His booted footsteps swishing across the carpet warned of his approach. “To give you this.”
Something furry and soft caressed her cheek. She spun, prepared to reprimand him for daring to touch her. A small, squirming, gray kitten mewed as Arianna opened her mouth. “What…?”
“She’s for you. To scare away the vermin and your demons.”
She lifted the kitten from his hands, hands that had caressed her so gently and lovingly, and hugged the animal against her aching breast. “Such as you.” His offer and that he remembered what she had confessed touched her.
“I deserved that.”
She stared out the window again. “Did you come to make sure I still remained your captive?”
“You didn’t eat.”
“I wasn’t hungry.” The lump lodged in her throat choked her, and a ball of lead filled her stomach.
The uncertainty and tension that trailed him into the room increased. “I wish to speak with you.”
“I’ve heard it all before. We have no more to discuss.” The kitten mewed in distress, and Arianna, realizing she hugged her too tight, relaxed her hold.
“Yes, we do. Can we sit down?”
Her body had a mind of its own, and if she sat, her legs wouldn’t carry her to him or collapse as words that were sure to add further misery tumbled from his mouth. She marched to the cushioned chair and settled the kitten in her lap. Her hands, needing to keep busy, petted her fur. The kitten curled into a ball of fluff and purred in delight.
Morgan dropped onto the settee and studied his intertwined fingers folded in his lap. “It is possible for us to be together, but I need a few days to talk to Andrew and Susan. Would you please stay willingly and allow me time to set things right?”
Her gaze darted to his face. Was he telling the truth?
“I made a promise to my mother on her deathbed to marry Susan, but Harry made me see she would want me to be happy. The only way I can do that is if I am with you.” He lifted his head, and his rich, dark eyes stared directly into hers, revealing the veracity of his statements. “I was always afraid if I allowed my emotions to rule me, I would turn into my father, but being with you has made me believe it is no longer true. Feelings can be beautiful or devastating but they don’t lead to debauchery and lies. He devised his destruction. Was in charge of his destiny.”
Her heart and soul blossomed. Winter turned to spring. Was it possible they could be together? Wariness hovered. “What are you saying? What about Susan?”
He reached out his hand, and she gripped it as if it were a lifeline. Need and love emanated from his fingers. She wanted desperately to believe him.
“That I want to be with you. I love you, not her.”
“But you bedded her.”
“As I did you.” He smiled. “And many more times. No one need know what transpired between Susan and me. I will spread the word she broke it off, so she will not be disgraced. But before we can be together, I need to speak with her.”
“Do you really mean it?” Her heart sank in her chest for Susan, but she was overjoyed at his decision. Would Susan agree?
“Do you think you can forgo your determination to be a seaman? I can’t have you sailing the seas without me.”
She could forgo anything to be with him. He was demanding and there would be fights, but she could handle him. “If you offer me an appropriate job.”
A wolfish smile curved his lips. “I have just the one for you. Come sit next to me.”
She rose, laid the kitten on the cushioned seat, and eased onto the brocaded settee beside him.
He frowned. “We’ll discuss where that animal will sleep, later.”
“Yes, we will.” Wait until he found out she allowed her cats to sleep in bed with her.
He enveloped her within his embrace, and she melted against his muscular body. His familiar heat and spicy scent surrounded her. She had missed it so much. Had missed him. He lowered his sensual mouth to hers. She welcomed it and the emotions he evoked. Curling her arms around his neck, she fought to snuggle closer, molding herself to him.
A disturbing thought darted into her mind. She yanked her tongue from his mouth and leaned away from him. “What exactly are your intentions? I refuse to be your mistress.”
He captured her face between his large, masculine hands. “I know, and I would not ask you to go against your principles. I want you for my wife. Arianna, will you marry me?”
Her heart ceased beating for an astonished second and then leaped with joy. “Yes, yes, yes.” She flung herself at him, and his arms imprisoned her. Speech disappeared as their mouths fused together and tongues invaded and dueled.
His fiery hands roamed over her and secreted beneath clothing that soon dropped from her. When she was naked, Morgan swept her into his arms, crossed the room in four long strides, and laid her on the bed as if she were a precious jewel. His eyes heavy with desire captured hers and she fell into them as he swiftly undressed. As he stood nude before her, she swam up from their sensual depths and ran her gaze over him. He was as flawless as a Roman god. His chest and upper arms bulged with muscle, his stomach rippled with ridges, his slim, perfectly proportioned hips fit the rest of him and his thighs… She skimmed over the tree trunks as she caught sight of and clung to the appendage between them, large, hard, and sticking out, straight at her.
“I will never be able to get enough of you,” he lamented. “No matter how hard I try.”
He lay beside her on the massive bed and stroked, licked, and sucked every inch of her. As her pulse raced and her mind spun, incredible storms filled with bliss rained down on her. Her body coiled tighter and tighter, seeking an eruption he refused to grant. She squirmed and curved into him.
“Not yet, love. The longer it lasts, the stronger your release will be.”
And he continued to tantalize and tease while she clutched the cool sheets beneath her and her toes curled. Until she could stand the pleasure-pain no more. “Now, Morgan. Now,” she screamed.
He entered her with one mighty thrust. Unable to control herself, she met his assault mindlessly, arching up to meet him as he drove down into her. Her nails dug into his back. Joining and working as one, their bodies slapped against each other.
A tumult of emotion crashed through her in a release of extreme proportions. A blinding light flashed before her closed eyes and then exploded into a million sparkling diamonds, swimming in a midnight sky. Morgan followed her. And then she floated. Boneless. Satisfied. Morgan lying on her.
Morgan stirred, rolled off her, and scooped her against his side.
