Druid's Daughter (23 page)

He gathered her into his arms. “Still thinking of others, my
love?”

He kissed her hair, holding her tight against his body. Then
he held her aside while he ran his hands over her to be sure she hadn’t somehow
been hurt. She clung to him as much as he’d let her until he finished with a
relieved sigh.

Then he answered her last remark.

“As a policeman’s wife you’ll have to learn to stand it.
Although I think since we’ll want a family I’ll follow Devon’s urging and
accept the rank of Commander. That way I can supervise all the other lucky
devils doing the actual hunting. Will that be better for you, my dearest love?”

Before she could say a word he buried his hungry mouth,
briefly in her hair and then on her lips. She tried to remember what she’d been
angry about, but gave up as his kisses grew bolder and moved to the vee in the
neck of her shirt.

“I like your outfit, my love. Those trousers fit
delightfully over your trim little behind.”

They were both breathing heavily and Morgan thought Lance
might be talking to give them each a time to regain a little composure. They’d
been so close to death. Again. She reared back in his arms.

“What, my hair is suddenly pleasing in your sight? Are you
sure I’m blonde enough to be your love?”

He groaned. “You’re a minx. The lady you saw me with this
morning is a friend of my mother’s and staying with my parents. She’s also
known me since I was born and thinks I’m a scoundrel for not marrying sooner.
Are you going to help me get back in her good opinion, love?”

Morgan humphed. “If you call that mixed-up bunch of
sentences a proposal, I don’t.”

Lance pushed her out of his arms and ran to the spot where
he’d dropped the flowers. He brought them back and held them out to her.

“This is supposed to go with my proposal. Devon left me his
dictionary of The Language of Flowers. I think he suspected I might be needing
it.”

He dropped on one knee and presented them to her with a
flourish and a beseeching grin.

“Will you please marry me, my darling Morgan?”

She took the flowers from him, tears flooding her eyes so
she could scarcely identify them. “Camellias for ‘adoration’, orange blossoms
for ‘eternal love and marriage’ and red tulips for ‘please believe me’. Oh,
Lance.”

He caught her to him in alarm. “Dear one, they are to please
you, not make you weep!”

She sniffed into his handkerchief. “But you don’t want to
marry yet. And not me, remember.”

He groaned. “You little tyrant. I knew it wouldn’t be easy
convincing you, that’s why I brought the flowers. I guess I should have bought
more tulips. Morgan, the simple truth is I can’t live without you. Please say
yes.”

She didn’t even try to make him more anxious. She threw her
arms around his neck as his eyes ignited with hope.

“I adore you, Lance. Of course I’ll marry you.”

Her heart turned over at the look on his face as he grabbed
her to him. He kissed her until they were both breathless again.

When they paused Lance bent to check Mrs. Tomlinson.

“She’ll come around shortly. Poor Shriver, he’s always
picking up the bodies I strew around. I’m glad I brought him, though, or I’d
have to deliver her to jail myself.”

He rubbed his chin over her hair. “Let’s go in the house,
Morgan. Incidentally, I’m not leaving you until we’re married. Not for a
minute.”

She stared at him, half-thrilled and half-aghast. “Lance, I
appreciate your concern, but you can’t do that. We might not be married for
weeks.”

He grinned at her, his confidence restored now that she’d
accepted him.

“We’ll be married within a day or two. Being a Duke’s son
has some privileges. No waiting for banns for us, although we’ll want to get
your mother and Devon in from the country. And Jamie, of course.”

Was the man crazy? Completely daft? First he was marrying
anybody but her, now he couldn’t wait. She raised on her toes and kissed his
lips.

As soon as he let her draw a breath she spoke, leaning back
in his arms and letting her eyes tell him of her love.

“Anything you say, Lance.”

Chapter Fifteen

After Shriver had taken Mrs. Tomlinson away Lance walked
Morgan into the house, his arm fast around her shoulders.

“Shriver has orders to bring back my night things, my love.
I intend to be with you every moment, just as I mentioned. Well, maybe not when
you visit your bathroom.”

His expression told her he was not joking at all.

