Page 38 of Wicked with Him

Roman wiped away her tears with his thumbs and then leaned close to kiss her lips. “I’ll never let you get away again.”

Amity hugged him suddenly, arms tight about his neck. “I can hardly believe you will really be mine.”

“Believe it.” He stood, taking her up with him. He spun her in slow circles, making her laugh out loud. Slowly, he set her down on her feet. “We will leave first thing tomorrow for Gretna Green, but right now, I feel the need to share our good news with the villagers.”

“You cannot tell them we’re getting married. They already think we are,” she warned, restraining him.

“Oh, I know that, but they’re dying to hear of our reconciliation. Let’s prove we’re in love and never intend to be parted again. It will also give you a chance to say goodbye. We might never come this way again.”

“Oh yes. I would like to say goodbye to quite a few,” she enthused.

She found her shawl and went to stand before a mirror. Roman dropped to his knees behind her, put his hands up her skirts, and helped her remove the breeches of his that she still wore. He lingered there, stroking her thighs before standing up, laughing at the way her eyes shone with hunger.

“Have I mentioned how tempting you are?”

“I could stand to hear it again.”

He leaned close to her ear to whisper, “I want to take you back to bed.”

Her brows rose. “What about the villagers? It was your suggestion to go out again.”

He groaned. “Yes. Them first, and then you’re all mine.”

He stood back while she fanned her flaming cheeks then fixed her hair from where it had fallen from the pins, wearing a teasing grin.

He placed her shawl about her shoulders and offered his arm. “Come along, my queen.”

She laughed at that. “A tarnished queen.”

“Tarnished by me, which I should never have agreed to but cannot regret now,” he murmured, and then led her outside.

The horses were grazing where they’d been left, and they gathered up the reins to lead them back to the innkeeper and the stables.

Amity turned to him. “How will we leave here if you’ve only the one horse?”

“I’ll pay someone to alert my coachmen to our need for them tomorrow.”

Amity hugged his arm. “We could dine at the inn tonight, too, if you’ve the coin to spare.”

“A good idea.” He caught her eye. “We probably shouldn’t venture to your kitchen together again. I’ll never look at a sturdy kitchen worktable in the same way. Who knows what we might do there again tonight?”

“No piece of furniture is safe with us around.” She laughed uproariously at her own joke, and then squeezed his arm. “I’m so glad I forced myself on you.”

“I am too.” He looked down at her hands. “I never imagined falling in love could be so damn easy.”

“Not even with…?”

He shook his head. Melody had kept him at arm’s length. Amity couldn’t seem to ever get close enough. She was always touching him. “It’s never been like this with anyone.”

As they walked slowly toward the village inn, allowing Amity to greet residents she’d befriended here, it seemed everyone approved of their reconciliation. Roman considered it luck that he’d found her, and the feeling of giddy happiness only grew when he met her gaze again and again.

Marrying Amity was the right thing to do. He’d found his forever love at last and nothing would ever separate them again.

Epilogue

Weeks later

“It’s going to be fine,” Roman promised Amity before he alighted from the traveling carriage, rubbing his hands together in excitement. The grin on his face was infectious, and Amity had discovered her new husband always expected things to turn out for the best. The most obvious example he quoted was the fact that ruining her had been the best thing he’d ever done. Amity had seen his point on that score. She seemed to have captured a good but wicked-in-bed man for her husband.