She felt his tongue brush hers, followed it with her own because it felt exactlyright. They breathed the same air, had the same needs, were both alone and confused, and, yes, a little afraid.
Neal ended the kiss before she was ready to let go. His arms slid down to her waist. He held her, but shadows lingered in his eyes. “We will marry tomorrow. If I could, I would wed you this night.”
She wanted to banish her doubts. She tried to keep her voice light as she said, “Why do I sense you are in danger of losing courage, my lord?”
“I’m here, Thea. I’m here for you.” He stepped away, taking her hand and placing a kiss on her fingers.
This wasn’t what Thea wanted to hear. It wasn’t enough. But before she could collect the courage to speak, he turned to Mirabel. “I hope this isn’t upsetting your plans for this evening, my lady?”
Mirabel had been watching them kiss, one hand up to her chest and a look of wonder on her face. “Upsetting? My lord, I am honored to have you marry my wonderful friend here under my roof.”
“I must change,” he said, backing away and holding his hands out to show the damage ofhours of riding. Hours he’d probably spent weighing whether or not he would go through with their marriage.
Pride warred with common sense inside Thea.He’d come back.
Yes, she wanted him.
There was a connection between them, and she could not let it go.
But she also wanted somethingmore.
He left the room, taking her silence as assent. Mirabel practically danced up to her. “I’m so excited. Aren’t you excited?”
“I’m confused. He doesn’t seem happy.”
“He seems happy enough,” Mirabel said gaily. She took Thea by the shoulders and pointed her in the direction of the door. “Come, we don’t have long to make you into the prefect bride. Let us go see what is in my closet.” She started forward, but Thea resisted.
“This is too quick, Mirabel.”
Her friend sighed her frustration. “Is this coming from a woman who had the audacity to elope?”
“And suffered a bad marriage for it.”
“Do you believethiswill be a bad marriage?”
“No, I love him—” Thea broke off, startled by the words that had just flowed easily from her lips.
She turned, considered her words, her feelings . . .
Love was a complicated thing. And what she felt for Neal was different from what she’d felt for her husband. She’d thought she’d loved Boyd, but it had been a passionate, impulsive thing.
Her passion, her lust for Neal was real, stronger even than what her younger self had felt for her husband. But it also went beyond the physical.
She respected Neal. Admired him. Even thought him the most worthy of gentlemen in her acquaintance, and she realized that, unawares, she’d held him as a standard against whom she’d held up every male she’d known since, including Boyd. Unfortunately time and Boyd’s disappointments and vices had not weathered well during their short marriage. She’d lost her respect for Boyd, and love couldn’t continue or grow without it.
Thea didn’t believe she could ever lose her respect for Neal.
“I love him,” she repeated, sampling the statement in her own mind and discovering it was true. “I. Love. Him.”
Mirabel dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Anyone with half a brain could see you did. Especially after last night.”
Heat rushed to Thea’s cheeks. Mirabel laughed and tugged on her arm, but still Thea resisted.
“He doesn’t love me. He won’t,” Thea said. “All because of this curse. He’ll be like he is right now. For the duration of our marriage.”
“As long as he can be as he was in your bedroom last night, you, my dear, will not have any worries.”
“But what if—”