“You were right. I have never felt anything like it,” she whispered with what little breath she possessed.
“I didn’t do it quite right. I need to practice again and again until I perfect it.” The corners of his mouth lifted in a grin. “Then we can go on to something new.”
“If I live that long.”
He hugged her as she drifted off to sleep.
****
“Morgan, are you in there?” A quiet knock accompanied Harry’s voice.
Morgan slipped from beneath Arianna’s arm and rushed to the door before Harry woke her. He opened it a crack. “What do you want?”
As Harry took in Morgan’s non-existent attire, a frown appeared on his face and his eyes darkened to a deep hue.
“I intend to marry Arianna,” Morgan defended himself before Harry said a word.
Harry’s expression lightened slightly. “Shouldn’t you wait for the honeymoon until after the wedding?”
“You are not one to be protecting a woman’s honor.”
“Only Arianna’s.” He held up his hand. “That is not why I came.” His face clouded. “Susan and Andrew are downstairs. You may not like what they have to say.”
Morgan stared at his brother, and an ominous chill ran through him. “Tell them I will be right down.”
Quick as a north wind and as silent as a whispered breath, he dressed, then raked his fingers through his hair. He gazed down at Arianna sleeping peacefully and a wealth of love stronger and more powerful than before almost knocked him over. He kissed her forehead and left.
He hurried down the stairs and strode to the drawing room. The butler opened the door for him. As he entered, Andrew turned and then Susan.
Morgan halted in midstride.
His gaze fell on Susan’s protruding midsection. His world crashed and burned.
Susan was pregnant.
“Morgan, I have brought your betrothed to you. As you can see, the wedding must take place immediately.”
Susan looked up from where she stared at a point on the floor and laid her dainty hand on her brother’s rigid arm. “Morgan may want—”
“It doesn’t matter what he wants. He has no choice. Since Father is dead, I am the head of this family, and I say he will wed you now.” Andrew’s green eyes bored into him.
“Susan, I am sorry. I never meant for this to happen,” Morgan started. A giant’s fingers crushed his heart in an unyielding grip. How could he tell Arianna? Especially after he had asked her to marry him.
“But it did. I’ll have the priest fetched.”
He loved Arianna more than life itself and would do anything for her if it only affected him, but he couldn’t forsake Susan. She carried his child.
“Andrew, it doesn’t have to be right now. We still have time,” Susan argued, her dark hair pulled back with a green ribbon that matched her eyes.
“No, we don’t. This child could be born at any minute.” Andrew curled his arm around her in a protective fashion.
“He or she won’t be born for at least another two months.”
He needed to come to terms with his changing world and to figure out how to explain the new development to Arianna. How could he give her up?
His fingers curled into fists at his side. Anger at fate coursed through him, but there was nothing he could do.
He shouldn’t blame fate. He was at fault for this debacle, and now Arianna would suffer. Raw wounds opened up inside him. So would he, but he deserved the agony. He fought against smashing his hand into the wall.
“We will be married in a week,” he commanded in a stern voice.
Panic swept across Susan’s face before she cast her gaze to the floor.
Why was she scared? Didn’t she want to marry?
“Does that satisfy you, Andrew?” Morgan’s jumbled emotions swirled within him, but he leashed them with rigid control.
Andrew paused, and Morgan knew he calculated all the possibilities. Andrew nodded. “Sooner would be better, but my sister informs me there are things that must be done before a wedding takes place.”
“I’ll meet you later to discuss terms,” Morgan told him.
“That will be fine.” Andrew smiled, now the situation was resolved.
Morgan escorted them into the entrance hall, and Andrew laid a hand on Morgan’s shoulder. “I’m glad you will be my brother-in-law.”
A gasp exploded from the stairs. Morgan spun to find a stricken Arianna staring at Susan’s swollen abdomen. Tears welled in her eyes. She whirled and fled back upstairs.
“Arianna!”
She didn’t stop her mad flight. He raced after her, leaving Susan and Andrew to find their way out.
Arianna flew into her room and slammed the door shut behind her, but it didn’t deter Morgan. He flung it open with such force it bounced against the wall and almost crashed into him. Arianna shoved what little she possessed into her bag.
“Arianna.”
She didn’t look his way or answer him. She hurried over to where the kitten played on the floor and picked her up with a trembling hand. Tears dripped from her eyes into the soft fur as she snuggled the kitten against her face and planted a kiss on her neck. She handed her to Morgan. “I thank you for her, but now she is yours. I can’t take her with me.”
She pushed by him, and he grabbed her arm. “Yes, Susan is pregnant, and I have to marry her, but you can’t leave yet.”
“Am I to stay for this glorious wedding?” She lowered her voice and her eyes. Wet tracks marked her cheeks. “Morgan, I can’t do it. Don’t ask it of me,” she sobbed.
Morgan placed the kitten on the floor without releasing Arianna and pulled her into his encompassing embrace. “I didn’t want this to happen.”
“I know, and I won’t ask you not to do what you must. I wouldn’t expect any less of you and wouldn’t wed you under those circumstances. But you have to let me go for your sake as well as mine.”
Each word sliced deeper into his heart. He knew hers must be breaking. His bled. Even though honor demanded he marry another, he loved Arianna and couldn’t allow her to carry out a rash decision that might possibly end her life. “I regret what has happened and would do anything in my power to change the situation if I could, but it isn’t possible. I need you to stay for one week and then I will return you to your family.”
“I knew you would say that, but I had to try.” She wrenched out of his arms and stalked across the room.
“Ouch.” She stumbled and almost collapsed to the floor.
“What’s wrong?” He rushed to her side, worry for her the only thing residing in his mind.
“I think I twisted my ankle.” She balanced on one foot.