kane, what is all this?”
With no fanfare or theatrics, Kane knelt on one knee before me and said, “You deserve far more. You deserve a long life and children if you’d like them and days upon days without fear. Acres of flowers and all the cloverbread that can be baked.”
A quiet, tearful laugh tumbled out of me.
“It kills me, bird, that I cannot promise you any of it. All I can promise you is myself—my love, my respect, my devotion—every day that we have together, and every day that exists beyond then.” Kane’s eyes gleamed. “In life, in death, my soul is yours. Arwen, will you be my wife?”
My chest expanded. I could hardly breathe past the swell of it.
“I love you,” I whispered.
“Is that a yes?” he whispered back, roguish smile melting my heart.
I nodded vigorously.
Kane’s mouth was on mine faster than I’d seen him stand. His warm lips enveloped me, and I pulled myself against him so tightly I felt the breath leave his lungs in a rush. His tongue licked against mine and I shivered.
I had barely pulled away, could still taste his breath as I uttered, “But…”
Kane’s shoulders stilled beneath my hands. “But.”
The words nearly doubled me over. “But aren’t you afraid? Of what will come next? Aren’t we…” I couldn’t saydoomedorhopeless. Not with all this beauty surrounding us and sparkling in his silver eyes.
He took my chilly hands in his and pulled me closer. His warm breath fanned over our interlocked fingertips. “I’m only afraid ofbeing without you. In death. In life. It’s all the same to me if we aren’t together.”
Before the tears could wreck me, I brought my lips up to his once more. Our kiss was even more hurried this time. Fiercer. More desperate. Tongues and teeth and breath.
“Inside?” he murmured into my lips.
“I’m not even cold anymore,” I said, pressing my mouth under his ear and down the warm column of his neck. It was Kane’s turn to shiver.
“That’s not why…” He grunted before he could finish the words as my lips traveled along the center of his throat.
My blood heated instantly. “Yes,” I mumbled. “Inside.”
Kane released me, and like teenagers we raced through the iridescent, glittering snow back toward the keep.
36
Kane
“I want to try something,”Arwen breathed, as I mouthed the soft silk of her nightdress over her stomach and ran my fingers down her slender, toned legs.
With great difficulty I lifted my mouth from her body and peered up at her. Her cheeks were still flushed from the winter snow. Rosy and feminine. Her nose a little red, too. She pushed stray hairs out of her face and I imagined what my signet ring would look like glinting on her left hand. The thought sent a near-predatory need to claim her skating across my bones.
“Mhm?” I crawled closer and trailed indulgent kisses across her warm collarbone. “My sweet wife.” I brought my mouth down to her stomach, lifting the inhibiting dress up, yanking her thin cotton undergarments down—
“Kane.” She laughed, weaving her hands through my hair. “Did you hear me?”
Gods, I love how she says my name…
“Kane?”
