Page 152 of Rogue of My Heart

“Love’s legacy.” She turned his words over in her mind. One corner of her mouth lifted in a half smile as she met his gaze. “A promise of everlasting passion. I like the sound of that.” She leaned forward, peering into the trunk. A metal box remained inside, tucked into a corner of the large chest. Her pulse quickened. There was something inscribed on the top, but she couldn’t interpret what it said beneath the centuries of tarnish. She lifted it out and presented it to Camden. “Look, something is engraved on the top.”

He leaned closer, his fingertips barely brushing the engraved top. “Let me see it.” He looked up expectantly, and she handed it to him, the weight of it heavy in his palm. He rubbed his shirtsleeve across the inscription before tilting the box toward the candlelight. He squinted at the words etched into the tarnished silver. “It’s Latin, Amor Vincit Omnia.”

“Love conquers all.” She beamed at him, her eyes twinkling and a giddy excitement emanating from her.

He inclined his head, extending the box out to her. “Open it,” he said, his voice soft.

Her finger shook as she lifted the top to peer inside. A necklace rested on a bed of royal-blue fabric. A miniature painting of a couple hung from the chain. Her breath hitched as she stared at the raven-haired woman and blond-haired man, the carved stone hearth of the great hall behind them.

Camden sidled up next to her, his chin just above her shoulder as he studied the piece. He found it hard to pull his gaze away from the bauble. “It is them, Sir Ariston and Lady Isabel.”

Tears welled in her eyes as emotion overwhelmed her. “This is amazing.” She whispered, replacing the lid with care before putting the box back into the chest. “It is like they meant for us to have it.”

Camden placed his hand on the side of her face and gently rubbed his thumb back and forth across her cheekbone. She closed her eyes and sighed contentedly at his touch.

He pulled away and looked into her eyes, his own full of love and adoration. “It pales in comparison to you, my wife,” he said softly as he pulled her into an embrace.

She smiled against his shoulder, melting into him as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed his neck lightly. His familiar smell made her heart skip a beat. This was where she belonged.

He pulled away just enough that he could look into her eyes again and searched them for assurance that she felt the same way about him as he did for her. Satisfied by what he saw there, he smiled down at her tenderly before whispering three words that filled both of them with an infinite amount of hope and joy, “I love you.”

“I love you too.” She clung to his shoulders, her heart pounding in anticipation as he scooped her up into the strength of his embrace.

Her heart raced as he carried her up a winding staircase to the second floor. At the top of the stairs, Camden paused before an oak door. “This was their home.” He turned to her, eyes glowing with devotion. “And now, my darling, it shall be ours.”

Rebecca held him tighter. “Our love will honor the legend they left for Almerry.”

He carried her over the threshold, the door creaking closed behind them. Tonight, in this hallowed place, they would craft their own memories of love eternal, joining hearts as Isabel and Ariston had so long ago.

Camden set her gently on her feet, his hands lingering at her waist. The firelight danced across his features, shadows caressing the sharp planes of his face. His eyes were soft with tenderness as he gazed down at her. “Rebecca, my love.” His voice was a reverent whisper. “When I’m with you, I feel as though I’ve come home at long last. You are my heart, my breath, my everything.”

Tears stung her eyes at his heartfelt confession.

Camden cupped her cheek, his touch filled with longing. “Say you feel the same. Tell me I’m not alone in this love that threatens to consume me.”

She placed her hand over his, pressing into his caress. “You could never be alone in this, for I love you too, with everything I am.”

A ragged sigh escaped him as he gathered her close. “You cannot know how happy hearing those words from your lips makes me,” he murmured, his hand sliding into her hair. “How I have ached for you, my darling.”

“As I have ached for you, my husband,” she whispered.

The fire crackled, bathing them in its warm glow as they came together. Rebecca sighed into his mouth, her hands tangling in his hair to draw him closer still. His arms encircled her, holding her fast against him as they explored the sweetness of each other’s lips.

A spark ignited within her, spreading through her like liquid fire. She wanted nothing more than to lose herself in his embrace, to give herself over to the passion that threatened to consume them both.

Rebecca trembled as Camden’s hands trailed down her back, his touch both reverent and possessive. His fingers skimmed along the edge of her bodice, slipping underneath to caress her bare skin. She gasped at the intimacy, her heart racing as he slowly undid the laces of her gown.

The garment whispered to the floor, leaving her clad only in her shift. Camden’s eyes smoldered as he gazed upon her, as if he could see straight through to her soul. “So beautiful,” he breathed, brushing his knuckles down the curve of her neck.

Rebecca flushed under the intensity of his stare, aching for the feel of his hands on her once more. He granted her unspoken wish, sliding the thin straps of her shift off her shoulders until the only thing left clinging to her body was his heated gaze.

She moved to undo the buttons of his waistcoat, her fingers trembling with excitement and clumsy with inexperience.

He stilled her hands, bringing them to his lips for a kiss. “Patience, my love.” His voice was husky with restrained desire. “We have all the time in the world.” He removed his coat and waistcoat with agonizing slowness, tantalizing her with each inch of skin he revealed. Rebecca bit her lip to stifle a moan, her body thrumming with a need she did not quite understand.

At last, he stood before her in all his masculine glory, sculpted muscle and tanned skin that glowed in the firelight. She dared to reach out and trace the lines of his chest and abdomen, delighting in the feel of him under her fingertips.

He eased her down onto the soft rug, arranging her hair like a halo around her head. “So beautiful,” he whispered, awe etched into his handsome features.