Forever My Love (Berkeley-Faulkner #2)(106)

Alec stared into her upturned face, so familiar and still so startlingly beautiful to him, and his arms drew around her possessively. Sometimes she looked like a mere girl, and yet the emotions of a woman shone in her eyes. He bent his head to kiss her so lightly that their lips barely met.

“What was your first thought when you woke up this morning?” she murmured, echoing a question that he had asked her once. As her breath mingled warmly with his, he smiled, briefly rubbing his nose against hers.

“That I don’t care if there’s a heaven or not, so long as I have a whole lifetime with you. What was yours?”

“I had too many thoughts all at once. I don’t remember a single one of them.““I assume they were all about me,” he said with his usual flawless arrogance.

“Most definitely. About how handsome you are when you smile… and how wonderful your kisses are—”

“Just my kisses?” He parted her lips with his and savored the taste of her, his mouth moving deliberately over hers. Their bodies seemed to fuse together wherever they touched, and no matter how they strained to be closer, they could not get close enough. Mira broke the kiss with a small sound, flushing with arousal as Alec’s manhood stirred against her.

“More than your kisses,” she said breathlessly, and when their lips met again, it was her tongue that intruded into the searing dampness of his mouth. He groaned and pulled her closer, enduring the kiss as long as possible before it became necessary to stop.

“God… how soon is the wedding?” he asked, closing his eyes and holding her at arm’s length as he strove to regain control over himself. “Did we even discuss the date?”

“No… but Rosalie said that although the proper waiting time would be six months—”

“Six months?’’’’ he repeated, scowling immediately. “You tell her—no, I’ll tell her—I’m not waiting even six weeks to—”

“—but she said that she thought it should be very soon, perhaps even one month from now, in order to satisfy everyone’s sense of propriety.”

“I didn’t know we had offended everyone’s sense of propriety. Is Lady Berkeley afraid that we might have anticipated our wedding night?”

“Actually, she said that any fiancee of yours might as well walk around with the word ‘deflowered’ stamped on her forehead.”

Alec chuckled, pressing a hard kiss on her brow. “And a man who could resist you would either be a saint or a eunuch.““We’ll just have to work on changing her opinion of you,” Mira said thoughtfully.

“I don’t see why. So far it’s been accurate.”

“She intends to chaperon us very closely—too closely. She feels that it is her responsibility.”

“Poor brat…” He pulled her close again and smiled against her hair. “But do you think that any man or woman alive could stop me from finding a way to be with you?”

Mira brightened immediately. “Then you’ll—”

“Actually, in this matter I happen to agree with your vigilant little friend. We’re going to wait until we’re married.”

“You’re joking. Why? Why do you agree with her? Merely to annoy me, or is there some deeper reason, such as disinterest—”

He stopped her words with a kiss that seemed to last for hours. “Does that feel like disinterest to you?” he asked when they were both gasping and light-headed. “God help me if I become any more interested in you. I’m barely sane most of the time as it is. And no, I have not decided to wait until our wedding night merely for the purpose of annoying you. The next time I make love to you, I intend to be your husband.” Mira frowned at him. Juliana had been right. The Falkners were indeed stubborn and sentimental creatures. “And there is another reason,” he added more gently. “I am going to be away for a little while—not long, but—”

“Where?”

“I’ll be in London. You’ll be busy enough here while I’m gone, making the wedding plans with Rosalie and Juliana.”

Mira fell silent, her forehead creasing as she restrained herself from asking all of the questions that raced through her mind. She would not let him see how anxious she was not to let him out of her sight, nor would she smother him with possessiveness. Alec had fallen in love with a woman who had strength andindependence. She would not turn into a spineless creature who was constantly in need of reassurance.

“That’s true,” she said quietly. “I will be quite busy.”

“There are some things I have to do.”

“Yes. I imagine there are quite a few farewells you have to make.” The comment was out before she could stop it. Mira cursed herself silently. She sounded like a jealous shrew… Dieu, what love did to a woman’s temperament!

“What is that supposed to mean?” Alec demanded, letting go of her.

“Nothing—nothing at all,” she muttered.

“Do you think I’m planning to make the rounds one last time before committing myself solely to your bed?”

“It’s not an unheard-of thing for an engaged man to do.”

His expression of disbelief dissolved into full-fledged exasperation. “Dammit, Mira, what the hell do you think I… For God’s sake, would you mind simply asking why I’m going to London instead of convicting, sentencing, and hanging me without evidence?”