She parted her mouth to argue and he silenced her with another kiss. “I warned your father too. He’ll keep them safe enough.”
“How did you warn my father without revealing that you were sweeping me away to the beach?”
He chuckled. “I told him that I had to go fetch a ring.” They reached the shoreline and he started for the little alcove in the rocks. “It was a bit of a white lie. One I hope he’ll forgive me for.”
“You have a ring already or you have no intention of buying one?” she asked as he gently set her on her feet.
“Cover your eyes,” he whispered close to her ear. “And to answer your question, both. I have a ring already so I’ve no need to buy one.” He was slowly leading her toward the cove, her feet shuffling as she covered her eyes. Normally he would have carried her but he had another surprise in mind and he needed her to be standing.
Finally, he stopped just in the entrance of the cove. He was pleased to see that most of the candles had remained lit and his blankets were still spread about the sand.
“What do you need a ring for?” she asked, but he knew she understood, her fingers had begun shaking in his.
“Just give me one more moment, my love, and I will explain everything.” And then he dropped down on one knee.
Chapter Fifteen
Ophelia shifted in the sand, anticipation making it difficult to stay still. “Can I open my eyes yet?”
“Almost.”
His deep, rich voice made her shiver in excitement. This moment, right here, was everything she’d ever wanted. A handsome man had swept her away to an unknown surprise. She pressed her free hand to her cheek. “Now?”
“Now,” he answered.
She opened her eyes and the first thing she noticed was the soft glow of light coming from the alcove in the rocks. She and her sisters had played here often as children and she’d spent many an afternoon curled in the sand with a beloved book. Now the hollowed-out rock formation was lit with… “There must be fifty candles.”
“One hundred,” Chase said softly.
His voice made her breath catch but she couldn’t look away from the scene. Blankets and pillows had been spread about in the shelter and a basket sat to one side. “Is it a picnic?”
“Yes.” He laced his fingers through hers.
“I’ve never been to a candlelight picnic before. In some ways it looks more like the fantasy I described…” Her words tapered off as she turned to look at him and realized he had dropped to one knee.
And he was holding out a box in one hand.
And he was smiling in a certain way…as though they had a special secret no one else shared.
“It does. Doesn’t it?” Then he let go of her hand and cracked open the tiny, intricately carved wooden box. In it lay delicately folded satin and a gold ring with a large sapphire in its center.
She gasped as he removed the ring from the folds and reached for her hand again. “Miss Ophelia Moorish, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Her lip trembled as he waited for her answer. “I should tell you something before I answer.”
His brow crinkled and he leaned back a bit. “What?”
She swallowed. “It’s just that…well I find that…I am in love with you.” She drew in a breath. “And I know that you don’t feel that way about me, but I want you to know before we go any further that I’d like those feelings to grow between us. If you don’t think that can happen then I’m not certain I should say yes.”
He stood, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he pulled her closer. “It can’t happen in the future.”
“Oh.” Her heart sunk to her knees and she blinked several times because she refused to cry any more today. “I understand.”
“You don’t.” And then he pulled her left hand toward him, slipping the ring on her finger. “I can’t fall in love with you in the future because I am in love with you now. I wanted to deny it but I think you might have stolen my heart from the first moment we met.” Then he pulled her close and kissed her. Her chest swelled with emotion even as her body hummed with desire. This…this was exactly the fairy tale she’d always wished to have. Only it was even better because this fairy tale was real.
Ophelia trembled in his arms, meeting each of Chase’s kisses with a passion that stole the breath from his lungs.
She twined her fingers into his hair as her mouth parted under his, their tongues tangling together. He lifted her again, carrying her into the alcove, where they were sheltered and warmed by the candles. Laying her down on the blankets, he pulled another over them, creating a cozy sanctuary.
She pulled away and gave him a grin. “Am I going to have to give you the ring back so you can propose again at a sanctioned meeting?”
His eyes widened and he chuckled. “I suppose so, although, I hate to see the jewel removed from your hand. It looks so perfect on you.” He reached for her fingers, bringing them to his lips. “The ring was my mother’s favorite.”
She gasped and looked at the stone again. “You had this with you?”
He shrugged. “I carry a cravat of my father’s as well. To be honest, putting the ring on your hand…I feel like she’s part of our future.” He leaned his forehead down to touch hers. “I’ve been searching for my future for a long time, growing increasingly restless and now…I am at peace.”
She grasped his face. “I am too.” Then she kissed him again, hard and long. “Chase.” There was an edge to her voice that made his heart race in his chest. “I want to live out the whole fantasy tonight. I want to make love to you under the stars.”
He growled out his need, trying to calm his body’s driving need. “Ophelia, we should wait until we’re married.”
She shook her head. “This is our night. We begin our future together here and now.” She slid her fingers down his neck and into the V of his open shirt.
His pulse raced as she touched him. “Ophelia. Do you have any idea how desirable you are? Good God, woman, you could drive a man to…” He looked down at her, searching for the word.
“Remain faithful?” She quirked a brow.
