Page 86 of Untaming Lady Violet
“Would you do it if I begged?”
“No.” The word burst out, frustration evident in the curtness of his tone.
“Then I will not stay. I cannot see you after everything that has passed between us and pretend none of it happened. Being Gadley’s wife, anyone’s wife, is preferable to that torment.”
A roaring sound filled Tristan’s head at the thought of another man touching her. “You forget the price I paid for your freedom.”
Violet’s head tilted. “My freedom or your accessibility, Tristan?”
Setting Carrot aside, she rose up on her knees, shaking her hair back until it tumbled like a waterfall of fire down her back. Her eyes glittered with something Tristan could not name. Resoluteness, perhaps. Angry determination. Something untamed.
She moved closer, reaching out to run a finger down the open vee of his shirt, skimming over the hollow of his throat. “How shall I begin my repayment?”
Tristan stiffened with the question. Her touch was akin to a burning flame licking across his skin, but he refused to give in to the compulsion to snatch her against him. “It is not repayment I want from you. It is that you choose whatyouwant.”
Celia’s words echoed in his head.She is your destiny. And you are hers.
“What would you sacrifice for love, Tristan?” Violet whispered, moving closer still until, even on her knees, she was able to wrap her arms around his neck. “Mine is avoiding the very sight of you so my heart is not ripped to shreds again and again.”
“Do not ask the same of me, Violet. I cannot fathom life without you.”
Violet’s eyes flared with his choice of words. “Then what are we to do? The freedom you bought me will not matter if I have it alone.”
Am I listening to her? She is asking if I love her enough to keep her...
“Then I sacrifice my heart to you. You own it. You have for a long time now.” Tristan’s hand buried itself in her tumble of fire-sparked waves. Tugging her head back, he scrutinized the glow in her eyes. “I never realized until this moment, how your name truly suits you.”
Violet caught her bottom lip in her teeth to still its trembling. “You also believe I am a weed?”
As if disturbed by the conversation, Carrot stretched like a lazy lion, gave them both a disgusted glare, and jumped from the bed to search for monsters behind the window drapes.
“Far from it, my love.” Tristan pushed Violet back, following until they lay entwined on the bed.
It was then Tristan realized the truth of the matter. He loved Violet. Yes, loved her. With every fiber of his being, although he could not utter the words aloud. There was still that tiny, insecure portion of his heart demanding absolute certainty his love was returned before a declaration of such magnitude was pronounced to the world.
Looming over her, he brushed his nose against hers, breathing deeply of her delicate perfume. “Youarea violet. Delicate and sweet, but stubborn and strong enough to withstand the storms. Spreading like an untamed wildfire into dark corners, blooming where you please. Only when it’s too late does a man become aware you’ve invaded every nook and cranny he might possess.”
Violet’s eyes shimmered. Her fingers twined through his hair. “I’ve bloomed because of you, Tristan.”
Tristan stroked Violet’s cheek. “I never looked closely enough to notice your brilliant color and how you shine with such breathtaking light. You’ve invaded me, sweet Violet. Crept inside when I wasn’t expecting it and unfurled your petals. You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, and I love you more than I do my own life.” Taking a deep breath, he smiled at her. “That is what I should have said when you opened your door just now. It’s what I should have said the night you gave your heart to me for safekeeping. Forgive me, kitten. Forgive me for not realizing sooner that I love you. I hope—I hope you will love me again someday.”
Holding his breath, Tristan waited for her reaction. He’d poured his heart out and didn’t know if she would mock his sentiments or…
Violet’s arms wound tight around his neck. Sweet lavender and vanilla perfume teased him. The globes of her breasts pressed against his chest. She was crying, and oh, God, what should he do next? How could he fix what had hurt her so deeply?
“I love you now, Tristan. I’ve loved you forever. I will love you for an eternity.”
His lips moved against her ear. “When you decide it’s time, Violet, will you marry me?”
Tilting her head back, Violet’s smile was one of sweet triumph. “I would marry you this instant if I could, Tristan Buchanan. I would give myself to you in every way you desired. I am yours.”
“And my soul belongs to you, my wild Violet. Now, kiss me so I may live on it until you are completely mine in every way.”
“A single kiss is not enough to survive on,” Violet murmured, her lips pressing against his.
Her words penetrated the haze surrounding Tristan. She loved him. And she would become his wife as soon as he could arrange a ceremony.
Gathering Violet tight, he rocked against her, his need battering away at his common sense. He could restrain himself if he truly tried. Control his primal urges until she was legally his wife.
