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There

A hoarse cry ripped froainst her, spent and weakened But far froainst her bare collarbone Her skin was slick with perspiration--his, hers Theirs

"I’ers into her hips "You do know that, don’t you? I’ to take you upstairs and strip you of every last stitch of clothing and have you in as many different ways as I please In crude, animal ways that will turn you pale with shock and then pink with pleasure And tos of London will just have to fend for themselves, because my ill be too exhausted to ht into her dark, almond-shaped eyes "What say you to that?"

She s softly, Toby nuzzled the curve of her neck "I love you My God, how I love you"

He couldn’t help but say it He couldn’t hold it in a second longer Her fingers stilled in his hair "Oh, Toby I--"

"Hush Don’t speak, I beg you"

She blinked at hiht had been so perfect If she didn’t love hiht Heartbreak like that could wait for tonorance If he wanted her to love hiical that he should first let her kno very much that was

"I…" He smoothed her cheek "I’ve never said those words before, to any woman I’ve never felt this before, for any woive of yourself so freely to even the roup When it comes to love, I’m but a pauper next to you, but even we paupers have our pride Perhaps I have just this one coin to give, but I should like to watch it glitter a bit, before you go burying it under ten-pound notes like the generous angel you are So for tonight, just… just listen All right?"

She nodded, biting her lip

"Isabel, my heart My own" He kissed her tenderly "I love you"

Her fingers laced behind his neck "Toby, take me to bed"

CHAPTER TWENTY

As it turned out, Bel did find enough strength toafter Toby had left for the hustings, she dragged herself from their rumpled bed As she stretched, her body protested with pain It was the sort ofso to theirtaut The ache ensured she would think of him and their passion, all day It was not at all unpleasant

She exa other ways in which he’d ered over a berry-stain bruise at the crest of her right breast No daring necklines for her today

She found another s mark, just below her nipple, and she remained there for severalti wounds inflicted by love Not since she was a child Bruises, scratches … bite iven her all these, and more

El aood days So many lovely hours spent in that quiet, sunlit room Herpleasantwords of love and praise

It took only an instant for everything to change It didn’t ood she was, or how carefully she followed the rules And Isabel knew, because she had tried hard--so very hard--

to be good In the space of a heartbeat, the spit of a curse, the smack of a silver brush--thewithin reach: clothing, hair, flesh

Then it would release its grip, just as quickly So quickly, Bel could have iined the whole feverish, violent episode to be only a dream, were there no bruises or marks to bear witness But they hadn’t been a drea inexorably with hurt And last night hadn’t been a dream, either It had been a revelation

Toby had wounded her, here--her fingers drifted to her other breast--and here And this , she looked upon thoseor fear In fact, she found the

Yes, he had marked her in a moment of wild, mindless passion, just as her mother had done But thesewas different He’d changed her life, this dear, sweet man ould never lie to her, never let her couard hers With Toby, at last she felt safe

Not only safe, but loved

He loved her How ht before? She’d stopped counting at four She ht about it--briefly lost consciousness at four At any rate, it was clear that he’d been wishing to say it for some time, and now she could expect to hear it quite often

He loved her, and she loved him And shouldn’t life be wonderful now?