Page 25 of Always the Lyon Tamer
John swallowed. He had known it, known this was coming, and for some reason, he felt no qualms about agreeing to her request.
Was he foolish to make this commitment to a woman he had not really seen?He had spent—what, minutes in her presence without the blindfold?How could he agree to marry a woman he barely knew?
His wandering fingers moved down her arm to her hip, cupping her buttocks. Well, he did know her very well in some ways, far better than some gentlemen knew their wives before they were strolling up the aisle.
After all, was this not the perfect opportunity? He had been too shy to propose matrimony to a woman who had captured his heart, so what made him think he would ever be successful?Was this not perfect, a woman offering herself to him?
This was wild, ridiculous, and his gut told him he would not have it any other way.
“I will.”
The words were croaked more than spoken, and he was not surprised when Titania asked the question.
“You will? You will marry me?”
John nodded. “I will marry you.”
Soft and gentle hands moved to his face, fingers untying the knot in the blindfold which was, finally, removed.
John blinked in the sudden brightness, and as his eyes adjusted to the light, he saw lying beside him in the bed…Rebecca Darby.
Chapter Eight
His expression fell,and his mouth dropped open.
It was like death. It was torture. It was all she had hoped to avoid and more, because now, instead ofimaginingthe very worst ending to her rebellious time at the Lyon’s Den, she was now forced to look at it with her own eyes.
Panic rushed through her veins as John’s disappointment and confusion became stronger, gaping as though he had never seen a woman before.
What a mistake she had made. What a fool she was!Rebecca blinked away the tears appearing in the corners of her eyes. She should never have even considered such a foolish thing—she was an idiot to think she could just turn up at the Lyon’s Den and make John love her.
Her plan had been described by Mrs. Dove-Lyon as foolproof, but she was the fool. What had her greatest fear been? That John would reject her, that he would not marry her.
Why else make him promise to marry her before he took the dammed blindfold off?
But despite her careful planning, despite her making him say it…
“I will marry you.”
“M-Miss Darby!”
Rebecca closed her eyes at John’s words. She could not bear it. It was intolerable to hear his disappointment and confusion.
“Yes, I am Miss Darby,” she said aloud, a little defensively.
Well, she had gone against her instincts in an attempt to win him, and she had failed. Now it was time to face the consequences.
“Rebecca Darby,” John said blankly.
Was that all he could say?Rebecca found her bruised heart growing angry and tried to calm it. There was no point in blaming the poor man for her mistakes. If she had just acted as a young lady, then she would not be in this mess.
And what had Mrs. Dove-Lyon said?
“Make sure you are absolutely sure of him—no, do not misunderstand me, Miss, absolutely sure of him. That means getting his promise, on his word of honor, and only then can you even consider revealing yourself to him. Men are tricky beasts, Miss Darby, and they are not to be trusted until they are to be trusted.”
Rebecca moved further away from John in the bed—in the bed where they had…No, she must not think about that.She had been sure that John would marry her. Had he not said that?
“I will marry you.”
