He swelled hot and hard at her words. God, he couldn’t wait to be inside her. He reached down, unfastened the tie at her waist, and eased the velvet robe off her shoulders until it fell in a pool of crimson at her feet. “That’s good to hear,” he said. “But I think I’m giving up all vows but one when it comes to you.”

She gave him a questioning look as her fingers trailed up and down the bands of his stomach. He had to grit his teeth against the urge to surge in her hand. But she appeared to have no idea of the torture she was exacting on him.

“And what vow is that?” she asked softly.

He swept her off her feet and carried her to the bed. “To love, honor, and cherish until death do us part.”

Marriage vows. He really was something out of an old tale. Joan knew she was a fool to let herself be this happy. That she was playing a game against time she could not win. That the love Alex felt for her might not survive the betrayal he was going to feel when he learned the truth. But she was going to live in this fool’s paradise for as long as she could and hold on to every precious second.

The sense of borrowed time made her bold and forward. Although she’d been playing a wanton for so long, perhaps some of it had rubbed off, she thought with a smile. But they might not have another opportunity like this before he left, and she wasn’t going to waste it. That he hadn’t needed as much persuasion as she feared made her think that he might be feeling the same way.

No regrets. At least not about this. Others could not be avoided.

“I want there to be no secrets between us.”

When he’d told her the truth about Rosalin, she’d been stabbed by such a deep knife of guilt she wanted to tell him the truth. If they were going to have a chance for a future, she knew she could not keep lying to him. As soon as she spoke to Lachlan, she would tell Alex the truth. Lachlan would undoubtedly argue (loudly) against it, but it was her decision.

And if she could convince Alex to turn . . .

God, maybe she was living in a fool’s paradise.

All thoughts of the future, however, were lost when he gently laid her down on the bed and kissed her. Softly at first, and then as the passion ignited between them, harder and more insistently.