Page 56 of The Rogue’s Redemption

When they both looked at his bed, she added, “Or allow you to take me to yours.”

He pulled back and shrugged. “’Tis not so bad. I—”

“That is not all.”

He really, really did not care for Allie’s sister.

“I promised to give it time. For us not to—”

He stepped back. “No. We made a promise. I will not leave here without you.”

The very thought filled him with panic. If he left her here with her sister, there was a chance, no matter how small, her sister would succeed in persuading her.

“You will. Just until St. Crispin’s Day—”

“Is this some sort of cruel jest? Did you really agree to that?”

Allie looked tired suddenly. He wanted to pick her up in his arms, carry her to the bed, and show her exactly what he thought of Lady Gillian’s decree.

“Suffice it to say Gillian does not believe you are the best man for me,” she said. And though regret dripped from every word, it pained him to hear it said aloud.

“She believes I need time away from you”—Allie smiled, but he could not even pretend to do the same—“and the undeniable pull you have on me.”

“No.”

She would not be deterred. “My sister loves me and has been protecting me her entire life. She asked, and I agreed to make her happy. For her, I would agree to almost anything.”

“Allie, this is madness.”

“This changes nothing,” she said. “I want to be with you, Reid. We will be together. But if I can make Gillian feel better about the match, I will.”

He didn’t like it and was prepared to tell her so when Alex’s words came back to him.

I am happy for you.

Instead of believing him, Reid had fought back. Why couldn’t he trust the people he loved? Believe them?

“Can we not enjoy the remaining time you have here?” she pressed, then looked down. “And Gillian isn’t all wrong. We’ve only just met. Maybe we should both take a little time to ensure this is what we want.”

He cupped her face gently, angling it up so their eyes met.

“It matters not. If we’d met just this eve I would already know. I love you, Allie. I’ve never said that to a woman before, and I’ll never say it to another one. I love you and want you to be my wife.”

She placed her hands over his. “And I love you, Reid.”

Every muscle in his body relaxed at the sound of those three beautiful words. He placed a kiss on her lips so tender that even as his body willed him to take more, he wanted only to stand there, in her presence, allowing the goodness that was Lady Allie Bowman to overwhelm all of him, to wash over him and make him somehow better.

He did not need any more than that. For now.

17

“Your feet must change positions more quickly.”

Allie tried to concentrate, but Reid’s intense gaze made her lose focus. He was still very much a mystery in some ways. At times, he appeared so serious that Allie was sure he contemplated a purpose so deep it would take years to uncover it. But he also tended to be the center of joviality. Whenever she heard laughter at the midday meal, she would dart a glance at Reid’s table, and more often than not, she’d see the men around him laughing uproariously and clapping him on the back. Even so, some of the men regarded him with a leery look, as if they feared he’d use his way with words against them.

He stood back and lifted his own sword in front of him at shoulder height. “Front foot back. Move your sword, turning with the hilt and changing your feet at the same time.”

As he moved, the muscles beneath his tunic strained.