To Seduce a Bride

“Tell me why I should.”

“Because I love you dearly, and I don’t want to live without you.”

His gaze continued to measure her. “I thought you were adamant about maintaining your cherished independence.”

“I was-but independence is not worth having if I am miserable. And I am utterly miserable without you. My life would be painfully empty if I lost you.” Lily held his gaze determinedly. “I want you for my husband, Heath. I want to spend the rest of my days with you, as your wife.”

At last he gave a brief nod, as if satisfied. “Then I accept your offer.”

The relief that flooded through Lily made her knees nearly buckle, and so did Heath when he took a step closer and bent to kiss her.

His lips touched hers, unexpectedly gentle, unbelievably wonderful. He tasted familiar and precious and oh so dear-Yet he stepped back before Lily could even raise her hands to his shoulders.

Turning away, Heath went to his desk and picked up a document, which he held out to her. Curious, she crossed to him and took it before proceeding to read.

It was a special license to marry, with Heath’s name designated as the applicant, and her name written in as the prospective bride.

Lily looked up at Heath in puzzlement. “I don’t understand. I thought you were betrothed to Lady Eleanor.”

He shot her a look too bland to be innocent. “Because I wanted you to think that. But the announcement you saw wasn’t genuine.”

“Not genuine?”

“Not at all. And you received the only copy. The publisher of The Star is a friend, and I prevailed upon him to print a single copy with that announcement proclaiming my engagement to Eleanor. I know how much your courtesan friends enjoy reading the society gossip in the papers, so I trusted they would find that item and inform you.”

Lily stared at Heath in disbelief for a long moment before flinging the license on his desk. Her hands went to her hips while her eyes narrowed in vexation. “You tricked me into thinking you intended to marry Lady Eleanor? Of all the despicable, underhanded, deceitful things to do!” she sputtered. “You frightened me half to death!”

With a smile lighting his eyes, Heath hardly looked contrite. “Turnabout is fair play, love. You frightened the devil out of me, vowing you would never marry me no matter what I did.”

“So you pretended to want someone else?”

“I hoped to force your hand. If anything could make you come to your senses and realize your feelings for me, I thought it would be jealousy. And Eleanor was kind enough to play along.”

Lily poked her forefinger into his chest, hard. “You are a dastardly villain, Heath Griffin!”

In self-defense, he caught her wrist and held her hand away. His gaze burned into hers, hot and amused and challenging. “You left me little choice, stubborn little hellion that you are. What else could I do? Professions of love send you into a panic, and coercion only makes you dig your heels in more fiercely. I couldn’t force you to accept my hand, Lily. You had to choose freely.”

He brought her fingers to his lips, pressing a light kiss to her knuckles. “But I was never going to let you get away from me. I love you too much to ever accept ‘No’ as your answer.”

Lily’s ire faded at the fervency of his tone, at the possessiveness and tenderness and warmth she saw dancing in his eyes. Suddenly she felt as if she could breathe again. She had not lost Heath after all. He loved her and was willing to forgive her for her obstinacy.

“You are still a beast,” she muttered, even though a smile threatened to break out on her mouth.

He favored her with his own familiar enchanting smile. “Perhaps, but this should prove to you how much I love you. Would I have gone to so much trouble if I didn’t?”

“I suppose not,” Lily admitted grudgingly. “So I shall contrive to forgive you.”

He reached up to touch her face, his thumb caressing her cheekbone as he stared into her eyes. “So you will marry me?”

Her heart moved into her throat at the love she saw shimmering there in the golden depths. “Yes, Heath. I will marry you, and gladly.”

“Thank God. I was running out of hope.” His arms coming around her, he drew her close and rested his cheek on her hair. “I could never live without you, Lily. I could never be happy alone, now that I know what happiness is.” He laughed softly. “I thought I was perfectly content until I met you. I never realized how much I was missing until then. I haven’t been the same man since I kissed you in that stable loft.”

Lily felt the same way about Heath. He filled all the empty places in her heart and in her life.

She leaned into the warm, solid strength of him, cherishing the feeling of holding him, of knowing he belonged to her from now until forever. “I am profoundly grateful that you didn’t give up on me.”

She heard the smile in his voice when he replied. “You should know by now that I can be as stubborn-minded as you. It just shows how well-matched we are.” He paused. “But you have changed me-for the better I think.”

“What do you mean?”

“Because of you, I was obliged to face some unpleasant truths about myself. More crucially, I realized that if I wanted to win your love, I needed to be worthy of you.”

Still not comprehending, Lily drew back to search his face.

Heath’s expression was surprisingly intent as he continued. “You see, everything has always come easily to me. I never had to work for anything I wanted. And then I met you. You were the only thing I ever desired that I couldn’t have just by snapping my fingers. You made me go to extraordinary lengths just to be near you.”

He gazed down at her solemnly. “And then I came to know you, Lily. I saw your dedication. I saw how fiercely passionate you were about helping your friends. It made me feel humble, angel. Until then, life was always something of a game to me. I never thought much about others, about the servants in my employ, about young girls who are forced into prostitution. But because of you, I realized that life is not just a game. And that with all my wealth and resources, I can do more to help the plight of the less fortunate.”

“You have already helped tremendously,” Lily replied earnestly. “You gave Betty and Peg entirely new lives.”

“It isn’t enough. But I mean to do better in the future by putting my wealth to good use. I began by contributing to some of Tess Blanchard’s charities. And I want to help you found a home for destitute women so they don’t have to sell their bodies in order to survive.”

“Oh, Heath…” Lily felt her heart melt, even though she was a little stunned that she could have made such a difference to his perspective on life. “You did not have to go to such lengths for me.”

“Yes, I did. I want to be good husband to you, Lily. I want to share your passion.”

Her heart gave a great surge of gladness. “I have no doubt you will be the best husband any woman could ever hope for.” Lily gave him a teasing smile as she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. “I know very well that you are not the worthless libertine that many of your noble peers are.”

He grinned. “I am gratified you think so.”

“And I agree that you are my ideal match. You are bold and fearless and daring. I greatly admire those qualities in a man-and I insist on having them in my husband.”

“Then I am in luck.”

Suddenly serious, Lily shook her head. “No, the luck is mine, Heath. I don’t know that I deserve you, but I love you deeply, and I will try my best to be a good wife to you.”

“I intend to make very certain of it, sweetheart.”

The words were provocative, while the teasing light had returned to his eyes, reassuring Lily as much as his next tender declaration: “I love you, Lily. I will never stop loving you.”

She arched an eyebrow, not wanting to show her uncertainty. “And if you should come to tire of me?”

“That will never happen in a million years.”

As if determined to prove his assertion, Heath cupped her face and claimed her mouth in a cherishing kiss.

With a sigh of joy, Lily responded to his caress with all the fervency she possessed. Her senses seemed