“My choice?” Violette’s soft voice was like a balm. “What do you mean my choice?”

“I mean, have you chosen me? Because based on today, I am not sure that you have.” He didn’t intend to sound angry but he was. He’d done wrong here, but he wasn’t the only one who had been hurtful today.

“I choose to have a man by my side who shoulders his responsibility. My father did not. Look where that has led me.” She straightened then.

Ouch. That stung a great deal more than Luke’s fists. “I see.”

“Theo, I want that man to be you. But if I don’t force it now, I may never be able to again. This is the one time a woman has real leverage.” Her hands rested on either side of her cheeks as she spoke.

It was tempting to concede to her. To wrap her in his arms and promise to be better. But there was something else. “Fair enough. But you could have spoken with me directly. Instead of concocting a plan where my sister informed me we were no longer engaged and she’d be sponsoring you and Daffodil.”

Her hands slid from her face even as her mouth dropped open. “Oh dear,” she whispered. “You’re right. It was awful what I did.” Then she lowered her head her gaze fixed on the floor.

“Violette,” he groaned. “I beg you, don’t cry.”

“I don’t think I have any tears left.” Then she looked up at him and found droplets forming behind her eyes. “I likely shouldn’t have eaten. It only gave me the ability to make more.”

“Of course you should have eaten.” He couldn’t stand it anymore. He crossed the room and gathered her in his arms. She was so soft, warm, and beautifully fitted against his body. His arms wrapped about her, one of his hands coming up to cradle her head. “I’m sorry too.”

She tipped her head back so it rested more fully in his hand and looked up at him. “Where does that leave us?”

He looked down at her, she was so lovely. He knew couldn’t leave her to marry another man. As much as he knew it was time to shoulder his own responsibilities. “We’ll marry. I’ll stay.”

Her eyes grew wide and her mouth parted. “Really?”

But he didn’t answer, instead he captured her lips with his own. At the touch, he knew he was making the right decision. That he could spend a lifetime just exploring her lips.

As he raised his head, he gave her a smile. “Fortunately, I’ve found a woman who I am sure will entertain me through the long English winters.”

She gave a soft laugh. “I don’t blame you for wanting to explore the world. I’ve always wanted to see other places.” Her lips turned down. “It just isn’t the fate of a woman.”

He felt a jolt, like lightening, course through his veins. “You want to travel?”

She gave a little nod. “I don’t want to abandon my family, of course. But I’d like to see a little of the world—”

But he didn’t allow her to finish. His lips captured hers in a hard kiss. The answer had been right in front of him all along. He’d seen flashes of it. The woman under the perfect exterior. And then there were the kisses. More passionate than any he’d ever known. She had a wild heart carefully hidden from the world.

But he’d seen what was underneath. The kiss deepened and lengthened, her fingers curling into the strands of his hair.

Her body clung to his, her tongue matching his every stroke until he finally lifted his head. “Violette,” he ground out, his hands holding her waist. He started to push her gently away, but she stubbornly resisted him. He brushed his lips to hers wanting another taste of her. “We should stop, my love.”

“Stop?” It came out as a question. Her body remained pressed to his, but she tipped her head back. “Why would we stop?”

His mouth curved into a little grin. There was his temptress. “We’ll wait until we’re married.”

Her lips found his again and she kissed him with an abandon that left him aching for more. “You will marry me?”

“Of course,” he murmured between kisses. “I’ll have the bans posted as soon as we return home.”

“Then I don’t want to wait.” She stepped back from him then, and he looked at her in confusion until she began to unbutton her dress. “My entire life I’ve done exactly as I have been told.” The dress dropped to the ground and she pulled off her petticoat and then began to untie her corset strings. “But inside I’ve wanted to be wild and free.” The corset fell away. “You will be my husband.” She unbuckled her shoes, kicking them off. “It isn’t so wrong but wouldn’t it be lovely to do it our way, to not follow every rule they’ve set out for us?”

“It would be,” he nearly growled kneeling before her. She was perfection. More than he could ever have dreamed of. And she belonged at his side. How could he ever have thought he could leave her? He rolled her stockings down her legs, skimming his fingers along her soft supple skin. Then he placed a kiss at her knee. She gasped at the light touch and he grinned.

She rested her hand on his cheek. “I am trusting you, Theo.”

He kissed a little higher and then higher still. “Thank you for your trust, my love.” Meeting her eyes he rumbled. “But rest assured, Luke and Ryker would never allow me to do anything else. Besides, I understand my duty… my responsibilities. Not just to you but to my family and the people who depend on me.”

Her other hand came to his cheek, cupping his face. “We’ll be responsible together but also…” Her eyes darkened and he could barely breathe. She was glorious. “We’ll have our own adventures where no one can see.”

He leaned up and kissed her mouth with a passion he’d never experienced in his life, but then he dropped back down. “Lay back,” he commanded.

Her eyes widened but she did as he asked. He resumed his trail of kisses up her thigh; with every one, her breathing grew more rapid. As he reached her inner thigh, just short of the apex of her legs, he used the pad of his thumb to just brush along her seam. She cried out, her entire body spasming.

“Shhhh,” he whispered. “You have to be quiet, love. This is our little secret.” His words only made her moan again and as he lightly kissed her most intimate place she clamped her own hand over her mouth to hide her lusty cry.

It only spurred him on. He kissed her again and again, building the passion. One of her hands twined in his hair, pulling him closer as he held her hips.

Her passion finally broke and with a cry she couldn’t hide, he felt her shatter.

He was up in a second, stripping off his shirt. At first, she gave him a lazy smile but it quickly grew heated again.

Her chemise had been pushed up around her waist and she grabbed the hem to lift it above her head. A rumble sounded deep his chest. He wanted to see his woman.

Slowly, she pulled it higher, a teasing pout to her lips.

“Violette,” he rasped. “How could I ever have thought that I could leave you?”

The fabric sailed over her head. “I don’t know.”

Gathering her in his arms, the feel of their skin coming together, was almost more than he could bear but he forced himself to think. He had to go slow. He couldn’t hurt her now. “I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you too,” she replied and then their lips locked together again.

Her hands were on the ties of his breeches when a knock, a pounding really, sounded at the door.

“Open at once,” Ryker’s clipped words filtered through the door. “Was one beating not enough for you today?”

“Bloody hell,” he growled as he held Violette tighter.

“Oh dear,” she whispered her hands clutching his shoulders. “I tried to be quiet.”

He chuckled. “Once we’re married, we’ll have a very private wing where you can make all the noise you want.”

“Open up,” Ryker shouted louder.

Theo sighed. “I heard you the first time. Give us a minute.”

“A minute?” Ryker repeated pounding again.

“You’ll wake the entire inn,” Theo growled. Then he reluctantly stepped away from Violette. “We will continue this very soon, love.”

“Promise?” she asked, her hands skimming up his neck as she bit her lip.

Bloody hell, he hoped Ryker appreciated what he was interrupting. Theo would likely go mad with wanting. He grinned. “I promise.”

Then he swept up her chemise and put it back over her and tucked her in the bed. Grabbing his shirt, he shrugged it on and crossed to the door. Such a shame but they had all the time in the world now.