Page 52 of The Notorious Lord Knightly
Stopping, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “None, now I’m with you.”
He laughed. A laugh that sang to her. “I thought maybe you were impatient for the journey we are going to make.”
“I am.” She pressed a kiss to his neck. “I want all of you. I want it so badly it frightens me.”
“To be honest, how much I need you scares me a bit, too.” He cradled her face between his hands. “You’re everything to me, Regina.”
With the moonlight shining down upon him, he dropped to a knee. With a gasp, she covered her mouth with one hand because he held on to the other. “Are you proposingnow?”
“A preliminary proposal, to be followed by a more public one later, because I want you to know I intend to marry you, to make you my wife. Not because of any dowry. Because I don’t need it. I want you purely for you. You complete me and make me a better person. Tonight, I want you giving to me freely without worry that I may be taking advantage. So, I ask of you now, with the moon and the stars and the heavens as witnesses, will you honor me by becoming my wife?”
The joy coursing through her knew no bounds. She thought she might actually explode with it. “Oh, yes, my lord. I want nothing more. I love you, Arthur.”
He shot to his feet so swiftly she was surprised he didn’t lose his balance, but then he was so perfectly aligned she didn’t think he’d ever stumble or teeter. As his arms came around her and drew her close, she stepped onto his booted feet and wound her arms around his neck as he lowered his head and captured her mouth with a ferocity that made every other kiss he’d ever bestowed upon her seem tame in comparison—while she’d considered each of them to be wild.
But this was something more. A vow. A promise. She was his and he was hers. Forever, until the end of time, until the sun no longer rose in the east or set in the west. It was all-encompassing. He was pouring every ounce of his love for her into it, and she was gushing hers with equal fervor.
He broke free, cradled her face once more, and held her gaze. “My carriage awaits.”
Taking her hand, he tugged her forward. Her foot landed on a pebble. “Ow!”
Stopping, he looked back at her. “What’s wrong?”
“Just a small stone. Nothing to worry over.”
“Are you wearing slippers?”
“Yes, I was too anxious to take the time to button up proper shoes.”
“I won’t stand for you getting hurt.” He swept her up into his arms, and she laughed as she nestled against his chest. “I mean it, Reggie. With me, you’ll never again know a moment of unhappiness.”
“I love you, Arthur.”
He carried her all the way to his carriage. Once they were inside, and it was rushing toward London, they were kissing again and the fire of desire licking at her made her wonder if she might lose her virginity in the vehicle. She wanted to tear off his clothes and hers. She wanted flesh against flesh and bodies entwined.
While her secret places might be untouched, her mind wasn’t wholly innocent. Her mother had told her what transpired between a man and a woman. When her mother had passed, Regina had gone through her bedchamber, gone through her things, and she’d found a book with illustrations of nude people in various positions. Her mother had only shared the basics, but Regina had grown warm leafing through the pages and discovering all the various physical ways people could demonstrate their love. She wasn’t afraid of what was going to happen tonight. Mum had assured she wouldn’t be.
She was looking forward to exploring his body and her own sensuality.
Taking hold of her plait, he untied the ribbon, tucked it into his waistcoat pocket, unraveled what her maid had worked so diligently to create, and combed his fingers through the strands. “I wondered how long your hair was. It must go past your bum.”
She feathered her fingers through his hair, brushed back the rebellious locks that always fell forward. “I want you. I want you as I’ve never wanted any man.”
With a growl, he drew her wrap and gown aside, exposing the spot where her neck met her shoulder and pressed his mouth there. She felt the pull of her skin as he suckled, creating a line of want that traveled to that sensitive spot between her thighs, causing it to throb and liquid heat to pool. She moaned low. “I don’t know if I can wait.”
“You’ll wait. It’ll make it all the more pleasurable.”
“Have you had a lot of women?”
“None like you. None I’ve wanted so desperately I thought I might perish if I couldn’t have.” He cupped her face, turned it toward him, and held her gaze. “I burn for you.”
That was a perfect description of how she felt, that at any moment she might ignite. “I know I should be frightened, but I’m not because it’s you.”
He flashed a grin. “I’ll make it good for you.” He drew her up against his side. “We’ll be there soon. For now we wait because I want your initiation into lovemaking done properly.”
“What was your first time like?”
He chuckled low. “Incredibly quick.”
