Page 93 of The Roommate Subtext

“Holy shit.” Her mind reeled. She’d thought Chauvel had given up.

This was much better.

“Chauvel said he always gets out of these things. Maybe he got too cocky.”

Blake nodded. “Whoever that anonymous source was, it sounds like they got him good.”

Maggie thought of Giselda’s email and her promise that Chauvel would get what was coming to him. “Sounds like that, indeed.” She grinned. “That seals it, then. Best wedding ever.”

He squeezed her closer. “It’s the company, obviously. I’m a delight.”

She rolled her eyes, but he got a chuckle out of her. “Well, obviously.”

She let herself get quiet again, trying to formulate her thoughts. “I wouldn’t be opposed to doing it myself, I think. The whole marriage thing.”

His eyebrows went up. “You wouldn’t?”

“No, I wouldn’t.” She gave him a smile. “If I found the right man, of course.”

He used his grip on her waist to pull her flush against him, tugging them further off the path, into the shadows. “Oh, is that so?”

Maggie draped her arms over Blake’s shoulders. “Mm-hmm. He’d have to be very sexy. And smart. And I would want him to be committed to doing charitable work, too, something to make his community better. Oh! And incredibly patient, because I have it on good authority that I can be a huge pain in the ass.”

“I don’t know about that.” He grinned more broadly, playing along. “I’d say no more than a moderately sized pain in the ass.”

“You’re too kind.” She slid her fingers into his hair. “Also, he’d have to be a total freak in bed.”

“That’s quite a list.” He dipped his head down to kiss her, a light, teasing kiss meant to entice rather than satisfy, and slid a hand down to cup her ass and bring her closer against him. “Where do you think you’ll find somebody like that?”

She scratched his scalp with her nails. “I’m not sure. But if you know anybody, maybe you could send him my way.”

Blake smiled against her mouth. “I’m sure I can find somebody.” He kissed her sweetly, softly, like she might dissolve any moment, and her heart could burst from the tenderness.

She brushed her nose against his. “I love you.” She had said it before, probably hundreds of times by now, but she would never get tired of seeing his eyes crinkle in happiness each time.

His expression was open and honest and incredibly kind. “I love you too.” He cupped her face in his hands and studied her in the dim light, like he was memorizing her features. “I love all of you. I don’t think I’ll ever stop loving you.” His lips parted and he hesitated for only a moment before adding, “I’ll love you forever if you’ll have me.”

Maggie smiled, all the happy emotions rolling through her one after another. “Yes.” She nodded. “I’d like that.” Then she paused. “But this better not be a proposal.”

“This?” He shook his head. “Of course not. There’s no flash mob, no skywriter, no embarrassingly public display in front of thousands of strangers.”

Maggie couldn’t help laughing. “I’d murder you.”

“I know.” Blake returned her grin, dropping his hands to her waist. “But trust me. When I propose, you’ll know it’s a proposal.”

Maggie pursed her lips. “When? Not if?”

“Of course, when.” He had that inscrutable grin on his face that he always wore when he was teasing her, but that she’d learned was often more than teasing. “You think I’ve been living with you a whole year and haven’t been plotting about spending the rest of my life with you?”

Maggie stepped back, her heart quickening, suddenly dizzy. “Be serious. Are you serious? Because you shouldn’t joke about these things.”

“I would never joke about something like that.” Blake’s smile didn’t waver. He wore that confident calmness she’d come to know as the intersection between Blake and the Scarlet Pimpernel. He was talking about spending forever with her, and she knew he wasn’t lying.

She loved him so much.

And, fuck, she wanted him.

She pulled him against her by the lapels of his coat, stepping back into the shadows and dragging his lips to hers. He went willingly and kissed her deeply, his lips parting hers immediately and sending a shiver of hunger down her spine. It was a kiss that had no place occurring in public, and the heat between them took her breath away as fast as the careful, methodical play of his tongue over hers. They broke apart at the sound of more people walking from the reception, the final stragglers making their way back to the hotel, laughing and talking, voices echoing through the night. She struggled to catch her breath, her nerves already singing for more.