mountain.
Perhaps others were wrong about her future and her true destiny lay elsewhere, for life was not all about politics and duty, was it? What about love? This affair may be sudden and impulsive, but here was a man she could not give up, not for any amount of power, wealth, or status in the world. She had no wish for a throne if it meant she could not have him.
“Say you’ll marry me,” he whispered in a quiet voice of husky allure as he eased her down onto her back and settled his hips snugly between her thighs.
“I cannot resist you,” she said. “I cannnot resist this. ”
“Then don’t.” He thrust his hips and pushed against that yearning place that begged to be touched.
She threw her head back. “Oh, Nicholas, how I want you.”
“Then have me. I am yours.”
She kissed him again and pulled him close. “I’ve never done anything like this before. You’re the only man I’ve ever wanted.”
“You have no idea how happy that makes me.”
“Truly?”
“Yes, and one day soon you’ll understand why.” He laid openmouthed kisses down the side of her neck. “How long can you stay?”
“Not long,” she replied. “A few more minutes, then I must return. My stepmother does not sleep long in the afternoons. As soon as she wakes, she will look out the window. We must be careful not to stop in front of the house. She must not know we were together.”
His hand slowly slid up her thigh, and she squirmed with longing.
“What if she knew I offered marriage?” he asked. “Would she not agree?”
Alexandra blinked up at him. “She would not be pleased.”
He frowned. “Why not? I am second in line to the throne. Is that not good enough?”
“She wants me to marry your brother.”
His body went still. “Well, I don’t care what she wants. It only matters to me what you want.”
“I want you, ” she breathlessly replied as she pulled him close. “But there are others, my benefactor for one, who would oppose it.”
She wasn’t sure what Mr. Carmichael would do. It could be dangerous.
Nicholas let out a deep, guttural groan of need.
“Oh…,” she sighed as he kissed her neck. “We could run away together. Then it would be too late for anyone to stop us. We could live abroad if you wanted. I would give up everything for you, even my chance at the throne.” Oh, God, what was she saying?
He drew back slightly.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing.”
“Yes, something is wrong. What is it?” She leaned up on her elbows.
“I’m just…” He raked a hand through his hair as if he could not conceive of what she had just confessed and could not even form words. He sat back on the seat. “I am pleased you feel that way.”
“I do. I do.”
Quite unexpectedly, he took her face in his hands and looked into her eyes with fierce conviction. “But if you agree to marry me, I will have something important to tell you.”
“Tell me now.”
He hesitated, then shook his head. “Not until we are both sure this is what we want.”
“I am sure,” she told him. “Aren’t you ?”
He hesitated, and her heart sank.
“I need to know that you are sincere. That you will truly give up everything for me,” he said. “I need to be sure you will not change your mind.”
The wheels of the coach rattled ominously beneath them.
“Do you not believe me?” she asked.
“I was burned once before. Remember?”
Alexandra nodded. “Yes, I remember every word you’ve ever spoken to me, but what are we going to do?”
At last he faced her. “Let us do it then. Run away with me. We can leave in the morning, travel north to Scotland, and be man and wife in a few days—with or without your stepmother’s permission. Once it is done, there will be no reversing it, and it won’t matter about the scandal here in London. We will begin anew in Petersbourg. I will introduce you as my wife, and we will send for your sisters, who will be presented at court. We will be the happiest
Perhaps others were wrong about her future and her true destiny lay elsewhere, for life was not all about politics and duty, was it? What about love? This affair may be sudden and impulsive, but here was a man she could not give up, not for any amount of power, wealth, or status in the world. She had no wish for a throne if it meant she could not have him.
“Say you’ll marry me,” he whispered in a quiet voice of husky allure as he eased her down onto her back and settled his hips snugly between her thighs.
“I cannot resist you,” she said. “I cannnot resist this. ”
“Then don’t.” He thrust his hips and pushed against that yearning place that begged to be touched.
She threw her head back. “Oh, Nicholas, how I want you.”
“Then have me. I am yours.”
She kissed him again and pulled him close. “I’ve never done anything like this before. You’re the only man I’ve ever wanted.”
“You have no idea how happy that makes me.”
“Truly?”
“Yes, and one day soon you’ll understand why.” He laid openmouthed kisses down the side of her neck. “How long can you stay?”
“Not long,” she replied. “A few more minutes, then I must return. My stepmother does not sleep long in the afternoons. As soon as she wakes, she will look out the window. We must be careful not to stop in front of the house. She must not know we were together.”
His hand slowly slid up her thigh, and she squirmed with longing.
“What if she knew I offered marriage?” he asked. “Would she not agree?”
Alexandra blinked up at him. “She would not be pleased.”
He frowned. “Why not? I am second in line to the throne. Is that not good enough?”
“She wants me to marry your brother.”
His body went still. “Well, I don’t care what she wants. It only matters to me what you want.”
“I want you, ” she breathlessly replied as she pulled him close. “But there are others, my benefactor for one, who would oppose it.”
She wasn’t sure what Mr. Carmichael would do. It could be dangerous.
Nicholas let out a deep, guttural groan of need.
“Oh…,” she sighed as he kissed her neck. “We could run away together. Then it would be too late for anyone to stop us. We could live abroad if you wanted. I would give up everything for you, even my chance at the throne.” Oh, God, what was she saying?
He drew back slightly.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing.”
“Yes, something is wrong. What is it?” She leaned up on her elbows.
“I’m just…” He raked a hand through his hair as if he could not conceive of what she had just confessed and could not even form words. He sat back on the seat. “I am pleased you feel that way.”
“I do. I do.”
Quite unexpectedly, he took her face in his hands and looked into her eyes with fierce conviction. “But if you agree to marry me, I will have something important to tell you.”
“Tell me now.”
He hesitated, then shook his head. “Not until we are both sure this is what we want.”
“I am sure,” she told him. “Aren’t you ?”
He hesitated, and her heart sank.
“I need to know that you are sincere. That you will truly give up everything for me,” he said. “I need to be sure you will not change your mind.”
The wheels of the coach rattled ominously beneath them.
“Do you not believe me?” she asked.
“I was burned once before. Remember?”
Alexandra nodded. “Yes, I remember every word you’ve ever spoken to me, but what are we going to do?”
At last he faced her. “Let us do it then. Run away with me. We can leave in the morning, travel north to Scotland, and be man and wife in a few days—with or without your stepmother’s permission. Once it is done, there will be no reversing it, and it won’t matter about the scandal here in London. We will begin anew in Petersbourg. I will introduce you as my wife, and we will send for your sisters, who will be presented at court. We will be the happiest
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