A sound of agony spilled from his lips. “I wanted you alive, even if it meant you’d never belong to me.”
Lifting her hands imploringly, she willed him to see. “I don’t want you to save me. I just want you to love me, Connor.”
“I do,” he said hoarsely. “I will not make decisions for you. Not any longer. Together, we’ll make them. No matter how difficult they may be, and no matter how much I might—”
Ophelia hurled herself into his arms. “I love you,” she rasped.
Connor grunted and fell back, taking her with him. “Will you m—?”
“Yes,” she breathed against his lips, cutting off that request.
As their laughter, free and unrestrained, spilled around the room, they released the chains on their past and embraced their future.
Acknowledgments
I had certain plans for Ophelia’s story. I had it all mapped out. I’d plotted, planned, and pitched it to my fabulous editor. I even had a number of chapters written.
And then one day . . . the story changed. Ophelia whispered in my ear, insisting her story be told, demanding I tell the story the way it needed to be written. One never knows how one’s editor might react to a shift in story.
Alison Dasho, you are amazing. Thank you for trusting my vision and not putting constraints upon me. There is no greater gift an author could have than an editor she can trust.
About the Author
Photo © 2016 Kimberly Rocha
USA Today bestselling author Christi Caldwell blames novelist Judith McNaught for luring her into the world of historical romance. When Christi was at the University of Connecticut, she began writing her own tales of love—ones where even the most perfect heroes and heroines had imperfections. She learned to enjoy torturing her couples before they earned their well-deserved happily ever afters.
The author of The Hellion in her Wicked Wallflowers series, Christi lives in Southern Connecticut, where she spends her time writing, chasing after her son, and taking care of her twin princesses-in-training. Fans who want to keep up with the latest news and information can sign up for Christi’s newsletter at www.ChristiCaldwell.com or follow her on Facebook (AuthorChristiCaldwell) or Twitter (@ChristiCaldwell).
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