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CHAPTER FOUR

Vivienne entered the old hunting cottage to find that Michael had lit a fire in the hearth.

He stood in front of it, drinking an amber liquid.

His jacket had been tossed on a chair along with his cravat.

She took a moment to study him, envisioning him as the rogue all the ladies of London talked about.

She pondered what type of lover he was. Was he considerate? Selfish? An ache bloomed in the lower part of her body.

“Enjoying the view?” he asked, his voice laced with amusement.

“And if I were?” she responded as he turned to look at her.

His eyes perused her form. It was a slow, leisurely pace that stopped at her throat, breasts, hips, and then finally ended at her most feminine area. Michael ran his tongue along his lower lip, filling the room with tension.

He placed his glass down and walked towards her, stopping only when he was a breath away. Vivienne’s heart hammered. The man, she’d wondered about for the last twenty years, was now standing right before her.

Trying to lighten the mood, she said, “Is it my turn to be seduced by the Earl of Delmar?”

“Do you want to know why I never took you to bed?

She smirked. “You already told me. It was because you wouldn’t be my second choice.”

His hand ran down the side of her cheek before his fingers brushed along her throat and down to her breasts.

“I don’t give a fuck what choice I am. It was because there would be no moving on after touching you.

Avoiding you gave me the hope that maybe I would find someone else.

See, Vivienne, I’m just a fool who could never move on past you. ”

She placed her hand on his chest. “You are not a fool, Michael. What I said to Penelope was our truth. At eighteen, I was so afraid that my future had been decided for me. Everyone in our lives just assumed it would be you.”

He kissed one of her hands. “It doesn’t matter.”

Her brow wrinkled. “Why not?”

“You and I are together in this hunting cottage. This isn’t me asking for a liaison. This is me asking for a beginning—a new start.”

He couldn’t be serious, Vivienne thought. “You need an heir. The odds that I could carry another child are small.”

“I have William, if so.”

“You have barely spoken to me.”

His arm snaked around her waist. “I know that I see my life with you, that you fit well in my arms, and that as much as I’ve tried, I can’t seem to forget you.”

Her lips brushed against his. Something zinged between them. He pulled back and said, “Know this, Vivienne. If we decide to pursue something right now, it is forever.”

She found herself wanting that. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and she pulled them flush against each other.

He growled before his lips claimed hers.

His tongue teased her mouth open, and years of pent-up yearning exploded.

His hands skillfully undid the ties of her gown as her fingers pulled his shirt free.

They finally broke from the kiss, both panting and breathing heavily. He eyed her intently. “I meant what I said. If we do this, you are mine.”

She nodded. “I know.”

He walked away and grabbed blankets, laying them in front of the fireplace.

Michael tugged at his boots. Vivienne stepped out of her dress, pushing it away.

She quickly removed her petticoats, tossing them to where her other garments were.

Hesitation filled her, about removing anything else, feeling shy.

Michael stepped towards her. His thumb brushed against one of her hard nipples. “You are more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.”

His head dipped down, and he claimed her mouth again. Michael groaned, and she shivered as he slid down her drawers. Next came her chemise. He ran kisses along her throat. “Damn it, Vivienne. What a fool I’ve been, resisting to touch you until now.”

She reached for his pants and slid them down. Michael smiled at her, pulling them onto the makeshift bed of blankets. Vivienne looked up at him as he ran his hands down her form. He dipped his head down, kissing one of her breasts. She bucked upwards. The heat in her core intensified.

His mouth dragged down along her stomach, and Vivienne truly thought she might combust. She whimpered, “Please, Michael.”

Michael grinned against her skin. He kissed her hip and then her thigh before his mouth pressed against her most sensitive spot. His tongue lapped at her, and she moaned, tangling her fingers in his hair.

“Open your legs for me wider, love,” he murmured against her.

She did as he asked, needing him. He licked and tasted her, making her buck upwards. Her body hummed as he teased her sensitive nub. Vivienne pressed up against his mouth, needing more friction.

Michael grasped her hips, feasting on her, and she whimpered. Viviene was on the precipice of her climax, but she pushed his head away. “No. I want you in me.”

He sat up, looking at her. So many emotions bounced between them. Softly, she said, “Please, Michael.”

Michael hovered over her, and she almost burst into tears when his shaft touched her feminine folds. Why did it feel like she’d been waiting for this moment forever? He slid into her, and she realized why. Vivienne had been. She wrapped her legs around him, needing him deeper and harder.

He groaned. “Christ, Vivienne. This may be quick.”

She smiled against his neck. “We have forever, Michael.”

Michael would be damn if he didn’t make this woman come undone first. He took a lusty deep breath and slowed down even though that wasn’t what he wanted at all. She arched her hips upward, demanding more from him. He chuckled, and she smiled.

“Am I not meeting your needs?” He said, as he pulled out and thrust back into her deeply.

A gasp escaped her. Michael again paused, enjoying the play of ecstasy across her face. She breathlessly said, “I think you are more than up to the job.”

He grinned. “Good. I don’t want you to doubt me.

Michael thrusted again and swiveled his hips, eliciting more moans. He did it again and knew he had found the right rhythm as she bucked and roamed her hands over his back. Vivienne's whimpers grew more intense as he continued to move with her.

She clung to him, pleading for more, and then with another thrust, cried out. Her quim spasmed around his cock. This woman was his forever, he realized in that moment. It may have taken them forever to get there, but there was now no turning back.

Michael scattered kisses along her face as her body trembled from her climax. She urged him on with the upward movement of her hips, and he wrapped a hand in her hair, kissing her intently. His hips thrusted deeply over and over again, chasing his release. His body was mad for her.

Mine , his mind screamed. She whispered, “Yes, I’m yours.”

Michael realized he must have said the words allowed.

Her agreement sent him over the edge, and he plunged into her one last time, letting out a guttural groan and slowly rocking against her.

Vivienne pulled him to her for a kiss. They both lay there, breathing heavily. He rolled to his side, facing her.

She smiled and brushed at the dark hair falling in his face. He snatched her hand and kissed it. “We can announce our betrothal during the house party.”

Vivienne looked at him in shock. “We can’t. We have to wait until Penelope and William are wed.”

He frowned at her, having no desire to do such a thing. “That is at least a year away.”

She sat up and shook her head. “It will be unseemly to do it during the house party.”

“Who cares?” he said, annoyance flaring in him.

Her face became uncertain, and anger welled up in him. After they’d found each other again, she meant for them to keep quiet about it. He left her on the floor and began dressing. “I won’t be your secret, Vivienne.”

“You can’t expect me to marry you right away. People will talk.”

He shook his head. “I don’t care. I want you by my side. I’ve spent twenty years having people gossip about me. Do you think I care if they are outraged that I finally get to have the woman I want?”

“I need time,” she said, her eyes becoming watery.

He hoisted her up and helped her dress. Michael tried to tell himself to calm down, but the last thing he expected was for her to tell him they needed to wait years. After she was fully dressed, he said, “Figure out what you want and maybe I will still be around when you do.”

Michael ignored the devastation on her face as he strode from the hunting cottage. It nearly destroyed him to leave her, but how could she possibly want to wait so long when he wanted to wed her tomorrow? He felt unsure about everything, when only moments ago, all had seemed so right.