In a near panic, Anne withdrew her hand from his and took a few steps backward. “I do believe a more pressing question is why you attacked Lord Gillingham with such viciousness. The poor man was knocked off his feet!” Anne knew very well that she didn’t care about Lord Gillingham. Nor was she concerned with Tobias’s anger toward him. What Anne did know was that while Tobias had inquired after her feelings, he had yet to confess his own.
If indeed they existed!
Tobias’s gaze narrowed and his eyes darkened. The warm chocolate-brown disappeared, replaced by a menacing black that made Anne wish she’d not said a word. Still, there was no turning back. At least, now, they were speaking about something other than her affections toward him. “You’ve always been such a kind and respectful man. Why were you so aggressive toward Lord Gillingham?”
His jaw tensed. “Because of you.”
“Me?” Anne all but stammered, her gaze locked on his as he began to move toward her.
“You,” Tobias confirmed, following her step by step as she retreated. “I loathe that man because whenever I see him, he’s near you, asking you to dance or escorting you to supper or taking you for a stroll around the gardens.” The words shot out of his mouth like bullets fired, their impact almost deafening. His gaze was sharp, harsh even, reminding her of a wolf stalking its prey. “Twice today, he tried to kiss you,” he growled out, “and from the way he was looking at you just now, he−”
Anne shrank back for never in her life had she seen Tobias like this. He frightened her, but he also gave her hope. “What is it to you?” she demanded, daring him to answer. “Why would you care who kisses me?”
Tobias surged toward her, his hands gripping her upper arms as her back collided with one of the oak tree’s unyielding trunk. “Because you’re mine to kiss,” he whispered against her lips, his eyes holding hers, open and honest, and yet, searching.
Anne drew in a shuddering breath. “Am I?” she asked as her heart began to dance in her chest. She felt a small tug on her lips and noted Tobias’s hard gaze soften when he saw it.
“Yes, you are,” he replied with a smile, the look in his eyes whispering of the same overwhelming emotions Anne felt course through her own veins. “You’ve always been.”
“And yet,” she pointed out, savoring the way he held her close, “you’ve never kissed me before today.”
His gaze drifted to her lips before returning to meet her eyes. “I’ve been a fool,” he whispered, and his left hand brushed along the line of her jaw and then slipped into her hair. “I, too, have loved you for as long as I can remember, but…” He sighed. “Something changed that night at the ball.”
Without asking, Anne knew which ball he meant. “For me as well.”
A relieved breath whispered past his lips. “Is it true then?” Tobias asked, deepest longing in his gaze. “Do you love me?”
Anne smiled, no longer afraid. “I’ve always loved you, but lately…”
“Lately?” His breath came fast as he looked down at her.
Feeling bold and daring, Anne pushed herself up onto her toes and pressed a kiss on Tobias’s lips. It was no more than a soft pressure of mouth on mouth until he pulled her deeper into his embrace, his hand angling her head. He returned her kiss then, gentle and tentative, as they took the first steps away from the friendship that had connected them for as long as they could remember.
It was a daring leap, filled with uncertainty, but it also whispered of promises.
His lips teased hers apart as his hands slid under her cloak, touching her in a way a friend never would. She felt his caresses through the thick fabric of her woolen gown as his hands brushed up her back, then down and to the front, running over her ribcage before settling on her waist. He held her close, their warmth mingling, as he deepened the kiss, taking it far beyond what they had shared earlier that morning in the library.
It felt as though a lifetime had passed since then.
Eager for more, Anne trailed her hands upward, sliding her palms over his broad chest and up to his shoulders. Her fingertips danced along the side of his neck, feeling warm skin as well as a pulse that beat as fast as her own. Her hands slipped into his hair as she pulled herself closer. In answer, his arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly, promising to never let her go again.
When they finally pulled apart, they were both out of breath, but the joy they saw on each other’s faces was palpable. Never had Anne seen Tobias’s eyes as bright nor his smile as radiant as they were in that moment.
And it was for her.
Because of her.
As hers was because of him.
“Promise me,” Tobias began, a smile on his face, but his voice heavy with emotion, “that you’ll never let that man anywhere near you ever again.” He said it lightly, and yet, Anne understood the depth of his fears.
The thought that she could be lost to him.
Brushing a hand over his cheek, she smiled up at the man she loved, the man who’d been her friend all her life. “I never cared for him. Surely, you must know that.” She felt his chest rise and then fall as a deep breath rushed from his lungs. “Besides, I can think of a fairly simple way to ensure that he’ll never come near me again.” Her brows rose teasingly, and Tobias laughed.
“Would you consent to marry me then, Friend?” he teased as he lowered his head, leaning his forehead against hers. “So, I may call you Wife? Darling? Beloved?”
Anne could have sighed hearing these endearments from his lips. “I must say you make marriage sound so very tempting.” Her eyes held his for she needed him to hear her, to truly hear her. “But the reason I agree is simply because I happen to be in love with you.”
His heart skipped a beat−she could feel it against the palm of her hand−before his lips claimed hers in a quick, but lingering kiss. “I love you as well,” Tobias whispered, his breath uneven. “I love you like a man loves a woman, and I want you now and forever.”
“Now and forever,” Anne echoed before she sank into Tobias’s arms once more. The world around them disappeared as thousands of snowflakes began to dance around the tall, unyielding oak as though in celebration of their love.
Attending Lord Archibald’s house party had been a wise choice indeed.
Epilogue
Barrington House, England, Spring 1802 (or a variation thereof)
Anne’s hand felt warm and soft within his own as Tobias tugged her through the door and then pushed it closed with a kick of his boot.
“We will be miss−” she objected before he pulled her into his arms, sealing her lips with a deep kiss. His hands slid over her gown, feeling her tempting curves beneath, wishing the day had already come and gone. “You’re making it very hard for me to keep my wits about me,” she sighed when he trailed kisses down her throat.
Tobias chuckled, nipping gently at her skin, “I’ve waited long enough for this day.”
“As have I,” Anne replied as she pushed him back, her deep blue eyes finding his. “But this is our wedding day. What will our families think when we simply disappear from our wedding breakfast?”