Always such a feisty thing. I caught her by the waist and pulled her into me. Her supple chest bumped mine, and she let out a throaty laugh. “I am simply inquiring as to what your answer would be if I were to do something so foolish as to want to tie myself to one woman for the rest of my days.” I let my lips graze across the swell of her breast and my tongue trace over the scar I’d given her.
“Rían,” she moaned, “don’t try to distract me by—Rían!”
“Hmmm?”
“Look at me.”
I swirled my tongue again. “I am.”
“At my face, you fool.” She clasped either side of my jaw and tried to force me to do her bidding.
I loved her face, but right now her breasts needed my attention more. After a final kiss, I straightened and looked into her eyes. She threaded her hands through my hair and pulled me until our foreheads touched.
“You want to marry me?”she whispered.
I’d never given marriage much thought, but after all the hullabaloo over Tadhg’s insistence on marrying Keelynn for a third time, perhaps there was some merit to the idea. Knowing this woman would be mine come hell or high water, that the two of us would be forever bound, had a great deal of appeal.
“The thought has crossed my mind, yes.”
She blinked up at me, but no smile graced her pouty lips. Weren’t women supposed to smile when a gallant prince proposed? Granted, this wasn’t the most romantic setting. I probably should’ve held my question until we were in the garden.
“I…um…” Her hands fell to her sides, and she took a retreating step toward the door. My stomach started to sink. “I don’t know what to say.”
How could she not know what to say? It was a fairly straightforward feckin’ question. A simpleyesorhell nowould have sufficed. “Then I guess I have your answer.” Good thing I didn’t go through the trouble of getting her a ring or dropping to one knee or any of that shite. The humiliation of begging for her hand only to stand up without it would’ve made me want to curl up and die.
“I’m sorry, Rían. I just—” She wrung her hands in front of her. “All my life, I’ve been treated as if my sole purpose was to find a husband. It’s not that I don’t love you, but I don’t see why we need to exchange vows to be committed to each other.”
I didn’t need vows…but the more I thought about it, the more Iwantedthem. Clearly, she didn’t feel the same. “Is it really that difficult for you to understand why I would want the woman I love to be bound to me in any and every way? Why I wouldn’t want any offspring we may have to be bastards as well?" After so many years of hearing the derogatory name aimed at myself, you’d think I’d be used to it. And I was. But that did not mean I wanted my children to bear the same burdens.
“Rían…” she sighed.
I stalked toward the door, but before I twisted the handle and returned to the “joyous” celebration, I had to say one more thing. “I have never dreamed of marriage, never thought I’d find someone I’d want to be with for all of eternity, and yet if you would’ve asked me, do you know what I would’ve said?” She shook her head. “I would’ve said yes. Without hesitation. Because I am already yours, from my worthless heart to my blackened soul. I only wish you felt the same.”
I left her there, but instead of continuing toward the excited chatter drifting from the dining room, I evanesced to the silence of my room. I couldn’t blame such a good, kind woman for being hesitant to bind herself to a man like me. But that didn’t make her refusal hurt any less.
36
TADHG
Golden-brown chicken and stuffing,creamed corn, a colorful salad, an entire vat of mash dripping with butter, miniature tarts and cakes and pies still steaming from the ovens waited at the center of the long table in the dining room.
I had to wipe my mouth to keep from drooling all over my new waistcoat.
“Were you expecting to feed an army?” I asked the old witch swaying with Hagan on her hip.
Eava smiled her same old smile. “Figured it’s better to be prepared than to let ye starve.”
We’d be eating this for weeks. Not that I was complaining. Still, I had to keep in mind that I would be making love to my wife before the night was over, and I didn’t think she’d appreciate me rutting on top of her with a paunch.
I rubbed at the black band encircling the ring finger on my left hand. “I suppose this’ll put an end to my Saturday night proposals for a while.”
Eava nodded toward where my brother was watching Aveen with such rapt attention, the world could have been on fire around him and he wouldn’t have noticed. “I’ve a feeling I’ll be down to only one suitor soon enough.”
I counted myself fortunate that, despite the lack of support from the Danú, I had been able to marry the woman I loved. Not everyone was so lucky.
I lifted my goblet for a toast—the first of many, hopefully. Everyone in the room did the same. Everyone except my brother, that was. He was too busy rolling his eyes. Aveen kicked him in the shin. His curse echoed through the hallway, and he lifted his goblet, albeit with obvious reluctance.
I smiled down at my wife, feeling lighter and happier than ever before. The first time we’d married had been out of necessity. The second time had been out of lust. This time, love had brought us together. “To a love strong enough to break a curse, and the woman I don’t deserve.”