Page 72 of The Rogue’s Offer

“I love you, Mathias,” she sobbed. “I was wrong to send you away. I don’t want you to go.”

She shuddered as he roughly pulled her deeper into his embrace to hold her tight against him. The solid warmth of him enveloped her as she buried her face in the dampness of his jacket and they stood silently in each other’s arms. Cheeks still damp from her tears, Ophelia lifted her head to look at him.

“I love you, Mathias,” she whispered.

“I thought I’d lost you.” The hoarse words echoed with pain as his fingers lightly traced the curve of her cheek. “Can you forgive me, my darling?”

“Yes,” she whispered as she brushed her lips against his. “I forgive you.”

“Thank God.” Mathias released a harsh breath of air as his mouth brushed across her forehead. The tender touch made her shiver at how close she’d come to losing him as well. Immediately, his embrace relaxed slightly as he glanced at their surroundings then touched her hair now completely wet from the drizzle.

“We need to get you indoors where you’ll be dry and warm.”

“I’m fine,” she said with a shake of her head as her gaze met his. “Mathias…did you mean what you said about being willing to be with me…to love me even if I didn’t want to marry?”

Mathias stiffened against her, but he didn’t push her away. If anything, his arms tightened around her. A sudden wave of fear rolled over her. What if he refused? She knew the answer. It would mean his love wasn’t strong enough to let her go, and letting go meant relinquishing all control. The silence settling between them was fraught with tension before he sucked in a deep breath.

“I said I wanted to give you the world, and I meant it,” he said quietly, but there were white lines at the corners of his mouth as if he were struggling not to protest. “I don’t want to lose you, and I won’t ask something of you that you can’t give. I’ll accept whatever terms you wish as long as it means I don’t have to part with you.”

Each word was heartfelt even though she could hear the disappointment in his voice that he was desperately trying to hide. She closed her eyes for a moment at the knowledge he loved her enough to give her the freedom she asked of him. Deep inside her, she heard the sharp sound of a chain snapping.

There was a long pause before another shackle snapped. In rapid succession, the links that had made it impossible for her to trust easily broke away leaving her with a sense of freedom she’d never experienced before. Tears formed in her eyes, and as they rolled down her cheeks, Mathias uttered a soft exclamation of alarm.

“Please don’t cry, sweetheart. Don’t cry. I’ll never deny you the independence you need. I love you too much,” he choked out in obvious concern as his fingers brushed away her tears with a tenderness that made her heart swell. His sincerity echoed in each light touch of his fingers against her cheek. “Your happiness means more to me than my own. If that means loving you outside of societal conventions, then so be it. My happiness is tied to yours.”

Unable to restrain her sob, her hand wrapped around his neck to force his head downward as she sought his lips in a passionate kiss. The moment she did so, it was as if a dam broke, and the raging waters swept her along in a wild and exhilarating river of sensation. Every part of her was on fire, and she ached to be a part of him—to be with him completely until she couldn’t feel where she ended and he began.

A rumble in his chest vibrated against her fingers, as he pulled her so tight into his body that if she’d been a fragile piece of china she would have broken into a million pieces. Her mouth parted beneath his, and the moment his tongue swirled around hers passion blinded her to everything but him. Eagerly she met the demands of his mouth as he took control of their kiss. Need stirred in the center of her body, and she moaned her desire as she clung to him. A shudder shook his solid frame, and he broke their kiss to lift his head. The desire burning in his gaze sent heat coursing through her blood. With a grimace of what could have been pain, he shuddered again.

“God knows I want to show you how much I love you, sweetheart, but this is hardly the time or place for doing so.” His mouth twisted in a small, wry smile. “You’re soaked through and through.”

“I could be standing in a downpour, and I wouldn’t care because I’m with you. I need you as the earth needs the rain, Mathias. I’ll always need you. I’ll always love you.”

The passion in his eyes darkened with another emotion, and she saw his throat bob as he swallowed hard. His only response was an abrupt nod, but the adoration in his green eyes told her everything she needed to know. A second later she gasped in surprise as Mathias’s embrace shifted, and he swept her off her feet. He carried her to where Titan was standing a few feet away then set her in the saddle.

The horse’s reins in hand, he gripped the horse’s mane at the bottom of the animal’s neck then mounted the stallion to sit behind her. The strength of him flowed through her, and with a sigh, she leaned backward into him. An overwhelming wave of happiness rolled over her, and the strength of it frightened her. Almost as if he could sense her reaction to the intensity of the emotion, Mathias lowered his head and his mouth brushed the side of her temple.

“I love you, Ophelia.”

The soft words warmed her skin, and this time the happiness sweeping over her didn’t alarm her. Instead, she welcomed it with an open heart and a soft sigh of contentment.