Bryce held back his impatience at her one-word answer. “Have I done something wrong?”
She turned to look at him with cool blue eyes. “Of course not.”
“Then why are you being so…distant?”
“I’m not.” Her tone remained clipped.
Bryce studied her. “Are you lying to me?”
“No— Yes,” she quickly amended as Bryce raised his eyebrows.
“Remember what happened the last time you did that?” he challenged.
She smile slightly. “Yes.”
Some of Bryce’s tension began to ease. “Maybe that’s what you want?”
Her gaze dropped from meeting his. “Maybe.”
“Why?”
Her eyes glittered with unshed tears when she lifted her head to look at him. “At least then I might feel something from you other than this brotherly concern!”
“Brotherly?” Bryce repeated softly. “You think my attitude toward you has been brotherly?”
“You know it has,” she accused. “You haven’t even touched me this past week, apart from those chaste kisses you’ve been giving me every night before you leave! Ugh.” She gave a disgusted shake of her head.
Bryce scowled. “I was trying to do better at the boyfriend thing than I did on Sunday, when we both agreed I was terrible at it. I was being a considerate boyfriend, respecting the fact you’ve had a traumatic week and need time to recover— No?” he questioned when Bella she shook her head.
“No,” she stated firmly. “What I’ve needed, still need, is for you to start treating me like a woman you at least desire.”
He frowned. “So what you’re really saying is that you preferred it when I was alternately spanking your arse and making love to you every chance I had?”
“Yes.”
“Fine.” Bryce grabbed hold of her wrist, pulling her out of the line and towards the doorway they had entered through minutes ago.
Bella pulled back. “Where are we going?”
He gave her a sideways glance. “Somewhere I can propose to you without an audience, and then we’re going to find the nearest flat surface so I can make love to you until you’re incoherent from coming in my mouth, against my fingers, and then with your pussy wrapped around my cock.”
“Bryce!” she protested.
“Brotherly!” he repeated in disgust. “For that alone, I am going to fuck you within an inch of your life.”
“Bryce,” she protested again, but only weakly.
He waited until they were alone in a small room down one of the hallways, with the door locked, before going down on one knee. “Isabella Zalotti, Bella Smith, or, to put it more simply, the woman I’ve loved since the moment I first set eyes on you, will you marry me?”
Bella’s anger and confusion melted away in seconds. “You love me?”
“To distraction. You are a total distraction,” he acknowledged ruefully before sobering. “Of course I love you, Bella. I have since the moment we first spoke at the hospital all those weeks ago. Something just clicked into place the moment we spoke. If you don’t feel the same way about me yet, will you at least give me chance to show you how much I love you and hope you’ll come to love me one day?”
“I already love you, Bryce.” The tears overflowed Bella’s lashes and cascaded down her cheeks. “I have since the moment we met. But you’ve seemed so distant this past week, I thought you must regret having made that comment about marrying me—”
“In that case, I’m going to apply for a special license tomorrow, and we can be married before my parents return to France,” he stated firmly.
Her eyes widened. “Are you serious?”
He nodded. “I usually am.”
“I— Well. Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you, Bryce.” She threw her arms about his neck. “Next week. Next month. As soon as we can arrange it.”
“Do you want a big wedding like this one?”
Bella gave it a few minutes thought before answering him. When she was a little girl and thought of getting married one day, she had always envisaged walking down the aisle on her papa’s arm. Her brother was now free to perform that task, but the circumstances of this past week weren’t conducive to them having, or Bella wanting, a large wedding.
“No,” she finally answered him. “I just want Matteo and your family there. To be with you. To become your wife. I don’t want or need anything else.”
Bryce rose to his feet. “Right answer,” he murmured before his lips claimed hers in a kiss that definitely wasn’t brotherly.
It was a good ten minutes later before they broke apart and actually looked at the room they were in.
It was a laundry room, with rows of shelving from floor to ceiling and not a flat surface in sight.
The two of them looked at each other before they both burst out laughing.
There would be no making love on a flat surface in here.
But there was laughter and love.
So much love.
Chapter Thirteen
“You’ve been holding out on me, Mrs. Steele,” Bryce murmured against his wife’s throat.
My wife.
Bryce had never even considered marriage until he met Bella, never considered a second date, and then he couldn’t marry Bella quick enough.
It had taken five days to organize the small private ceremony with only their family and a few close friends in attendance. Five days when they had been ultra busy. Bella had now accepted a job at Steele Security and put in her notice at work. The two of them would not only be living together, but working together too.
Bryce was pleased now that he had insisted his bride buy and wear a white wedding gown for the ceremony and to the dinner afterwards.
