He spoke softly, as gently as a man like Kane could, but the command in his voice was unmistakable. And Rebecca had very little hope of being able to deny him. Not now. Not when she was barely hanging on by the last shred of her remaining dignity. Not when the warmth of his chest and the feel of his hands clung to her.
So she closed her eyes, just as he’d commanded. She felt him slipping away and fought the urge to spin around and grab onto him for all she was worth.
“Okay. You can open them now.”
His voice came from somewhere much lower than it had before. Rebecca opened her eyes and looked down to where Kane appeared before her on bended knee. He took one of her small hands in his big one, looking up at her with those clear blue eyes. Eyes that she once thought were cold, but now appeared to be simply fathoms deep. Her heart stuttered in her chest; she fought for breath. Surely he wasn’t going to –
“Rebecca Harrison, will you marry me?”
Her lips parted, the softest of whimpers escaped. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because I am in love with you. Letting you walk away from me had to be the stupidest, most ill-conceived thing I’ve ever done. And between the two of us, I’ve done some pretty stupid, ill-conceived things.”
Her eyes filled with tears. Even now, with him kneeling before her, she was afraid to hope. If she had somehow misunderstood, it would devastate her beyond any hope of recovery. “You’re sure?”
“Sweetheart, I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. Say yes.”
“Yes.” She said it quickly before he had a chance to change his mind. The tears spilled over her lashes. Kane slipped the ring on her finger and stood, drawing her to him. He kissed her then, a searing kiss that stole her breath away. It was everything she had dreamed of and so much more. His kiss, like the man himself, was potent, demanding, and wholly possessive. And addicting. She would deny him nothing if he would only promise to do it again.
After several moments, the sound of applause finally reached them. Kane ended the kiss, but kept her close. Rebecca kept her eyes closed for a few minutes more, afraid that if she opened them, Kane would be gone and she would have to admit this was all a dream.
When she did finally open them, it was very slowly. He was watching her, amusement and something else – something powerful and possessive – dancing in his beautiful eyes.
“Do that again,” she whispered.
“We have an audience,” he warned quietly.
“Who cares?”
Chapter Nineteen
He could kiss her forever, he decided as she straddled his lap, facing him, threading her fingers through his hair. For a man who had avoided personal contact as much as possible, he now found himself addicted to Rebecca’s touch. He needed it. Craved it.
After her acceptance of his proposal a week earlier, he’d whisked her up to his cabin, unwilling to share her any longer. Despite the fact that they had spent nearly every moment since in each other’s presence, he still couldn’t get enough.
“Make love to me, Kane.”
“No,” he whispered softly, letting his fingers trail over her skin. It was so soft beneath his rough hands, it never failed to amaze him. “I want to do this right. I want us to be married first.”
“But Kane,” she murmured against his neck, her body pressed close against his, “it will take months to plan a proper wedding.”
She accentuated her plea with hot, moist kisses. Her eagerness sent shivers up and down his spine; she was nearly impossible to resist. His cock pulsed against his jeans, reaching for her through their clothing. She would submit to him easily, do whatever he asked. But Rebecca was everything to him and he wanted to give her everything in return.
And he had very specific ideas on how to do it right.
Their wedding wouldn’t be garish, but it would involve a church and a priest, flowers and music and family. He would see her walking down the aisle in a flowing white gown. He would stand with his brothers by his side and swear his oaths to her before God and the rest of them. And then he would devote the rest of his life to making her happy.
“You have waited this long,” he teased lightly, though his voice was already husky with desire. The truth was, he had no idea how he was going to keep himself from possessing her; his need grew with every passing minute. For as innocent as she was, she sure as hell knew how to tempt a man.
“That is because I have never been faced with such temptation,” she countered, nipping at his ear and making him growl. “If you had been around, I doubt I would have made it far past puberty.”
“Jesus, woman, you are making this hard.”
She grinned, shifting her bottom provocatively on his lap. “I may be new to this sort of thing, but that is the general idea, isn’t it?”
He growled again, louder this time. His hands locked her hips in place. No matter how hard she tried, she could not move to apply her specific brand of exquisite torture. She laughed.