Chapter Fifteen
Selena blinked sleepily at the morning sun streaming through her window. Her body was still pleasantly languid, and a bit sore, from their activities last night—
She froze, hardly daring to breathe.
Last night…
The arm banded about her middle tightened as Edward drew her back against his chest and pressed a kiss to her neck, and her heart leapt.
“Edward?” She twisted in his arms, turning to face him.
He gave her a slow smile that had a tingling heat curling low in her belly. Made all the more potent by the realization that…
“You’re alive!” Yes, she realized the absolute absurdity of that statement.
But logical or no, there had been a large part of her that had thought history would repeat itself yet again.
And the sheer relief that he had not succumbed to the curse…
She wrapped her arms around his neck in a near stranglehold, his chuckle muffled against her neck.
He pressed kisses along her shoulder and jawline until she loosened her grip enough for him to pull back and look at her.
“I told you,” he said, rubbing his nose against hers before pressing a heart-meltingly sweet kiss to her lips.
Then he lay back, tucking one arm behind his head while the other kept her close to his side.
“You really should listen to me more. I’m always right. ”
His teasing tone meant to rile her, and if she hadn’t been so reassured to find him alive and well beside her, she likely would have taken the bait.
But for the moment, her relief outweighed the need to best him at his games.
So instead of slapping at his distractingly bare chest, she snuggled against him and kissed it instead.
A movement that drew a satisfying hiss from Edward.
“Keep that up, love, and I’ll be proving to you yet again just how alive I am this morning.”
She smiled against his skin and kissed him again. “I’m surprised it has taken you this long to offer.”
Her laugh cut off with a yip as he rolled her beneath him with a heated growl that had her body throbbing with instant need.
She tilted her face up for his kiss, but his lips hovered just above hers, tantalizingly close but just out of reach.
“Edward,” she begged, arching against him.
“Marry me,” he murmured, brushing his lips across hers.
She froze, and he dragged a hand down her thigh, hiking her leg up over his hip as he settled more firmly against her overheated core.
“I’ve proven virile enough to survive your curse,” he said, his lips pulling into that half smile that drove her so wild. “I can handle anything else that comes our way.”
“You can’t promise that,” she said, though she wasn’t sure she believed that anymore.
It was hard to think with his body covering hers, his hands sparking sensations that set her body afire, overwhelming every ounce of the caution and levelheadedness she’d been clinging to so fiercely.
Though she had precious little of that left when it came to him.
He rocked against her, drawing a moan from her. “Come, Selena love. Let’s tempt the Fates together.”
There was nothing else she wanted more. And she was so tired of fighting it. Fighting her growing feelings for him. Fighting the draw between them. Perhaps it would be different this time. Perhaps this time, she would get to keep him.
Her stomach clenched with trepidation and a fine tremor ran through her.
She would never stop fearing that she’d lose him.
But, he had survived so far. He’d avoided the horse and the pond at the park.
The statue hadn’t crushed him. And last night…
last night had been more than she’d ever dreamed.
And she’d woken up with him alive and well beside her.
She should probably walk away. Be happy with the moments she’d stolen. But she just couldn’t. She didn’t want to. She wanted him. Desperately.
Enough to do as he asked.
So she closed her eyes, took a deep, tremulous breath, and jumped off the metaphorical cliff. “Yes,” she whispered.
Edward stilled above her, pushing up enough he could meet her gaze. “Yes? Truly?”
Her heart thundered, partly in fear, partly in exultation, her pulse racing so fiercely it almost deafened her.
Now that the word had escaped her lips, nothing had ever felt so right.
Absolutely terrifying. But right. She just couldn’t deny him again.
Deny herself. So she steeled her spine, shoved her fears into the inner recesses of her mind, and smiled. “Yes.”
And was rewarded with a smile from Edward that took her breath away.
“You won’t regret it, love. I swear it.”
He lowered his head, finally capturing her lips.
Selena held on to his words, even knowing he couldn’t truly control what fate might have in store for them.
But for this one moment, she could pretend.
Let her fears go and just revel in being with him.
The future would bring what it may. She would deal with it later.