He grimaced. “You needn’t worry, my love. I was searching for you and now that search is over.” He kissed her again, trying to express the depths of his emotion in a single kiss. But the kiss wasn’t enough. He pulled up, shrugging his shirt over his head. Then he leaned back down and brought Ophelia to him before working on the row of buttons at the back of her dress.
Her bodice slumped forward and she lay down again, wriggling the fabric over her hips. In response, he started working the ties of her corset, saying a silent prayer she wore short stays. In a flurry of activity, they stripped down several more layers, both frantic to touch each other’s skin.
He caressed her everywhere. Cruising his hands over her torso, down her arms, across her thighs, around her back. He touched her as though he created a map. The swell of her hips, like rolling hills, her stomach a valley. And when he brushed through the curls between her legs, they both groaned.
She traced the ridges of his back and then slid her hands into his trousers, touching his backside. “Take down your pants, I want to see all of you.”
He wanted to see her too. But Chase worried just a bit. Passionate as she was, Ophelia was still a virgin and the male sex could be rather…intimidating. “Are you certain you’re ready for it? We can just do what we did last time.”
She shook her head, reaching up to his face and grazing her thumb over his lip. “No. This is our big moment and I will not squander our opportunity because I got scared. Heroes and heroines take the big risks.”
He had to smile. “It’s not huge. Perhaps just right.”
“Are we discussing the risk or something else?”
He started pulling her shift up over her hips. “The danger, mostly. There is no chance I am letting you get away from me. You will be my wife very soon.”
She sighed and lifted to allow him to pull the garment over her head. “T
hat’s just perfect.”
Chapter Sixteen
She tried to imagine a better scenario. This…this was even more wonderful than their first kiss in the library had been. She scooted down her pantaloons and stockings until she lay naked under the blanket. Chase stood and removed his boots, then pulled off his breeches.
She shivered as she studied him. Not huge? Ophelia propped herself up on one elbow. Having full access to the library and being an avid reader, she’d done her fair share of studying the medical journals. She understood the basics of copulation but none of the diagrams she’d seen had even come close to looking like the member currently jutting out from his body. “That is going inside me?”
One corner of his mouth ticked up. “Believe it or not, women are rather fond of a larger…” He looked down.
She shook her head, fear making her jaw clench. “Good to know.”
He lay down next to her, pulling the blanket back over himself and fitting his body against hers. His skin was slightly cool but immediately began to warm. “My offer still stands. We can save making love for our wedding night.”
She drew in a deep breath, forcing herself to relax. “No, I’m ready now. I won’t be a coward in the face of my fear or yours.”
“My fear?” he asked, kissing the sensitive spot on her neck.
She ran her hand over his muscled chest. “I know how you feel about the ocean. Today I want to give you a new memory. I can’t change what happened in the past, but I want to help balance out your feelings involving the water. It gives and takes away.”
He pushed up on his arms as she rolled onto her back. “Have you ever considered yourself the hero in your stories rather than the heroine?”
She stilled, her lips parting. “Well. That is interesting. I suppose I like that idea very much.”
“I’m glad because you, my love, have saved me.” Then he pressed down and captured her lips again.
There were no more words as they kissed, lengthening and deepening, their bodies pressed together.
Every inch of his muscled frame heated hers as her legs twined with his. Then he kissed lower, along her neck, chest, and down to her nipples. She cried out when he sucked one into his mouth, her heart beating in rhythm to his.
And when his fingers brushed through her folds, pleasure tightened her skin.
“You feel so wonderful,” he murmured against her chest. “Like a dream.”
“Or a fairy tale.” She smiled until he inserted a finger into her channel.
He moved to the other nipple. Using another finger in her body. This one stretched her open further and while the pleasure was still there, it burned just a bit. “You’re so tight.”
“See. Now you know why I was concerned.” She gasped out as he spread her a bit wider.
He slid back up, giving her a slow kiss on the lips. “Ophelia…we don’t—”
“I want you inside me,” she whispered looking into his eyes.
Chase stopped, his face tightening as his gaze darkened. He slipped his fingers out as his hips settled over hers, his member pressing to her opening. Though a bit scary, the tip also rubbed her in such a way as to make shivers of pleasure shoot through her legs. “Oh,” she moaned, moving her hips to feel more. And then he sank inside her, just a bit, spreading her open. “I see what you mean,” she said between breaths. “It pulls a bit but also, something about the shape, you can tell it was made to be inside me. Even now, it feels good.”
He buried his face into the crook of her neck. “Ophelia, I swear on all that is holy, that you’re going to undo me. I love that you talk so much during the most intimate times, my love, but I am trying to maintain control so that I don’t hurt you and you telling me how good I feel, how I’m made to be inside you. I swear, it’s driving me mad.”
She knew those words were a warning but she wasn’t sure she cared to hear it. She loved this intimacy between them and his desire for her was worth a bit of pain. It made her feel powerful, attractive, and wanted. “Would it also drive you mad to know that I love the hair on your body? It’s rough and masculine. The way your muscles are sculpted makes me want to lick you from…” He pushed all the way inside her, breaking her maidenhead in one quick push. They both stilled. “Oh. That did hurt.”
