“Why don’t we wait on deck while our luggage is loaded and enjoy the last few minutes of the sunset?” he suggested.
“Very well,” Cassie said, busy looking around the sights of the ship.
“Have you been on a ship before?”
“Not on the ocean, only smaller leisure crafts on the river. It’s very busy.”
“The crew is preparing to set sail at first light with the tide. Are you cold?” He noticed she hugged herself in her wool cloak.
He removed his great coat and draped it around her shoulders. “In a moment, we can take dinner in our cabin. I planned a special feast to be delivered.”
“What? No hardtack?”
He chuckled. “I’m afraid not. But I’ll see what can be arranged during our voyage.”
They made their way to their cabin, and with every step, Sidney’s breathing grew harder with anxiety. Would she like it? Would she think him silly for planning such an elaborate evening? Was it too much? Not enough? She’d never been a woman to be wooed by frills and tomfoolery. Not his practical Cassie.
He opened the door and waved her through, holding his breath. She paused one step in and gasped.
“What the devil?” she said. “Did you plan this?” She entered farther and spun slowly in the room.
Candles inside jars littered the room to create a warm glow. Garlands of mistletoe framed their large bow window, overlooking the open ocean turned deep purple with ripples of pink as the sun sank below the horizon. Thick fur blankets covered the bed, too sumptuous to resist. She ran her hand over the downy fur and moaned softly.
His body awoke with startling speed.
On their table was a spread of roast beef, boiled vegetables in sauce, and an assortment of treats. His Cassie had a sweet tooth.
His Cassie.
His heart throbbed as he watched her circle the room, taking in the little details he’d made to bring back the night of their scandal. The Mistletoe Masquerade.
The night of her ruin, or perhaps it was his. From that night on, he’d been destroyed with guilt, then revived by the truth that no matter what happened, she would be his. No one could stop it.
The woman he thought he would never have, was now his wife, and tonight would seal their twined fate forever.
His steps felt heavy as he closed the door and removed his jacket.
Her eyes glittered with emotion as she spotted the two masks on the table.
“Why?”
“I wanted another chance. No interruption this time.”
“No…interruption?”
“We can take our time.”
Cassie licked her lips, and Sidney slowly strode forward.
“Our time?”
“We have all night. You’re mine.”
Her breathing grew shallow. “And you’re mine. You did this? For me?”
He nodded, standing before her. He set his hands on her shoulders. “I can’t count the dreams I’ve had of you, but that night didn’t sit well with me, and I wanted to recreate the magic I felt. Whether it was the mistletoe, or just you, I was enchanted.”
“You didn’t know it was me.”
“I didn’t want to let myself believe it was you. I’ve wanted you for so long, Cassie. But I could never let myself get close enough.”
“Why?”
“Tristan, the trust your family had in me. They became a surrogate family to me, even you. I didn’t want to jeopardize that, but you were ever so hard to resist. I knew I had to get away, to give myself some space to cool my head.”
“You’ve been distant with me.”
“Self-preservation. Your family holds you on a pedestal. I watched three men scamper away like whipped dogs after proposing to you. I didn’t think I had a chance.”
“You? All you had to do was ask me. Damn what my brother wants.”
He snorted, his arms slipping down her back. “Your brother is a crack shot.”
“I…I had no idea that you felt like this.”
Sidney didn’t know why the words came so easily now. Perhaps it was the gentle glow of the room, the ambiance, or maybe just the sparkle in her eyes.
Whatever it was. This was the moment. His chest swelled.
“Cassie, I know I haven’t been clear about my feelings for you. I got so used to hiding them that it became instinct. But I don’t want to hide it from you. I never knew a man could feel like this. At times, it is overwhelming, and I can’t control it, which I am loath to admit because I like to be in control. What dissuaded me was not knowing how you felt.”
She smiled. “I’m the one who orchestrated the kiss, remember?”
“Yes, but that was just a kiss you planned for and it turned into so much more.”
“If I hadn’t wanted that, none of it would have happened. I was with you at every moment. I…I got used to hiding my feelings too until I couldn’t bear it anymore. But I never thought that you would return them. You’re so stoic and serious.”
Their foreheads touched. “We are masters of disguise.”
“Should we be spies?”
“For now, how about we just enjoy this.” He kissed her softly, in no rush, though his blood pumped hotly and every fiber of his body wanted to undress her.
“Tell me if I’m going too fast.”
“You can’t. I wanted you to make love to me in a row boat just yesterday. I’ve waited forever for you. I—I love you.”
His mind froze as their eyes met. His head grew light, and warmth flooded his body. He knew that was what he’d been feeling all this time, but the words had been as lost as his emotions, tangled in a maze of should and should not.
“I love you too. All this time, I couldn’t put it into words. It was too big and… I’ve never been in love before. I never let myself dream of love.”
“So strong and determined. Love is not a weakness.”
“This is the opposite of weak. It overpowers me.”
“Show me.”
“I want to…but I’m afraid I’ll frighten you.”
“You can’t.” She brushed her lips across his. “I’ve waited so long. From the moment we were caught, I wasn’t sure. I felt so guilty. I even thought maybe I was taking you from someone else. Show me, lose control, I don’t care. I know you could never hurt me.”
He growled as he cupped her bottom and lifted her. Their mouths fused together, tongues tangling as he carried her to the fur covered bed, intent to see her creamy bare skin sliding against the soft texture by candle light.
Cassie arched against him as he carried her to the bed and set her down, never pulling his mouth from hers as they attacked their clothing. Layer after layer was stripped from her, and she kept her hands busy with his stubborn buttons, her hands shaking from the need thrashing her hungry body. Her ache for him almost brought her to tears, but at last, her craving would be met.
No interruptions, no one to cry scandal. The ball had been the perilous beginning of this madcap journey, but here they would forge their path, as husband and wife, from this day onward. No more doubts, no more questions. She confessed her love, and he’d met it. This was better than any dream.
With every kiss and stroke of his tongue, he erased her doubts, setting fires in her soul. Her cloak was gone, then her dress, and he drifted lower, painting her skin with licks of his tongue. He loosened the ribbon of her chemise and tugged it down over her shoulders, revealing her breasts to the candlelight. He took a swollen peak into his mouth, and color filled her vision as she clamped her eyes shut, the tug of his lips and soothing lap of his tongue on her sensitive nipple pure heaven. She couldn’t stop the purr of approval that rippled from her throat as he moved to the next breast.