*
Later, unfortunately, occurred much sooner than she would have wished. She would have liked to have spent the day languishing in bed with her new betrothed. Words that still sent tendrils of dread through her heart, along with an almost giddy excitement.
But Jane’s guests had returned to London that morning, Edward with them. And she had needed to return to her room before anyone was the wiser. A task that had proved much easier than the one that now awaited her.
Her parents had unexpectedly arrived.
Due to a stroke of good fortune (in her mother’s mind), or yet another manifestation of her curse (in Selena’s), her parents had arrived before Selena had departed, stopping to refresh themselves on their journey to London to visit her (surprise!) as Jane had given them an open invitation to do.
What “luck” that Selena was still there!
She sighed and took a long sip of tea as her mother chattered on about some soiree or another that they had attended during their recent travels.
Not that the tea would help much without a healthy dollop of whiskey.
But it would have to do for now. Selena loved her mother dearly, but she did grate upon her nerves somewhat. On occasion. Frequent occasion.
Jane caught Selena’s eye over her teacup and raised a brow, her eyes darting between Selena’s parents and Selena herself.
Oh. Yes. She did have some news then, didn’t she.
Anxiety spiked through Selena hard enough to make her hand tremble, and she set down her cup before the clattering gave her away.
Really, it wasn’t as if this were the first time this particular topic of conversation had arisen.
As it was the sixth, in fact, one would think she’d be quite the expert at it.
Then again, this was one instance in which practice did not make perfect. It made…problematic.
Truly, it should have been Edward having this conversation with her parents. And he would, soon. But she could hardly not share the news herself.
“Mother. Father. I am to be married. Again.”
She sat and waited in the stunned silence, truly at a loss for how her parents might respond. They generally reacted with joy. Though their optimism had dwindled a bit with each subsequent marriage. As had her own.
Perhaps this wasn’t such a good idea after all. She bit her lip, anxiety pulsing through her, fueling her doubts. She had been down this road so many times before. And it had ended the same. Every time.
But Edward was different. Stronger. More alive, vibrant. Determined…. Stubborn.
A small smile played at her lips as thoughts of him invaded her mind.
Surely, he would beat the curse. He’d survived her so far.
“Darling,” her mother said with a hesitant smile. “That is wonderful. Isn’t it?” she asked, looking to her husband.
Selena’s father grunted. “Of course, of course. Hopefully this one lasts longer than the wedding.”
Selena’s mother covered her mouth with her hand, though she appeared more amused than shocked. Selena could not say the same.
“Father, please,” she said, her stomach dropping.
She hadn’t been in love with any of her husbands, but she had been very fond of them all.
Especially Charles. She had tried to follow the fortune teller’s advice to trust her instincts.
She’d taken a leap of faith with all of them.
They had all been good men who had made her laugh.
Men whose company she enjoyed, who seemed as though they would be jovial and kind husbands.
And she had had very high hopes for their future together.
Futures she’d thought would be filled with happiness and laughter.
The loss of that, the loss of the men with whom she’d hoped to share her life… it wasn’t a subject of merriment.
“Oh, don’t trouble yourself, my dear,” her father said, reaching over with a vague patting motion that barely skimmed her hand. “Surely you won’t lose a fifth one. Sixth? What number are we on now?”
Selena threw a pained look at Jane who immediately snapped her own jaw shut and forced a smile.
“Oh, I shouldn’t think we have anything to worry with Lord Lockhaven.
He’s hale and hearty, very robust, and has a good head on his shoulders as well.
I shouldn’t think any untoward accidents will befall him. ”
Robust? Selena mouthed silently at her.
Jane just shrugged with a teeth-gritted grin. Their exchange was interrupted by her mother’s sudden gasp.
“Did you say Lord Lockhaven?”
Selena pressed her lips together. She’d known that would go a long way to erasing whatever qualms her parents might have about this relationship. Though, they had already seemed thrilled in a bored sort of way about the news.
“Yes, Mother,” she answered with a bland smile.
“Lord Edward Brelsford, the Marquess of Lockhaven, son and heir of the Duke of Haltham? That Lord Lockhaven?”
Selena’s brows arched. “Is there another Lord Lockhaven of whom I am unaware?”