After the Wedding (The Worth Saga #2)(91)

“Still pretty,” he told her, after she’d made an embarrassing noise. “So, I assume that if your sister is willing to help you, that she cares about you, then.”

Camilla nodded again.

“Good,” he said. “You deserve it.”

Another breath; his arms were still around her. Camilla smiled. “I do, don’t I? I deserve this.” She looked up at him. “I deserve this. I deserve to know that I was chosen. That the man who married me adored me above all others. I deserve a slow falling in love.”

He let out a little huff of laughter. “You know, the first time I told you that… I have to admit it may have been entirely self-serving on my part. I wanted you to believe it so that I wouldn’t have to fight you about getting an annulment.”

He was still holding her, and she couldn’t help but smile. “I know. I realized it at the time.”

“I wish I had been a little less self-serving then. That I’d thought a little more about you.”

She shook her head. It took her a moment to collect her thoughts. “I don’t. It never mattered to me that you were being self-serving. Most other men in your position wouldn’t have told me I deserved more than I had received. They would have told me I deserved less. That I was unmarriageable. Unwantable, even.” She inhaled and pulled away far enough to look him in the eye. “It says a lot about you, that your way of serving yourself was to tell me I was worthwhile.”

“That sounds like a compliment.”

“We’re all self-serving.” Camilla shrugged. “It’s just a matter of what we do to others in service of ourselves.”

“So.” Adrian’s hand stroked her hair. “You want an annulment?”

“I want a choice,” she clarified. “I want to choose and be chosen.”

“They’ll interview us,” Adrian said. “They’ll ask if we’ve ever had intercourse. And if either of us say that we did…that will most likely be the end of it. No annulment. You understand that?”

“I do.”

He tipped her chin up. “Are you asking me to lie under oath?”

Her heart was breaking. Her voice quivered. She looked up at him and told him the truth. “Yes?”

“If you want it, then I’ll do it. You know how bad I am at lying. I’ll practice. Grayson will have to help. But…” He hadn’t looked away from her. His finger was still on her chin. His thumb came up, brushing her lips.

“But what?”

“But nothing.” His arm tightened around her, and then he kissed her.

Her mind had not expected it. It went blank. Her body, though… Oh, her body had known. It had been wanting his lips against hers ever since he’d put his arms around her. No; ever since she’d seen him standing next to the mantel.

Her stupid body believed they belonged together, and before her mind could take the reins and demand that he give up this idiocy, her body rushed forward. Her hands crept around his neck. Her mouth opened to him. She pressed herself against him, giving herself into his kiss. Their tongues touched, gently at first, then with desperation.

The last remnants of anger faded into something softer. She was still stupid with hope.

This might be the last time they would kiss.

But he pulled away first, and when she brushed up on tiptoe to continue, he set his finger against her nose, stopping her. “That was also self-serving.”

She found herself blushing. “Your self-serving nature suits me.”

They stared at each other. His finger was still on her nose. He looked down at her, his eyes sparkling, and then…

Then he smiled.

“Lie about that, Cam,” he said. “Lie about the times I touched you. Lie about the night we shared together.”

His finger dragged down her nose and tapped her lips. He leaned down an inch until his nose brushed hers. She could feel the heat of him. Her heart beat heavily.

“Lie to whomever you want,” he said quietly. “Just don’t forget that it happened.”

No. His skin was imprinted on hers. She’d never be able to step into the morning sunlight without thinking of his smile. She let out a shaky breath and found herself grinning.

“I see how it is now. ‘I’m so sorry, Cam’ didn’t last very long, did it?”

His mouth tilted into a smile. “Well.” He sounded just a little too self-satisfied. “I am incredibly sorry about hurting you. I’m not in the least bit sorry about the rest of it. I would do all of the rest of that again as often as you wanted it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” She pulled away from him. “I still want the annulment. I still want to be chosen.” Her heart pounded, and she hoped he understood.

“Well.” He exhaled. “You know what would be helpful if we were to obtain an annulment?”

Ah. Here it came. “The solicitor said that it would probably be best if we did not see each other until after the proceedings.” She didn’t want to. She had grown so used to seeing him every day. “He told me to tell you that if you had something to tell me, you should send it to him. We don’t want to make it look like…”

“Like we’re friends?” he asked.

“They’ll call it collusion. That’s what the solicitor said. I hate it. I hate it. I know your uncle wouldn’t acknowledge you, and if it will bother you too much, I’ll tell them no—”