Mine Till Midnight (The Hathaways #1)(66)

"I live in a gambling club." Subtle amusement tempered his voice. "I've met very few respectable women. And—present company excluded—I've never gotten on well with them."

"Why not?"

His mouth wandered gently along the side of her face. "I seem to make them nervous."

She jumped at the touch of his tongue on her earlobe. "I c-can't imagine why."

He toyed with her ear, catching the rim delicately between his teeth. "I'll admit it wouldn't be easy, being married to a Romany male. We're possessive. Jealous. We prefer our wives never to touch another man. Nor would you have the right to refuse me your bed." His lips covered hers in a molten kiss, his tongue exploring deeply. "But then," he said, lifting his mouth, "you wouldn't want to." Another long, lazy kiss, and then Cam said against her mouth, "You'll wear the look of a well-loved woman, monisha."

Amelia was forced to hold on to him for balance. "You would leave me, eventually."

"I swear to you, I wouldn't. I've finally found my atchen tan."

"Your what?"

"Stopping place."

"I didn't know Romas had stopping places."

"Not all. Apparently I'm one of the few who do." Shaking his head, Cam added in a disgruntled tone, "My back is sore after sleeping on the ground all night. My gadjo half has finally gotten the better of me."

Amelia ducked her head and pressed a shaky smile against the cool smoothness of his jerkin. "This is lunacy," she muttered.

Cam held her closer. "Marry me, Amelia. You're what I want. You're my fate." One hand slid to the back of her head, gripping the braids and ribbons to keep her mouth upturned. "Say yes." He nibbled at her lips, licked at them, opened them. He kissed her until she writhed in his arms, her pulse racing. "Say it, Amelia, and save me from ever having to spend a night with another woman. I'll sleep indoors. I'll get a haircut. God help me, I think I'd even carry a pocket watch if it pleased you."

Amelia felt dizzy, unable to think. She leaned helplessly into the hard support of his body. Everything was him, every breath, beat, blink, quiver. He said her name, and his voice seemed to come from a great distance.

"Amelia? Cam shook her a little, asking something, repeating the words until she gathered that he wanted to know when she had eaten last.

"Yesterday," she managed to reply. Cam didn't look sympathetic as much as annoyed. "No wonder you're ready to faint. You've had no food and hardly any sleep. How are you to be of use to anyone when you can't manage to take care of your own basic needs?" She would have protested, but he gave her no opportunity to explain anything. Fitting a hard arm around her back, he propelled her back to the house, offering caustic advice the entire way. It seemed to take all her strength to ascend the back staircase.

By the time they reached the top, Lillian, Lady Westcliff, was there, her dark gaze chasing over Amelia with concern. "You look as if you're about to cast up your crumpets," she said without preamble. "What's the matter?"

"I proposed to her," Cam said shortly. Lillian's eyebrows lifted.

"I'm fine," Amelia told her. "I'm just a bit hungry."

Lillian accompanied them as Cam took Amelia to her sisters' table. "Did she accept?" she asked Cam.

"Not yet."

"Well, I'm not surprised. A woman can't possibly consider a marriage proposal on an empty stomach." Lillian watched Amelia with concern. "You're very pale, dear. Shall I take you inside to lie down somewhere?"

Amelia shook her head. "Thank you, no. I'm sorry to make a scene."

"Oh, you're not making a scene," Lillian said. "Believe me, this is nothing compared to the usual goings-on here." She smiled reassuringly. "If there is anything you need, Amelia, you have only to ask."

Cam led Amelia to her sisters. She sank gratefully into a chair, in front of a plate heaped with sliced ham, chicken, various salads, and a plate of bread. To her astonishment, Cam took the chair beside hers, cut a bite of something on the plate, and speared it with a fork.

He held the morsel up to her lips. "Start with this."

She scowled. "I'm perfectly capable of feeding mys?

The fork was pushed into her mouth. Amelia continued to glare at him as she chewed. When she swallowed, she could only manage a few words?Give me that"—before he shoved another bite in.

"If you're going to do such a poor job taking care of yourself," Cam informed her, "someone else will do it for you."

Amelia picked up a piece of bread and bit deeply into .it. Although she longed to tell him that it was his fault she'd gotten so little sleep and missed breakfast in the bargain, she couldn't say a word with her sisters present. As she ate, she felt the color returning to her cheeks. She was aware of conversation taking place around her, the younger Hathaway sisters asking Cam about the condition of Ramsay House, and what was left of it. A chorus of groans greeted the revelation that the bee room had been left intact, and the hive was still busy and thriving.

"I suppose we'll never be rid of those dratted bees,"

Beatrix exclaimed.

"Yes we will," Cam said. His hand lowered to Amelia's arm, which was resting on the table. His thumb found the delicate blue veins on the underside of her wrist and stroked the agitated throb of her pulse. "I'll see that every last one of them is removed."