“Some days are better than others.” Pippa’s blue eyes darkened with grief…and some other emotion that Livy couldn’t quite name. “I will get through this.”
“I know you will,” Livy said. “Perhaps some distraction will help?”
“Charlie said the same thing,” Pippa replied.
Livy lifted her brows. “You have been talking to Charlie?”
“Yes, and she proposed a rather intriguing diversion.” The spark that lit Pippa’s eyes banished some of the shadows. “I may just take her up on it.”
Epilogue
Strathmore Castle, Scotland
A few months later
As Livy surfaced from sleep, she drowsily reached for Ben. Instead of her husband, she found a folded note on his side of the bed; it was labelled “A Riddle for Livy.” Yawning, she sat up and read it.
For My Queen,
Who last night sat so prettily upon my throne,
I have written this my first, and likely last, poem.
Come find me where our love first took root…
It’s cold out so wear your boots.
“That riddle is too easy,” she murmured.
Then, smiling from ear to ear, she tossed aside the covers and rang for her maid.
Soon she was dashing through the snow toward the pond. The sun was bright, casting diamonds across the fluffy white landscape. She knew she was on the right track when she spotted Ben’s large footprints. She followed his trail to a Scots pine by the side of the pond.
Looking up, she saw something dangling from the lowest branch.
Mistletoe. Tied safely away from the water.
A smile curved her lips as strong arms circled her waist.
“I have you just where I want you, Your Grace,” Ben murmured in her ear.
She turned around in his arms, gazing happily up at her handsome duke. Since their marriage, contentment had erased the weary lines from his face. He looked younger; free of shadows, his eyes were the sultry blue of a summer night.
“There is no other place I want to be,” she said simply. “Happy Hogmanay, Ben.”
Love and desire smoldered in his gaze. He claimed her lips in a kiss that curled her toes in her boots. When they parted, she was gasping, her breath crystalline puffs in the air.
“We should go back inside and celebrate properly,” he said.
She gave him a demure look. “By properly, I take it you mean in an improper fashion?”
“Insatiable minx.” His slow smile quickened her pulse. “When have I ever failed to debauch you thoroughly?”
The answer to that was never. Just last night, he’d made her ride his cock and spend so many times that she’d collapsed atop his hard chest, boneless with bliss. He’d finished his own ride by ramming into her from beneath, his hands squeezing her bottom, his hoarse words of devotion warming her inside and out.
She was living her dreams. And there were still more to come.
“Before we go inside,” she said, “I wanted to give you your new year’s present.”
He traced her mouth with a gloved finger, his eyes heavy-lidded. “I believe you did that last night, love.”
“I do that all the time—”
“Praise God.”
“But this is something I’ve never done before.” Feeling unaccountably nervous, she said in a rush, “I am increasing.”
He stared at her. “You…we are having a babe?”
“Late next summer. Are you pleased?” she blurted.
“Christ, Livy.” He cradled her face in his palms. He was shaking, and the sheen in his eyes brought joyful heat to her own. “You’ve given me everything I’ve ever wanted and still you find a way to give me more.”
Her smile was a bit watery. “I believe in keeping my promises. And I made one to you here years ago, remember?”
“You pledged me your allegiance.” His eyes filled with wonder. “I didn’t realize that you would give me your love as well.”
“You may have noticed that I am not one for half-measures.”
He laughed, and she did too when he picked her up and whirled her in an exuberant circle.
Setting her gently on her feet, he said fervently, “Don’t ever stop being you, Livy. My little queen, who rules me heart, body, and soul.”
They kissed, celebrating the resilient bond of their past, the enduring love of their present, and the shining promise of all the days ahead.
Dear Reader,
From the moment Ben entered the picture as Beatrice’s troubled brother in THE DUKE REDEMPTION, I knew it would take a strong woman to show him the path to love…and who better for the job than Livy? And who better to appreciate my determined miss than a man like Ben? From friends to lovers to soulmates, these two captured my heart, and I hope you enjoyed their passionate romance as well! As always, I appreciate your reviews, and thank you for joining me on this journey.
Speaking of soulmates, don’t miss the next exciting installment in the series! PIPPA AND THE PRINCE OF SECRETS is the story of Pippa (Gavin and Percy’s daughter from HER WANTON WAGER) and Timothy Cullen (first introduced in NEVER SAY NEVER TO AN EARL). Pippa is a widow recovering from a broken heart, and Cullen is the man who has loved her for years…
A Widow Gone Wild
After the tragic ending to her marriage, Pippa, the widowed Countess of Longmere, vows never to fall in love again. The former paragon decides to live life by her own rules, finding new purpose as an agent with Lady Charlotte Fayne’s investigative society. As Pippa embarks on a dangerous mission, she encounters a man from her past who reawakens her youthful dreams and ignites her deepest desires…
A Brute with a Noble Heart
After surviving brutal beginnings, Timothy Cullen has become the powerful leader of the mudlarks, a gang of scavengers dealing in goods and information. Known as the Prince of Larks, Cull is a feared and mythical figure in the London underworld, and he lives in the shadows, using his mystique to protect those under his care. Yet beneath his scarred façade beats a secret longing: to be seen by the woman he has loved from afar since he was a lad…
A Love that Defies Destiny
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