‘But you almost did, though, didn’t you? You practically invited me to break off the betrothal. Just now.’
‘I felt as though you’d ripped my guts out when you did it.’
‘I felt as though I’d ripped out my own, too. Especially as you went all cold and hard and didn’t seem to care. My only consolation was thinking that if you really didn’t care then I’d done the right thing by you.’
‘You little fool,’ he grated, gripping her shoulders. ‘Couldn’t you tell it was pride that made me let you go? Pride that made me vow you wouldn’t reduce me to grovelling, the way Millicent made me grovel? Not in front of my family anyway. It took me about two minutes to work out that if I could get you alone all I would have to do was kiss you and you would do anything I wanted.’ He shook his head, as though in disbelief. ‘But the moment I saw you lying there, weeping, I knew that kissing you into submission wasn’t the answer. That I needed to break down all the barriers you’d thrown up between us, no matter how much I hurt you in the process.’
‘You were a bit ruthless,’ she admitted.
‘Because I was fighting for us,’ he said.
And not grovelling. He would never do anything that smacked of grovelling. But then, nor would she.
‘And I’m about to be more ruthless still,’ he said grimly. ‘Because I cannot help thinking that if I’d made you mine in that barn you wouldn’t have put me through all this tonight. You wouldn’t have dreamed of breaking off the betrothal, no matter how many doubts you might have had about my motives, or my status, or any other damn thing about me. The one time in my life when I have an attack of conscience where a woman is concerned,’ he said, shaking his head as though in disbelief, ‘and it all blows up in my face!’
And then he swooped, hauling her into his arms and kissing her hungrily.
Oh, if only he’d acted like this, spoken like this, before, she would never have dreamed of breaking off the betrothal. She flung her arms about his neck and kissed him back as well as she was able, given her inexperience.
It appeared to be enough for him, for he plunged his tongue into her mouth and took her experience of kissing to a whole new level. It was as if he wanted to devour her. It was so breathtaking she was going dizzy with it. It felt as though she was falling.
And then she realised she was falling—backwards onto the bed.
‘I’m done with being a gentleman, Prudence,’ he snarled.
‘Good...’ She sighed as he rained kisses over her face.
‘I cannot stand the thought of any other man touching you,’ he moaned into her neck. ‘I saw it happen, in my mind’s eye, the minute you broke our betrothal. Men swarming round you like bees round a honeypot. You’re so beautiful,’ he said, rearing up and looking down at her as though he’d never really seen a woman before.
He cupped her cheek. His hand was trembling.
‘I know I said I would get your inheritance back for you, but I’m not sure I could have done it if you weren’t going to be my wife. It would have tempted even more men to court you. And you might have fallen for one of them.’
‘I wouldn’t. I couldn’t. There is nobody for me but you, Gregory.’
His jaw hardened. ‘I intend to make sure of that. Tonight will be like a branding. No other man will ever have you after this. You are mine.’
‘Yes,’ she purred.
But he didn’t seem to hear her acquiescence. For he had seized her wrists and pinned her hands high above her head, stretching her out beneath him like a sacrifice.
Her heart was beating so wildly it felt as though it was going to burst through her ribcage. He was going to take her here, now, with all his family downstairs, wondering what was going on. It felt so decadent. So thrilling.
‘You do want me, don’t you, Prudence? You wouldn’t have proposed in the first place if that wasn’t so. You wouldn’t kiss me back with such enthusiasm if you didn’t want me.’
Was that a hint of uncertainty she saw in his eyes? Had Millicent wounded him so deeply that even now he couldn’t quite believe that a woman could truly want him?
‘Yes, I want you,’ she said. Hoping that all the love she felt for him was blazing from her eyes. ‘You know I do.’
His hold on her wrists slackened. ‘Even though we’re not yet married?’
That question made her love him all the more. For even though he was desperate to brand her he would still stop, right now, if he thought for one second that she had any reluctance at all.
‘Even though you’re a duke,’ she replied.