He smoothed her hair back from her face. “Tell me about your next romantic fantasy. Would we be on an island?”
She shook her head. “That would require a boat.”
“You are so wonderful. Do you know that?” And he kissed her hard.
“Well,” she started. “We still haven’t used the rose petals. Perhaps we’ll spread those on our bed. Oh. Can it be a large four post with curtains?”
He slowly pulled out of her and gently pushed back in, it hardly hurt at all. “Of course. But I’d request that we repeat the candles. I love all this light.”
She liked it too. She wanted to explore every inch of him. “Oh yes, and…” She paused as he moved into her again, but this time it didn’t hurt nearly as much. “When we were young, we’d tickle each other with ostrich feathers. Do you think they’d be a nice touch?”
His entire body spasmed. “Ophelia,” he growled as he thrust into her again. The pain was gone and in its place was the most amazing sort of pleasure that even her toes curled. She dug her fingers into the small of his back, whimpering and pressing their hips closer together.
“So, I’m going to lay you down in a bed of rose petals and run feathers all over your body. What else?”
Pleasure was spiraling through her and she squeezed her eyes shut as her body tightened around his. “I don’t know but I’m sure you’ll teach me.”
He pressed into her again. “You’re right. We’ve got all the time in the world to learn.” Holding onto her tighter, he increased the rhythm as their bodies moved as one. Soon, she couldn’t hold back and her pleasure crashed around her like a wave breaking on the shore.
She cried out just as his own finish overtook him, his body shaking in release.
As he collapsed on top of her, Ophelia closed her eyes and sighed with pleasure. This was her happily ever after after all.
Epilogue
Two months later…
Ophelia stood near the top of the bluffs, the summer sun shining down as her sisters fanned out beside her. A soft breeze ruffled her silk gown as Chase held both her hands. Next to him stood his cousin, the Marquess of Hartwell. He’d made the journey for the wedding, and Ophelia was so grateful that Chase had family with him today.
The local vicar stood in front of them, giving them each a smile.
“It is with great pleasure that I wed Ophelia Moorish to His Grace here at Seabridge Gate.”
As the ceremony began the words washed over her, her hand joined to Chase’s. They’d chosen only to have their family here and of course, Lord Crestwood, Lord Craven, and Lord Dashlane. Because the party was so small, they’d agreed to have their wedding breakfast in the alcove on the beach. Together, they’d make new memories.
“I now pronounce you man and wife,” Vicar Williams announced. “You may kiss the bride.”
The crowd cheered, her father loudest of all, as Chase softly kissed her lips, drawing her close to him. “This is our future, my love.”
She sighed, loving those words on his lips. “I’d like to think that this is our present and our future holds even better things.” It had taken close to two months to get her father to agree to a short engagement and for his cousin to arrive. And while she couldn’t be certain, they’d managed to sneak away at regular intervals, leaving her with the suspicion she was carrying his child. She hadn’t bled in weeks.
He quirked a brow as he threaded her hand into his elbow and led the procession down the bluff to their prepared picnic. “What could be better than this?”
She shrugged, giving him a soft smile. She didn’t want to share yet, just in case she was wrong, but soon enough she’d be able to tell him that they were building a family of their own. And that was a dream
come true for both of them. “Well for starters, I’ll be able to stay in your bed tonight.”
He grinned, giving her a wink. “That is very true,” he leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I can’t wait to sleep the entire night with you tucked by my side.”
She giggled back. “Is that all we’ll do, Your Grace?”
He gave her a sly grin but didn’t answer as they made it to the beach.
For the next two hours, they ate and chatted with their family and friends, spread out on blankets in the shade of the rocks before Chase pulled her to her feet again. “It’s time,” he said, waving to everyone else.
“Time for what?” she asked.
“Time for you to see your new home,” her father inserted, looking absolutely delighted. “Are you surprised?”
What were they talking about? “New home?”
Chase took both her hands. “I’ve purchased a property here at Seabridge Gate. The house is small but it will be perfect for now while we build a grander one.”
Tears filled her eyes. “You bought a house. Here?”
He gave a wide grin. “This will be our home. We’re rewriting those memories of the sea, remember?” Then he leaned even closer. “And I’ve got a few more surprises for you too.”
She could barely contain herself as they made their way to the top of the bluff and climbed into a waiting carriage. It only took fifteen minutes to make their way to the other side of Seabridge Gate. The carriage stopped in front of the old Chesterfield Farm. Rolling hills spread out from the sea and a small colonial sat at the end of the drive. “I’ve always loved this property.”
He squeezed her hand as he helped her out of the carriage. “Come inside.”
They breezed past the small staff that waited for them with a short hello and then headed up the stairs. At the end of the hall, he opened the double doors. Inside the room, stood a large, four post bed sprinkled with dozens of pale pink rose petals.
Romancing the Rake: Seven Regency Romances Page 9
