Page 61 of Her Rake Fiancé

As she sighed out, she realized they had accomplished their mission. They had learned all Thorne’s men knew about what had happened to Spencer.

Now, according to their agreement, they should break off the engagement.

And, despite herself, the thought made her stomach sour.

28

“You need to leave,” Jane said as she intertwined her fingers with Richard’s. “But I don’t want the next minute, the next hour to come.”

His hand was so large compared to hers. His hand that had just been in her most intimate places, bringing her unspeakable pleasure…

In the aftershocks of the most intense experience of her life, Jane lay pressed against Richard’s side, resting her head on his strong chest, hearing the loud, steady thumping of his heart. And as her own heart beat in the very same rhythm as his, with every thump that passed, she knew she was falling in love with him.

The man who’d just ruined her. The man with whom she had to break off her engagement…

No, no, no. She didn’t want to think. All she wanted was to feel his hard, hot body wrapped around her, inhale his scent, and breathe. Never in her life had she felt like this. This wonder at what her body could do under his guidance. This feeling of warmth and acceptance that she had when she was with him. Even when she said no to him, he was still here. And unlike other members of the ton, he made her feel like she belonged in his world.

“Just a few more minutes,” she allowed, wrapping her arm tighter around his torso. “Then you should, indeed, leave.”

Suddenly, he tightened his arms around her and pulled her up to straddle him. She stared at his handsome face, as devils played in his blue eyes and his mouth curved in a mischievous smile.

“I don’t want the next minute to come, either, love,” he said.

He took her face in both of his hands and kissed her, his mouth hard and demanding, his beautiful tongue teasing and hot. She loved the feel of his long, hard, masculine body under hers.

“This doesn’t have to end,” he said when he leaned back a little. “I know we agreed to end this after we learned the information about Spencer, but I just ruined you, and I do not intend to leave you alone. Let me make this right. Let me marry you. All you have to do is just not say no.”

She inhaled sharply. Her heart beat hard as the seductive, wonderful thought of that made her muscles slack and her mind sharp. She wished it was possible. She loved him and didn’t want to imagine her life without him.

“Do not break off the engagement. I will not leave you dishonored, Jane.” He brushed his palm along her face. “You’re mine. You’ll always be mine. Mine to love, to cherish, mine to marry.”

His words were like honey on a wound, soothing and delicious and absolutely devastating. And yet, impossible.

“Richard,” she said, her voice trembling, “it doesn’t change the facts. I do not want to be a lord’s wife. I do not want Lady Whitemouth and the rest like her to look as though they just smelled something rotten when I enter a room.”

“They won’t. I dare every single one of them. And who cares about the countess and the ton? All that matters is you and me. Why do you care about their opinions so much? You’re a gentleman’s daughter, and you will be a gentleman’s wife.”

Jane rolled off his body and lay on her back, staring at the ceiling. The thin cracks that ran across it were like the cracks in her heart. She followed one in particular that she’d always thought formed the shape of northern Scotland—she’d often daydreamed of escaping to the rugged Highlands and living a simple life, and now she imagined for a moment that Richard could join her. How she wished they weren’t who they were. That they could just be happy, away from society. But in his life, it was impossible to live outside of society. And she could not leave her brother.

“I will never distance myself from Thorne,” she said.

And Thorne would always be a shadow on her reputation, a black mark in her lineage.

“I will never ask that of you,” said Richard.

“But you’re wrong. You might in the future. Because of the ton. And our children—they’d have Thorne as an uncle. That would taint their future prospects, too.”

He lay on his side and propped his head on his bent arm, facing her. “Jane, stop. It won’t.”

She tore her gaze away from the crack and met Richard’s eyes. His other hand lay on the middle of her chest, between her breasts. He had such an earnest expression, she knew he believed his own words. She saw the hope and the fear in the depths of his eyes.

“You think so now,” she said, laying her hand on top of his. She could feel the soft hair on the back of his large hand. “But one day, when your daughter can’t find a respectable husband because of my brother’s reputation, what then?”

He scoffed softly and slowly shook his head. “Any man that doesn’t see the beautiful person my daughter will be and who only thinks of her connections won’t be worthy of her anyway. And I’ll shoot anyone who tries to take advantage of her.”

She chuckled. “Like you’re taking advantage of me.”

His face lost all humor. “Yes. Let’s hope Thorne doesn’t find out. If he’d want to shoot me, I’d understand.”