“We have a lot of making up to do—you and I,” said Will.
Rose laid her head down on his chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat.
“Why did we take so long?” She said sadly.
“It doesn’t matter,” he assured her. “All that is important is now.”
As she lay across him, her eyes fell on the pencils and paper Will had thrown down on the bed. They had fallen on the floor.
“You didn’t explain those,” she said, pointing to them.
“Oh yes, a present from Ernest.”
“Are you taking up sketching?”
“I could be persuaded if you were the model,” he grinned, looking lasciviously at her breasts.
She pushed his gaze away. “Seriously, Will!”
“They are for drawing.”
He paused for a moment.
“They are to draw my own coat of arms. One for me and one for the business.”
“What?”
Rose levered herself up on his chest and stared at him as he smiled back. Then she started pummeling his head and his chest as he tried to deflect her blows.
“You didn’t tell me that either,” she said incredulously. “You didn’t think I needed to know that!?” He was laughing and ducking away from her feeble blows, trying to catch her wrists which he finally succeeded in doing, then he rolled her onto her back so he could hold her down with his weight.
“I had other more pressing matters to take care of. Like ravishing you.”
“I thought I had ruined your chances of ever getting one.”
“Not at all, it seems,” he laughed. Then looking into her worried eyes, he said softly, “You don’t have to worry about anything anymore except us. You have given so much to so many, looked after and protected people, but from now on, it is me who shall protect you. Every. Single. Day.”
He lowered his lips to hers again and kissed her.
Then he extricated himself from her embrace and stood up.
Her eyes followed him greedily as he walked naked to the mantelpiece. He picked up the half-empty bottle of champagne.
“I don’t think I could drink a drop more,” Rose protested as he brought it back to the mattress.
“What makes you think we are going to drink it?” His eyes twinkled at her. She looked confused.
“Then what do you intend to do with it?”
“That’s for me to know and you to find out.” He took a sip from the bottle, and then he leaned forward and kissed her gently, allowing the champagne to fizz against her lips before he swallowed.
“Now,” he said. “I am going to pour the rest of this champagne all over your body and slowly lick it off.”
“Will!” Rose said, looking shocked.
“There is so much of you I want to explore,” Will said huskily. “And we have the rest of our lives to enjoy it.”
EXTENDED EPILOGUE