Page 79 of A Marquess to Save Her
"I told her I was not in the least interested in her because my heart is already occupied by someone else,'" Callum said.
Louise raised an eyebrow as her heart thudded lightly.
Is Callum confessing to being in love with someone else?"And who is this person who has managed to capture your heart?" Louise asked as she felt her heart breaking.
"Before I answer your question; tell me, did I ever mean anything to you, Louise?" Callum asked.
"I...I do not understand," Louise lied. If Callum's heart was indeed captured by someone else, then she would rather not confess her feelings to him.Of course, you mean something to me. In fact, you mean everything to me.
"Did you only pretend to care about me in order to win Felington's affection back?" Callum asked.
"What?" She was genuinely shocked now.
"I thought to ask because now that Felington wants to make you his bride once more, you seem to be happy about it. When I sneaked looks at you during the dance, you seemed to be enjoying his presence as you were all smiles and laughed," Callum said.
"This is just ridiculous. I only laughed and smiled at him because it was the polite thing to do. Of course, I do not care for the Earl. I only care for..." Louise stopped herself from uttering the next words.
She was afraid that he did not feel the same way and then she would be totally heartbroken when he told her that.
"...you," she finally said, "I only care for you. And I do not care if you do not feel the same way. I just wish to tell you and get it out of my mind. I know you have sworn off marriage and someone has now captured your heart, but I care deeply for you and you are in my thoughts at every time of the day."
"Louise," Callum said, holding her by the shoulders as he broke into a broad smile, "do you mean what you have just said?"
"Of course, I do, Callum," she said, "you know I do. But I know we could never be together since you said your heart belongs to someone else."
"It is you, Louise," Callum said, "you are the one my heart belongs to."
Louise's heart leaped with joy. For the first time since she entered Callum's office, she smiled.
"Why then have you never told me?" She asked, "Ever since we met, you have awakened something in me and even now, I want you badly."
"Is that so?" Callum asked, raising his eyebrow, "Then show me just how much you want me."
"I am very happy to oblige," Louise said before she rose to her feet and planted herself in between Callum's legs.
Since he was sitting on the table, she did not have to stand on her tiptoe to kiss him. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in. When their lips met, she felt a cozy warmth course through her body, inflaming her whole body. Louise moaned softly as she kissed his lips and he kissed her in return. She had missed this, she had missed kissing Callum and the feelings it elicited inside of her.
The more they kissed, the more she wanted. She knew she could never have enough of Callum, of kissing him and of having his body pressed against her. "Louise," Callum murmured, "you have no idea how much I've been wanting to do this all evening."
"Me too," Louise replied, and their tongues began to wrestle to a faster rhythm.
Creak!
They sprung apart instinctively at the sound of the door opening. At the door was Felington and just right behind him with a smug smile on her face was no other than Catherine.
"Look what we have here," Catherine said excitedly.
Felington, on the other hand, had a stiff and unreadable look on his face.
"What...what are you doing here?" Louise asked as she tried to make sense of the situation that she had just landed herself in.
"I followed you when you walked away angrily and when I saw that you were meeting Lord Langton in secret, I knew that Lord Felington would be interested in knowing," she said, smiling, "and now, the entiretonwould be happy to know that the most sought-after maiden of the season has, in fact, soiled herself."
Louise's heart sank. If Catherine made good of her threat, then her reputation would be forever ruined and then no one would ever want to marry her or even want to have anything to do with her family ever again. The only way she could save her reputation would be for Callum to marry her as he is the one who soiled her but since Callum had sworn off marriage, she knew that that could never happen.
"Callum," Felington said, his voice waking Louise up from her reverie.
"Felington," Callum responded, calmly.
