of her fingers and the tips of her toes and everywhere in between.
“Mmm,” she murmured when he pulled back.
But he only pulled back for a moment before his lips were back on hers. Harder this time, but not uncomfortable, just more delicious pressure. His lips moved on top of hers, around hers and she melted into his embrace.
Aaron placed one last, searing kiss on her lips, then pulled back, two lines forming between his eyebrows. “Does this mean?” His ragged words made her want to pull him closer to her and never let him go.
“Are you asking if I'll allow you to court me?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “If you're willing to kiss me out here where anyone could see, I'd hope you'd be willing to at least allow me to court you.” Because if she didn't allow him to court her after kissing him that way, he just might die with want of her!
“Court me?” Daphne's sparkling amber eyes grew round and she twisted her lips. “No, I don't think so.”
Aaron's heart skipped a beat or three. “No?”
“No,” she confirmed.
Instinctively, Aaron pulled away. If she wasn't going to allow him to court her, he'd better let her go now. It was already too late, but now that he'd kissed her even a moment longer would just torment him more and prolong his agony. “We need to return back inside before someone finds us.” He noted the way she winced at the sharp edge of his words, but he couldn't care. He'd be damned if he had to marry yet another lady who didn't want him.
“Can we stay out here for just a few more minutes?”
“No.” He pulled away from her, walls of ice building up around his heart faster than he could breathe.
“Please, Aaron,” she said, reaching for him. Something akin to panic was in her voice, but he couldn't be certain if that was really her who was panicking or him. “Can you give me just a few minutes?”
“I already have.”
“Yes, you have,” she conceded, pulling her hands back from him. She took in a deep breath and her eyes glistened with what appeared to be tears. “But what about a few decades?”
“Decades?” He knew he sounded like a fool repeating everything she said, he just didn't care as his mind raced to make sense of exactly what she was saying.
“Yes, decades.” Daphne moved closer to him and looped her arms around his neck. “The way I see it, we could have at least four together.” She placed a kiss on his lips. “And if you behave yourself perhaps five.”
“That's a lot of sleigh rides and card tricks.” He wrapped his arms around her. “Are you sure you're ready for that?”
“Yes.”
“But yesterday you—”
“I was scared.”
Aaron lightly massaged her back with thumbs. “Is my company that bad?”
“No.” She lowered her eyes, her body going rigid. “I was afraid of what others might think.”
He could understand that and he silently said a prayer of thanksgiving for whoever helped Daphne see the reason she claimed to have been helped to discover. “And now?”
She met his eyes again, hers shining with more unshed tears. “I only care what you think.”
“I think five decades of card tricks, sleigh rides and conservatory picnics sounds like heaven as long as it's with you.”
“And don't forget meetings under the mistletoe,” she added, coming up on her toes to kiss him again.
Aaron caught her lower lip between his and ran his tongue along the edge. At her gasp, he pushed his tongue inside. She gasped again and melted into him. He would never tire of this. Never.
And it would seem as if he wouldn't have to.
Epilogue
Christmas Eve 1820
Yorkshire
It had taken several years, but Daphne had finally convinced Gareth and Jane to come and visit her and Aaron for Michaelmas. Of course Jane's hesitancy hadn't been completely unwarranted. Who'd want to do any unnecessary travel while increasing and all? Daphne mindlessly patted her own stomach and smiled. Not her.
“Your sister is here,” Aaron said,
“Mmm,” she murmured when he pulled back.
But he only pulled back for a moment before his lips were back on hers. Harder this time, but not uncomfortable, just more delicious pressure. His lips moved on top of hers, around hers and she melted into his embrace.
Aaron placed one last, searing kiss on her lips, then pulled back, two lines forming between his eyebrows. “Does this mean?” His ragged words made her want to pull him closer to her and never let him go.
“Are you asking if I'll allow you to court me?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “If you're willing to kiss me out here where anyone could see, I'd hope you'd be willing to at least allow me to court you.” Because if she didn't allow him to court her after kissing him that way, he just might die with want of her!
“Court me?” Daphne's sparkling amber eyes grew round and she twisted her lips. “No, I don't think so.”
Aaron's heart skipped a beat or three. “No?”
“No,” she confirmed.
Instinctively, Aaron pulled away. If she wasn't going to allow him to court her, he'd better let her go now. It was already too late, but now that he'd kissed her even a moment longer would just torment him more and prolong his agony. “We need to return back inside before someone finds us.” He noted the way she winced at the sharp edge of his words, but he couldn't care. He'd be damned if he had to marry yet another lady who didn't want him.
“Can we stay out here for just a few more minutes?”
“No.” He pulled away from her, walls of ice building up around his heart faster than he could breathe.
“Please, Aaron,” she said, reaching for him. Something akin to panic was in her voice, but he couldn't be certain if that was really her who was panicking or him. “Can you give me just a few minutes?”
“I already have.”
“Yes, you have,” she conceded, pulling her hands back from him. She took in a deep breath and her eyes glistened with what appeared to be tears. “But what about a few decades?”
“Decades?” He knew he sounded like a fool repeating everything she said, he just didn't care as his mind raced to make sense of exactly what she was saying.
“Yes, decades.” Daphne moved closer to him and looped her arms around his neck. “The way I see it, we could have at least four together.” She placed a kiss on his lips. “And if you behave yourself perhaps five.”
“That's a lot of sleigh rides and card tricks.” He wrapped his arms around her. “Are you sure you're ready for that?”
“Yes.”
“But yesterday you—”
“I was scared.”
Aaron lightly massaged her back with thumbs. “Is my company that bad?”
“No.” She lowered her eyes, her body going rigid. “I was afraid of what others might think.”
He could understand that and he silently said a prayer of thanksgiving for whoever helped Daphne see the reason she claimed to have been helped to discover. “And now?”
She met his eyes again, hers shining with more unshed tears. “I only care what you think.”
“I think five decades of card tricks, sleigh rides and conservatory picnics sounds like heaven as long as it's with you.”
“And don't forget meetings under the mistletoe,” she added, coming up on her toes to kiss him again.
Aaron caught her lower lip between his and ran his tongue along the edge. At her gasp, he pushed his tongue inside. She gasped again and melted into him. He would never tire of this. Never.
And it would seem as if he wouldn't have to.
Epilogue
Christmas Eve 1820
Yorkshire
It had taken several years, but Daphne had finally convinced Gareth and Jane to come and visit her and Aaron for Michaelmas. Of course Jane's hesitancy hadn't been completely unwarranted. Who'd want to do any unnecessary travel while increasing and all? Daphne mindlessly patted her own stomach and smiled. Not her.
“Your sister is here,” Aaron said,
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