arse…” He gaze poured over my body and he moaned in frustration. “I’m killing myself to safeguard your purity and you…”
His face fell suddenly and he scowled at me, eyes filled with suspicion. “But maybe you’re not an honest woman after all. Have you already given yourself to another man, then? Is that it?” My mouth fell open in shock at his accusation. “Well, is it? Is that why you want to go further, because you’ve already warmed another man’s bed?” His words were acidic and blunt, but his hands trembled as he waited for my response.
I shook my head and sputtered incoherently, “No, I… I just… I’ve never…” But the look of distrust I saw in his eyes made me defensive and the frustration I felt earlier blossomed into anger.
“ I am a virgin, but what if I weren’t? What if I had slept with someone else on earth? Does that mean that I wouldn’t be good enough for you? You said you love me but if that’s all that matters to you, you might as well take me to heaven right now, Aiden MacRae.”
He stiffened as if I’d slapped him. Silence hung in the air between us, heavy with fear and doubt. His eyes drilled into mine until I had to look away. His voice was quiet when he finally spoke.
“ If you ask me to take you to heaven, I cannot deny you, Lindsey. So tell me honestly now, for I am bound by your answer. Do you truly want to go?”
The pain in his voice broke me. “No, I don’t,” I said, my voice wavering with emotion. “I want to stay with you. I’m sorry. It’s just… I don’t know how much time we have and I wanted to know what it’s like before I go. Is that so wrong?”
He sat next to me on the bed and held my hand. “No, it's not wrong of you to ask, but I’ve sinned enough and I won’t add defiling a maiden to the list.”
I reached up and stroked his cheek, wanting him to feel the strength of my love. Pressing his palm to my chest over my heart, I concentrated on the rhythmic beat, slowing my breathing in time. I stared into his eyes, baring my soul.
“ Aiden, I have never loved anyone but you. You are my first and my last.”
“ I do believe you, my sweet. And I can promise you the same.” He leaned toward me and lightly touched his lips to mine. When he pulled away from the kiss, I sagged against him, exhausted. We sat in silence for a while, watching the fire.
“ You know,” I said, “now that I think of it, you may be right about the oatmeal. I probably could use something good for me right now, even if it does taste like cardboard.” I gave him a feeble smile and he cocked an eyebrow at me.
“ What’s cardboard?” he asked.
I started to giggle, softly at first but then giddily, which made him laugh and before we knew it, we were both laughing with tears in our eyes, thankful that the moment had passed.
“ So you really want to go to Paris, eh?” He looked down at me, checking to see if I’d changed my mind. I nodded earnestly and he sighed in resignation, then stood up. He reached out one hand and pulled me to my feet. “Well, all right then. You asked for it. Let’s go to Paris.”
Chapter 9
The sunny bedroom dissolved around me. We were standing on a cobbled street with gray clouds overhead and a drizzly mist in the air. I shivered and pulled my arms around my body, the coarse wool of my overcoat scratchy under my fingers. My hair was pulled up under a floppy bonnet, and the long, gray cloak hung heavy on my shoulders.
Aiden’s outfit was a scaled-back version of the one he’d worn to the ball. His light blue jacket was knee-length and had modest silver buttons down the front. His tan trousers underneath fit snug against his legs, buttoning at the knees, and he wore heavy white tights underneath. His hair was pulled back and tied with a small ribbon and he wore a hat that pulled up on the sides and sat low in the front.
Tall brick buildings loomed over either side of the narrow street. Uncle Alex and young Aiden
His face fell suddenly and he scowled at me, eyes filled with suspicion. “But maybe you’re not an honest woman after all. Have you already given yourself to another man, then? Is that it?” My mouth fell open in shock at his accusation. “Well, is it? Is that why you want to go further, because you’ve already warmed another man’s bed?” His words were acidic and blunt, but his hands trembled as he waited for my response.
I shook my head and sputtered incoherently, “No, I… I just… I’ve never…” But the look of distrust I saw in his eyes made me defensive and the frustration I felt earlier blossomed into anger.
“ I am a virgin, but what if I weren’t? What if I had slept with someone else on earth? Does that mean that I wouldn’t be good enough for you? You said you love me but if that’s all that matters to you, you might as well take me to heaven right now, Aiden MacRae.”
He stiffened as if I’d slapped him. Silence hung in the air between us, heavy with fear and doubt. His eyes drilled into mine until I had to look away. His voice was quiet when he finally spoke.
“ If you ask me to take you to heaven, I cannot deny you, Lindsey. So tell me honestly now, for I am bound by your answer. Do you truly want to go?”
The pain in his voice broke me. “No, I don’t,” I said, my voice wavering with emotion. “I want to stay with you. I’m sorry. It’s just… I don’t know how much time we have and I wanted to know what it’s like before I go. Is that so wrong?”
He sat next to me on the bed and held my hand. “No, it's not wrong of you to ask, but I’ve sinned enough and I won’t add defiling a maiden to the list.”
I reached up and stroked his cheek, wanting him to feel the strength of my love. Pressing his palm to my chest over my heart, I concentrated on the rhythmic beat, slowing my breathing in time. I stared into his eyes, baring my soul.
“ Aiden, I have never loved anyone but you. You are my first and my last.”
“ I do believe you, my sweet. And I can promise you the same.” He leaned toward me and lightly touched his lips to mine. When he pulled away from the kiss, I sagged against him, exhausted. We sat in silence for a while, watching the fire.
“ You know,” I said, “now that I think of it, you may be right about the oatmeal. I probably could use something good for me right now, even if it does taste like cardboard.” I gave him a feeble smile and he cocked an eyebrow at me.
“ What’s cardboard?” he asked.
I started to giggle, softly at first but then giddily, which made him laugh and before we knew it, we were both laughing with tears in our eyes, thankful that the moment had passed.
“ So you really want to go to Paris, eh?” He looked down at me, checking to see if I’d changed my mind. I nodded earnestly and he sighed in resignation, then stood up. He reached out one hand and pulled me to my feet. “Well, all right then. You asked for it. Let’s go to Paris.”
Chapter 9
The sunny bedroom dissolved around me. We were standing on a cobbled street with gray clouds overhead and a drizzly mist in the air. I shivered and pulled my arms around my body, the coarse wool of my overcoat scratchy under my fingers. My hair was pulled up under a floppy bonnet, and the long, gray cloak hung heavy on my shoulders.
Aiden’s outfit was a scaled-back version of the one he’d worn to the ball. His light blue jacket was knee-length and had modest silver buttons down the front. His tan trousers underneath fit snug against his legs, buttoning at the knees, and he wore heavy white tights underneath. His hair was pulled back and tied with a small ribbon and he wore a hat that pulled up on the sides and sat low in the front.
Tall brick buildings loomed over either side of the narrow street. Uncle Alex and young Aiden
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