He rested his forehead on her thigh, sending shimmers of desire through her body. “There’s something so right about the two of us, together,” he murmured. “You can’t tell me you don’t feel it.”

“Of course I do.” She slid off the swing and knelt beside him on the soft, thick grass, cupping his face in her palms. “I love you, Reese. But I cannot break off my engagement.”

“So you’re saying we can’t be together,” he said, incredulous. As though he still couldn’t bring himself to accept it.

“You’ll always be in my heart,” she said, letting her fingertips trail along his jaw and down his neck. “I’ll never see a rose without remembering the night we met in Lady Rufflebum’s garden. I’ll never see an asphodel without thinking of the flower crown you made me. And I’ll never see a peony without recalling the night we swam in the lake. Every night with you was a gift—and I’ll cherish those memories forever.”

Reese speared his fingers through her hair and cupped her head in his hands. “You can walk out of my life. You can even marry another. But it doesn’t change the fact that we belong to each other. Our souls are so entwined that I don’t know where mine ends and yours begins. A month ago I would have sworn I was incapable of love … but somehow, because of you, it just happened.”

Sophie nodded because she didn’t trust herself to speak. But she knew she’d never regret loving Reese, and he was right—they would always belong to each other.

Time slowed as they knelt on the fragrant grass, face-to-face and chest-to-chest. The lanterns around them illuminated the exquisite beauty of the garden. The splashing waterfall, the rippling pool, and the exotic flowers combined in the perfect balance of movement and tranquility.

Reese’s warm fingers caressed her scalp, sending delicious shivers through her limbs. He tipped his forehead to hers, and their breath mingled in the space between them. She could feel the potent heat from his body and the desire that always simmered low in her belly when he was near.

“I want you, Soph,” he said with a growl. “Say you want me too.”

“I do.” There was no use denying it. “But all I can give you … is tonight.”

Chapter 28

Reese had known the odds weren’t in his favor. He’d professed his love for Sophie and made his heartfelt proposal. He’d laid everything on the line … and it still hadn’t been enough.

Maybe if he’d come to his senses sooner. Perhaps if he’d bared his soul to her a fortnight ago, her answer would have been different. But maybe not.