Page 103 of The Beautiful Pretender

“You know I love you. But do you love me?” Again, her gaze focused on his lips.

“Yes. And kissing you.” He pressed his lips against hers and kissed her long and thoroughly, not holding anything back. Her hands’ grip went weak on his shoulders.

He pulled away. Her body was nearly limp and her eyes were slow to open.

“Are you well?”

Her lips lifted in a slow, languid smile. “I’ll be very well, if you kiss me like that every day.”

Avelina was dizzy by the time he ended the kiss. The intense smolder in his dark-brown eyes made her breath hitch in her throat.

His dark hair was damp and curling slightly, and the three days’ growth of stubble on his face increased his masculinity, if that was possible, and took her breath away. Pressing her cheek against his chest, she would forever remember him as he knelt before her and asked her to marry him.

“It is too much joy,” she said, relishing the feel of his arms around her and his heart beating beneath her cheek. “I don’t know if I can bear it.”

He pulled away slightly and lifted her chin.

“But is it truly possible that I shall marry you and that the king approves of me?”

“If you doubt it, you can ask the king yourself, for we must go to the Great Hall. It would not be good to keep the king waiting.”

“Oh. But my dress.” She glanced down at the maroon silk cotehardie that had belonged to Lady Dorothea. “Do you think it looks well enough?”

“It is lovely. Fit for a margrave’s wife. Now let us go.”

She gave him her hand and he started down the corridor, raising her fingers to his lips as he walked.

“You are not using your cane.”

For a moment he looked startled. “I forgot.”

“Do you not need it?”

“I don’t suppose I do.”

He was still limping, but only a bit.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Lord Thornbeck was still holding her hand. The king called to them from above. “Lord Thornbeck. There you two are.”

The priest was standing beside the king.

“Since I am here to witness it, I thought you would like to have the priest speak the marriage rites over your union.”

“Now?” Lord Thornbeck’s face went slack.

“Of course,” the king boomed. “Sooner is always better than later. You can have the banns cried afterward, and in a few weeks you can invite the nobles and have a big wedding at the cathedral in town. Be sure and invite the Earl of Plimmwald. He definitely ought to be there.” He winked at Avelina.

Lord Thornbeck and Avelina looked at each other. “Do you have any objection?” he whispered near her ear.

“Are you sureyoudon’t have an objection?”

“I have no objection to marrying you, whether now or two months from now—although I had rather thought it would be two months from now.”

“What are you saying there?” the king shouted from the top of the staircase. “You can whisper to each other after the wedding and the feast. Come to the chapel.”

Avelina’s heart skipped a few beats.

Just then, Jorgen approached them from the other side of the room.