Chapters (50)
- Cover
- Dedication
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- The Pengarron Sagas
- The Harvey Family Sagas
‘Clem, you know we aren’t the same people of our youth, don’t you? We can’t pretend there aren’t others in our lives. We have ties, responsibilities, other people’s feelings to consider. We just can’t step into an affair. We must think very carefully about the price we may have to pay.’
‘I know, I know,’ he said softly. ‘I’ve thought about all that as much as I’ve thought about you. And I know about paying the price. It’s all I’ve been doing since the day that man took you away from me. I’m here because I can’t help myself. I have to be with you, Kerensa.’
Her fingers traced his brow. Clem’s expression was open and honest, revealing simply that all he was doing was loving her. This was how it should have stayed. The years in between the very first time she had touched his face disappeared.
While he clasped her other hand and kissed its fingertips, she explored his fine cheekbones, his strong jaw and down his neck. She smoothed his hair, loosening it from the ribbon at the back, all the time gazing at him with tenderness. She wanted to discover him all over again and know him completely.
‘I can’t help myself wanting you, Clem. I’ve nothing left in me anymore to push you away.’
‘I love you so much,’ he whispered.
‘I’ve never stopped loving you.’
He placed a gentle kiss on her cheek, then covered her face with more. Soft kisses on soft skin. Then he brought his mouth down on her lips. Soft and slow and tender, but only for a moment. She opened her mouth to his devotion and they let love turn into want and need.
Clem glanced around for a comfortable place. ‘Is there another room?’
‘Upstairs.’
Taking her hand, he picked up a three-light candelabra and they climbed the stairs together. She opened the door at the top and they stepped into Lady Rachael’s private bedroom. It was steeped in affectation and smelled strongly of the woman’s extravagant perfume, but they didn’t notice. Kerensa closed the door and Clem put the candelabra on the bedside cabinet.
‘This is the wedding night we should have had long ago,’ he said.
‘Yes, this is our time, Clem.’
Kerensa kicked off her shoes, then smiled at Clem when he stumbled pulling off his boots. It released their last feelings of tension. Laughing with undiluted happiness, they closed in on each other and hugged and kissed.