Morgan looked at him in shock. Through the night or two
before they married? She didn’t care about her own reputation, but as a
high-ranking police officer he should be worried about his own. Although men
could get away with most anything. But his parents! What would they think of
her when they found out?

“Lance! What about your reputation?”

He hooted with laughter as he stopped walking and wrapped
her in his arms.

“No wonder I love you so much! Do you ever think about
yourself? My reputation will be just fine since you’ll soon be making an honest
man out of me.”

She thought he was hinting hers would too. She watched in
fascination as his magnificent chest heaved with his laughter. He was such a
beautiful man. He continued talking while she stared at the muscle display so
close to her nose.

“Morgan, don’t look at me like that or I’ll throw you down
right here in your own hallway.” His voice was delightfully husky. “I don’t
intend to leave you for a moment. My men are now checking to find if there are
any other of Tomlinson’s relatives alive and exactly where they are. I won’t
take a chance on another crazy coming after you. Now or ever.”

He kissed the tip of her nose and led her to the sofa. “Now,
Miss McAfee, do you think you can give me your undivided attention for a
while?”

“Yes, Lance.” Her voice and eyes were suddenly serious. Too
serious for the occasion. He looked toward the ceiling in supplication.

“I’ve done something, I just know it. What have I done,
Morgan?”

She looked down at her hands twisting in her lap. “You
haven’t done it yet, Lance, but I don’t want you to have any more mistresses,
Lance. Not ever.”

He hooted again and she glared.

He kissed her chin, his laughter still rumbling in his
chest. “No, I’m not making fun of you, sweetheart, I just can’t imagine such a
thing. I intend to be far too busy making love with you, for one thing and for
another, my father has always been faithful and my married brother also. I
guess fidelity runs in the family, especially when you’re blessed with the
woman you love as your wife.”

He leered at her so that she had to laugh. “All right, Chief
Inspector. But be careful! I’d hate to have to lay a wicked spell on you.”

He took her seriously and started to look a little offended
at her lack of confidence in him and then he grinned and grabbed her to him
again.

“Let me show you why you don’t have to worry, my little
witch. Then we’ll make some definite plans.”

* * * * *

Far too soon a smiling Jackson came in to announce dinner.
Lance had been very busy. Messages had gone to his parents, requesting his
father’s help in obtaining a special license and asking them to please be
present at his wedding on the day after the next at the McAfee town house. Another
message had gone to Devon and Viviane, inviting them and, of course, Jamie.
Morgan intended to buy her own wedding clothes the next day and order flowers
to blanket the townhouse. Lance was finally persuaded to let Shriver drive her
and guard her for a few hours.

Morgan sat staring at him at dinner, reveling once more in
his devastating appeal and finding it hard to believe she’d be married to him
in two days’ time. This man of hers was as wonderful in his intellect and
character as in his body. She blushed thinking she’d soon know just how
beautiful that body was. She ate little and Lance ate a great deal. Doubtless
that big frame of his needed a lot of food.

Did he really intend to be with her every minute? All night?
She doubted if she could keep her hands off him if he insisted on being in her
room. He wouldn’t do that, would he?

He would. After dinner and an hour of real or pretended
reading he suggested they go upstairs to her room.

“Don’t worry,” he said, holding her hand as they walked
toward the stairs. Actually she’d done more worrying than reading in the last
hour, although she had remembered to turn a page or two. “I expect to sleep on
the floor unless you have a very large sofa in there.”

“Lance, you can’t.” It wasn’t lack of trust in him worrying
her. Even if he were at the end of the hall with his door locked she’d be
tempted to somehow get to him.

“I can.” He looked as superior as only a male determined to
have his own way could look. He was taking shameless advantage of every inch of
his commanding height. “You doubtless have at least two windows in your room,
don’t you? Do know how agile some criminals are?”

Then he simply asked Jackson where his clothes had been put,
gathered up what he needed and followed her to her room. On the way he explained
to Jackson what he was doing and why and Jackson nodded vigorous assent.

