Page 75 of Miss Flibbertigibbet and the Barbarian
The explosion of pleasure shattered them, fragmented them, then filled them anew with a passion-drenched glory.
She wanted it all, not just to know but to claim as hers.
Deep inside, she sensed that, in this, she saw his truth, his ultimate destiny, and in her heart, she knew it was, indeed, her destiny, too.
As they slumped together, wrung out and so deeply sated neither could move, Nicholas knew he’d done his very best to open her eyes to the reality of what was growing between them. And in so doing, he’d done the same to himself; he’d ripped away the veils and would never be able to deny what he’d seen. Not to himself.
This, then, was what happened when a Cynster fell in love.
There was no going back.
It was just as well that he didn’t want to.
That he was determined to seize Adriana Sommerville and never, ever, let go.
* * *
Sometime later, after they’d disengaged and Addie had settled alongside Nicholas with his arm snug about her, knowing from his breathing that he was not quite asleep, she murmured, “I never thought to feel…compelledto help Phillip, but I do.” She shifted her head to gaze at Nicholas’s face; his eyes were closed, his features relaxed. Somehow, that made it easier to explain, “He’s not like he used to be—so much so that I have to wonder if everything we’ve seen of him over the past two decades and more was a façade. Always a façade. I cannot imagine—indeed, I cannot believe—that had our previous view been his true nature that he could have transformed into the man we spoke with last night, a man willing to go against what I accept are his strong principles to shield a lady he admits he loves. If you’d told me before that Lord Phillip Sommerville would ever do such a thing, I would have laughed in your face.”
“Hmm” came from Nicholas. After a second, he added, “Men—especially men of our class—have a habit of hiding their feelings behind a mask.”
She nodded. “And I’m convinced now that what we saw as Phillip before was the mask, and what we’re seeing now is the real man.”
Nicholas shifted, settling more comfortably beside her. “I’m sure you’re right.”
Addie thought at length, comparing the Phillip of then to the Phillip of now. “I cannot stress how much he’s changed. It’s nothing short of astounding.”
A deep, rather reluctant chuckle greeted that. “Love will do that to a man.”
Truer words, Nicholas thought,have never passed my lips.
After several silent moments, she stroked his chest and whispered, “I want you to know that Dickie and I, indeed, the whole family, truly appreciate that you’re willing to accept the risk of handing over The Barbarian. While we all will be doing our utmost to ensure nothing goes awry and we reclaim him immediately, there’s always a chance something will go wrong.” He felt her gaze trace his face. “You came with me to find and secure the horse, and we’ve accomplished that. Given how important the horse is for you and your family, you could simply take The Barbarian back to Papa, conclude the deal, and ride off with the horse in tow. You could insist on doing that.”
He said nothing.
Then she asked the question he’d hoped she wouldn’t. “Why haven’t you?”
This was Adriana Sommerville; she wouldn’t let him duck the question. He cast about for a way to answer that would satisfy her. “Two reasons. First, despite The Barbarian’s superior attributes, breeding-wise, at least for racing, he’s not the last stallion in England. Second, your father still holds his papers, so as long as we don’t lose track of him, we’ll be able to claim him back easily enough. That last point, however, is crucial. I don’t want to—we absolutely must not—lose track of that horse.”
All of that was true. It just wasn’t what had been in his mind when he’d agreed with their plan to hand over the horse.
“So,” she murmured, “as long as we don’t lose sight of The Barbarian, you’ll be content.”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
That last word was uttered on a soft sigh, and he felt her limbs relax.
He waited, savoring the moments as she slid into slumber while held securely in his arms.
His mind wandered to their plan and all it encompassed.
Including that he, the head of the Cynster Stable, was indeed acquiescing to an endeavor that would put at risk the most magnificent stayer he’d ever set eyes on.
Love will do that to a man.
Those earlier words echoed in his brain.