Because, as he had now discovered as the two of them lay in bed together later that night at their honeymoon hotel, Bella was every inch a virgin bride.
How or why that was possible, Bryce had no idea, when she was the most beautiful and desirable woman he had ever set eyes on. But the knowledge humbled him, and he was determined not to hurt her any more than breaking through the barrier of her virginity seconds ago had done. He had never thought to ever receive such a gift from his bride. Nor was he about to question it. His Bella was all woman, a force to be reckoned with, and he intended to cherish and love her for the rest of their lives together.
“I want you,” Bella encouraged huskily as Bryce remained still above her, obviously so that he didn’t cause her any further discomfort. “So much. Please, Bryce,” she beseeched breathily. “Please make love to me.”
Bryce took the weight on his elbows as he lifted his head to look at her. “I love you very much, Mrs. Steele.”
Her cheeks warmed a delicate pink. “I love you very much too, Mr. Steele.”
His hands cradled each side of her face. “My wife.”
Bella lifted up to brush her lips lightly over his. “My husband.”
Bryce breathed deeply. “Forever.”
“Forever,” Bella echoed without hesitation.
The night echoed with the cries of their pleasure and love for each other.
Newsletter and Social Media Links
For news on upcoming releases in the Steele Protectors, Regency Lovers, Regency Sinners, Dragon Hearts, Regency Unlaced, Knight Security, and Alpha Series please sign up to my mailing list/newsletter: http://www.eepurl.com/2rfzz
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About the Author
Carole Mortimer is a USA Today Bestselling Author and recipient of the RWA Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award 2015, RT Career Achievement Award 201
7, RT Pioneer for Romance Award 2014. She was also recognized by Queen Elizabeth II in 2012 for her ‘outstanding service to literature’. Carole has written 250 contemporary, Regency and paranormal romance novels.
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She is happily married to Peter. They have 6 sons, and live on the beautiful Isle of Man. She also loves to hear from Readers!
Other books by Carole Mortimer
Regency Lovers Series:
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INDECENT (Regency Lovers 1)
OBSESSION (Regency Lovers 2)
CRAVING (Regency Lovers 3)
FORBIDDEN (Regency Lovers 4)
SURRENDER (Regency Lovers 5)
SCANDAL (Regency Lovers 6)
More books to come in this series
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Steele Protectors Series:
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LOGAN (Steele Protectors 1)
ATTICUS (Steele Protectors 2)
BRYCE (Steele Protectors 3)
ROURKE (Steele Protectors 4)
More books to come in this series
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Regency Sinners Series:
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Wicked Torment (Regency Sinners 1)
Wicked Surrender (Regency Sinners 2)
Wicked Scandal (Regency Sinners 3)
Wicked Deception (Regency Sinners 4)
Wicked Captive (Regency Sinners 5)
Wicked Temptation (Regency Sinners 6)
Wicked Sinner (Regency Sinners 7)
Wicked Christmas (Regency Sinners 8)
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Dragon Hearts – Contemporary paranormal
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Nathaniel (Dragon Hearts 1)
Deryk (Dragon Hearts 2)
Bryn (Dragon Hearts 3)
Dylan (Dragon Hearts 4)
Grigor (Dragon Hearts 5)
Garrett (Dragon Hearts 6)
Aeran & Rhys (Dragon Hearts 7)
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Regency Unlaced Series:
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The Duke’s Mistress (Book 1)
Claimed by the Marquis (Book 2)
Taken by the Earl (Book 3)
Pursued by the Viscount (Book 4)
Desired by a Lord (Book 5)
Captured by a Gentleman (Book 6)
Pleasured by a Duke (Book 7)
Seduced by a Marquis (Book 8)
Tamed by the Earl (Book 9)
Series is now complete
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Knight Security Series: Spin-off to ALPHA series
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Resisting Alexandre (Knight Security 0.5)
Defying Asher (Knight Security 1)
Challenging Gabriel (Knight Security 2)
Capturing Caleb (Knight Security 3)
Tempting Zander (Knight Security 4)
Enticing Ian (Knight Security 5)
Seducing Ethan (Knight Security 6)
Series now complete
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ALPHA Series:
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Christmas Alpha (Alpha 1)
Dark Alpha (Alpha 2)
Shadow Alpha (Alpha 3) Author’s 200th Book
Midnight Alpha (Alpha 4)
Renegade Alpha (Alpha 5)
Warrior Alpha (Alpha 6)
Rogue Alpha (Alpha 7)
Savage Alpha (Alpha 8)
Series is now complete
Bryce (Steele Protectors 3) Page 11