She was being compromised by a pair of male coconspirators.
She flounced in her room, trying to shut the door after her, but wasn’t
surprised when she didn’t succeed. He merely stuck one large boot out to keep
the door open until he walked inside. She opened it again and called for
Jackson.

“Bring the Chief Inspector several blankets to make the
floor a little softer, Jackson. But not too many.”

She slammed the door again and then threw a pillow at Lance.

He caught it with ease. His knowledgeable grin made her want
to throw something more solid at the big lummox. After looking longingly at a
small lamp she decided she didn’t want Lance’s masculine beauty marred on their
wedding day. She might accidently hit him with it.

Snatching up her nightgown and robe, she disappeared into
her dressing room. When ready she started to walk out and looked down at
herself. My God, she might as well be naked. She’d had no idea her robe was so
see-through. It was positively indecent.

She walked rapidly to the bed, flung off her robe and jumped
in, pulling the covers up around her neck. He’d evidently seen more than she
wanted him to, as his eyes were undeniably smoking.

She steadied herself. “Your turn, my Lord Lance.”

He merely grinned at her formality and reappeared shortly in
a nightshirt and nothing else. He strode to her bed, pulled her up halfway out
of it and wrapping her in his arms, proceeded to kiss her until she almost
begged him to crawl in with her.

He gently placed her back against her pillows and stood over
her.

“If you get lonely let me know.”

His low, seductive voice so mesmerized her she was incapable
of answering him. She nodded and turned her face away, not wanting to watch him
lower himself to the hard floor and attempt to be comfortable. His aura glowed
around him like a halo, the beautiful blue shot through with a deep rose of
passion. Even when she shut her eyes she could see it, glowing in mesmerizing
glory.

Radiant and beckoning.

Damn the man.

She couldn’t sleep. She heard Lance shifting and shuffling,
doubtless trying to find a comfortable spot. Not that he’d find any on the hard
floor.

Whatever possessed her to be so mean-spirited? He deserved
better than this from her. He’d saved her life twice, to say nothing of the
fact he loved her.

As she loved him.

She called to him softly. “Lance.”

“Yes, my love?” he answered instantly. Drat him, there was a
definite sound of hope in his low, gravelly voice.

“I give up. I can’t sleep. I doubt if I ever will again
unless you’re beside me. Please come to bed with me.”

There was a pause. Had she been wrong? Didn’t he want to
join her? Did he think she was too bold?

He bounded from the floor and leaned over her, kissing her
wildly before sitting on the bed beside her and continuing his assault on her
senses.

“I thought I was going to die right there on the floor. Oh,
Morgan.”

His strong arms gathered her to him and then he stopped,
naked desire in his eyes.

“You know I won’t be able to hold back, don’t you?”

“I don’t want you to,” she confessed, wriggling even closer
to him.

She knew making love with Lance would be more than she’d
ever dreamed. He stroked his big hands over her soft, slithery gown and then
gently lifted it from her. Throwing back the covers he looked her over for a
long moment, admiring her every curve, his eyes glowing.

“You are more beautiful than any flower and smell just like
one. I adore you, Morgan.”

She felt no false modesty at all. His devoted gaze stripped
away any lingering doubts this was what she wanted to do.

“This isn’t fair, Lance. You’re not bare yet. I want to see
you too.”

His laugh was a little ragged as he began kissing her all
over her face. After stripping his nightshirt off he moved quickly to claim her
lips again. Without pause he tumbled into the bed and wrapped her in his arms.
Darn him, he’d moved so fast she hadn’t been able to see more than a glimpse of
something huge. But she could feel! The hardness and pulsing power of his
erection was a solid shaft against her legs. She guessed he’d been wise not to
let her see this part of him just yet. No wonder he’d jumped into bed so
quickly. If he was as big as she suspected she might jump out just as fast and
she didn’t really want to do that. Lance would take care of her. She sighed and
willed her rigid body to relax.

His lips now moved to hers and his clever tongue urged her
to part her lips and let him in. His mouth on hers was open and hot. She put
all her love for him, all her devotion, into her kiss. He responded almost
wildly at first, swooping his tongue into every crevice and groaning as he
relished every recess.