Page 35 of Winning the Wallflower's Heart
He took a breath, steeling himself, leaning closer until they were almost eye to eye. “The truth is, I’ve never known what it means to stand still, to want something real. Until you.” His voice softened. “If you’ll let me, Georgiana… if you’ll trust me, I’ll be the man—the husband—you need.”
For a moment, he just looked at her, gathering courage from the soft assurance in her eyes. God, those eyes of hers. They always did haunt him.
“Georgiana, I’m in love with you. I think I’ve loved you longer than I’ve let myself admit. I thought I could protect you without… without falling this deeply, needing you this much. But I do, and it terrifies me. I love you.”
He pulled in a shaky breath. “I don’t deserve you, and I don’t know if I ever will, but I can’t lose you. I need you, Georgiana.”
Her expression softened, a glimmer of something tender shining through her quiet strength. “Ellis,” she whispered, brushing her thumb across his knuckles, “all I’ve ever wanted was you. I’ve been in love with you since that night you found me in the stable.”
An unsteady laugh escaped him, and he pulled her close, their foreheads touching. “Say it again,” he murmured, his voice almost a plea. “Please. Just once more.”
“I’ve dreamt of saying it every day. First thing in the morning and last thing before I drift off to sleep. So let me start.” Her lips curved as she whispered, “I love you, Ellis.”
Ellis’s breath hitched as he drew her close, his heart pounding, and he kissed her—not out of desperation, but with the kind of steady, reverent longing he’d kept buried too long. Their lips met, slow and tender, a quiet promise lingering between them, unspoken but deeply felt.
A tear slipped down her cheek, but her smile—God, that smile could bring him to his knees. “I love you too.” She squeezed his hand. “Even when you were trying so hard not to love me back.”
Ellis tugged her closer until their foreheads touched again. “I’m done trying not to love you.” He brushed his thumb across her cheek, catching another tear. “My beautiful, brilliant wife. Who fills my world with color and makes me believe in second chances.”
When she kissed him, it was a promise, sweet and sure, of all the mornings they'd wake together, all the joy they’d create. His hands tangled in her hair as she leaned closer, and he tasted the salt of her tears, the curve of her smile.
“Stay with me?” she whispered against his mouth.
Ellis gathered her close, his heart full and, finally, perfectly at peace. “Always.”
EPILOGUE
Two Years Later
Georgiana sketched madly,only lifting her head for a moment to glance at the clock. She cursed softly at the charcoal smudges on her fingers—not an ideal time to be struck by inspiration.
“Darling?” Esther’s voice called out from beyond the door. “Do you need more help?”
Help?
Oh, drat! She looked down, laughing. She was still in stockings and stays. “No, I’ll be ready shortly.”
A small fib, but nothing too damning. She set down her charcoal, found a cloth, and scrubbed her fingers as clean as she could, though a smear of cerulean paint still stubbornly lingered on the top of her hand from yesterday’s painting session. Thank goodness for gloves.
As she turned back to her bed, a warmth from the fireplace teased her skin even as frost clung to the windows. Another January in London, and another winter where she never had to feel the cold.
A soft knock drew her attention before Ellis stepped inside, adjusting his cufflinks.
“Love, we’ll be—” His eyes widened at her state of undress.
Oh, how handsome he was. Georgiana leaned back against her vanity, a smug smile spreading. “Yes?”
“Never mind, I was about to say something foolish about being late. I have other plans now. Better plans.” He strode across the room, sliding his hands around her waist and pulling her close. The vanity knocked against the wall, and a bottle of her favorite perfume nearly toppled.
“I’m a good listener,” she whispered as he brushed a line of kisses along her neck. “What plan is this?”
“Well, it involves me, you, this vanity, and fewer clothes.” He chuckled. “Though your commitment to undress is admirable.”
She smiled up at him, rolling her head back. “I was distracted.”
“You are my favorite distraction,” he murmured, his hands tracing up her sides.
“We’ll be late.” She sighed as he lifted her, his hands splaying over her stays.
