Second Chance Girl
Page 59

There was something about the way he filled her. Or maybe it was the heat, or how his body felt as she ran her hands up and down his back. Maybe it was the intense gaze of him watching her watch him. Maybe it was just dumb luck. Regardless, she found herself getting closer and closer. Her body swelled and he went in deeper. He added a kind of grinding push at the very end, bringing him up against her swollen center, taking her that much closer to her release.
She gathered all her strength, all her focus and told herself to hold back. She could come later—she was sure of it. Only then he started moving faster and pushing harder and it was all too good, too perfect, too exactly what she needed to—
Her orgasm claimed her with an explosion that had her calling out his name. She moved her hips as he filled her again and again, drawing out her pleasure until there was nothing left. Only then did he let go, filling her one last time and exhaling her name.
They clung to each other, letting their breathing return to normal. She memorized the scent of him, the way his body covered hers, the sound of his voice as he whispered her name. Then she promised herself that whatever happened, this moment would surely be enough.
* * *
FRIDAY MORNING CAME far too quickly for Violet. She and Ulrich had spent the previous night making love with a tender urgency that had nearly brought her to tears. Even as she found pleasure in his arms, she’d been aware of the ticking clock that brought his departure closer and closer.
She was going to visit him in England—that was for sure. She didn’t know when, exactly, but she wanted to go and see him. And his grandmother, although she had to admit that her attention was more firmly on the duke than the dowager duchess.
She sat up slowly, not wanting to wake him. He had a long trip in front of him—first the drive to Los Angeles, followed by the flight back to London. He would be traveling nearly twenty-four hours. Hopefully by the time he called her from Battenberg Park she would be done crying, or at least able to fake a happy voice.
Sunlight spilled into the room. She studied his high cheekbones, the shape of his mouth. What had she been thinking, falling for him? He was going to leave and she was going to be destroyed. Okay, maybe not destroyed but certainly hurt and lonely and sad.
He opened his eyes and smiled at her.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning, yourself.” She did her best to sound cheerful. “You should try to sleep longer. You’re going to be exhausted.”
“I don’t want to waste any of my time with you. I can sleep on the plane.” He reached up and touched her face. “Darling Violet, how much you’ve come to mean to me.”
“I feel the same way.” She faked a smile. “And to think this started with you accusing me of stealing.”
He winced. “That was a mistake.”
“Oh, I don’t know. It was memorable, if nothing else.”
He rolled on his side to face her. “Have you forgiven me?”
“Of course, although I do plan to tease you about your mistake for a long time.”
“As you should.” He nodded at the dresser. “I have something for you.”
She held in a sigh. “A goodbye gift? You’re just so thoughtful. Oh, thank you again for the carving you donated last night. Millie is going to have quite the trust fund.”
“I’m sure she’ll handle it well. Despite her propensity to cause car accidents, she seems like a sensible young woman.” He raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you going to see what it is?”
No. If she got up and opened the drawer, she would have to deal with the gift. The goodbye gift. If she ignored it, maybe he wouldn’t leave.
Recognizing the flaw in her logic, she gave in to the inevitable and stood, then crossed to the dresser. She pulled open the top drawer and saw a long, slim black velvet box.
So not a ring, she thought, giving in to disappointment for a nanosecond before telling herself not to be a fool. She hadn’t known Ulrich long enough for him to propose. While she knew he cared about her, she wasn’t sure how far that caring went. He was a duke. He would be looking for someone special.
She picked up the box. “Is this it?”
He nodded. “Yes. I used to carry all my possessions in velvet boxes, but it grew tiresome.”
She grinned. “You think you’re so funny.”
“I am so funny.”
She returned to the bed and sat next to him. Her wispy nightgown didn’t offer much in the way of coverage, but that was all right. Ulrich had seen every inch of her. She no longer had anything to hide.
She opened the box and gasped when she saw six sparkling buttons. They were in the shape of flowers and looked amazingly like...
“Cut glass?” she asked, her voice shaking.
“No.”
“I didn’t think so.” She looked at him. “Ulrich, you can’t. These are diamond buttons. They’re a part of your heritage. They belong at Battenberg Park. I really appreciate the gesture, but there’s no way I can accept.”
He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. “I have a great-aunt who married one of Queen Victoria’s sons.” He glanced at her. “Maybe it was a great-great-aunt, or maybe she married a cousin. Regardless, those buttons are from the Victorian era. From all I’ve been told, they’re very her.”
She tried to hand him the box. “Thank you. They’re lovely, but I couldn’t possibly accept.”
“Of course you can.” He sat up and leaned toward her. “Violet, you’d never sell them. I want you to have them. I want you to have a piece of my world with you and this was the best way I could think of to make that happen.”
Once again she was fighting tears. She kissed him, doing all she could to memorize the feel of his mouth against hers.
“You are a wonderful man.”
“I’m glad you think so. Promise you’ll keep the buttons.”
“I promise.”
She drew back and looked at them. The diamonds winked back at her. They were lovely. One was a little larger than the others, perhaps to be worn at the neck. Before she could remove it from the box and study it more closely, Ulrich took the box from her and set it between them.
“You know I have responsibilities back home,” he said quietly.
“The estate, your tenants, the village, the tourists and guests, not to mention your grandmother. Yes, you might have mentioned one or two responsibilities.”
He smiled. “This is sass, isn’t it?”
“It might be.” She drew in a breath. This was the moment to do and say the right thing. She wasn’t going to be selfish—she was going to say what he needed to hear. “Ulrich, I understand. You’re more than a man.”
One corner of his mouth turned up. “Especially in bed.”
She smiled, kissed him, then straightened. “This time together has been wonderful. I wish it would never end. But the truth is you can’t stay. You do have responsibilities. You have a heritage and people who depend on you. It’s a big deal. Whatever happens, know that I’ve had a wonderful time. I’ve fallen for the amazing man who danced with me all those years ago. Whatever happens, I’ll have that forever.”
His eyes darkened. “About that dance, it pains me that I can’t remember.”
“I’ll remember for both of us.”
“You know I won’t forget you now.”