Chapter 32

Dominic took the steps leading up to the shop two at a time before pushing open the red door and shutting it behind his back. The inside of the shop was quiet when he turned the key in the lock and hung it beside the door. The blinds were drawn, and the only source of light came from a single candle on the mahogany desk.

The door to the back was closed, making Dominic assume that Marie was in the back. Walking over to the table, he noted a long piece of parchment with a list of names.

People she wants to marry.

He ran the tip of his finger down the list until he reached his name right at the bottom. A thick line had been drawn right through his name and title with huge blobs of what he assumed were tears beside it. Crumpling the list in his fist, he clenched his jaw and threw it over his shoulder.

"Your Grace, what are you doing?" Marie suddenly entered the shop carrying a tray of tea.

"Don't start with the title again. You know my name is Dominic, and we have come too far for you to suddenly call me Your Grace again." He shook his head and sighed.

"I still don't understand. What are you doing here? We have said our goodbyes." She looked over his shoulder at the crumpled-up piece of parchment on the floor.

"Is that my list?" she asked him with an irritable look of indignation.

Dominic shook his head and closed the distance between them, taking the tray from her hands. "You said goodbye, I never got a chance, and to hell with your list. All of your lists can be thrown away, actually; you don't need them anymore." He walked back to the desk and placed the tray there before turning back to her.

She looked almost tired as she shook her head. "Dominic, we can't do this again."

"Like hell, we can't, I have allowed you to speak and make the decisions for both of us for far too long now. It's my turn to speak." He narrowed his eyes at her before walking over and taking her hand.

"What else is there that needs to be said?" She almost looked as if she were about to cry, making him wish he could take her in his arms. Yet he knew that a lot of things needed to be said before they could get to that point.

Leading her by the hand, he led her over to a chair and made her sit before kneeling in front of her and holding onto her hand.

Marie's eyes lit up with shock as she stared down at him.

"I know what you are thinking, and I am getting there, but please allow me to finish speaking before we get ahead of ourselves again." He spoke sternly, not wanting her to interrupt him again.

She nodded and took a deep breath, biting down on her lips.

"Good, now that I have your attention, allow me to explain. You have been a pain and a hindrance to me for as long as I can recall. I know we haven't known each other for that long, but sometimes, it feels like I have known you all my life. I have never ever wanted a woman as much as I have wanted you. Yet at the same time, I can't seem to stay away from you."

A soft laugh escaped her throat despite the tears in her eyes.

"You are absolutely infuriating, and I hate to be the one to tell you, but you aren't always right. You may be right about feeding animals and even when it comes to finding the perfect match, but you are wrong about me. You see, I didn't know it until recently, but I do believe in love." He waited for a moment as she sucked in a sharp breath.

The bell above the shop door jingled as someone tried the handle.

Dominic looked over his shoulder and yelled, "I'm very sorry, but if you are looking to find true love, you will have to come back at another time. It's my turn now, and I'm afraid I'm not in the mood to share!"

"Well, I say, that is quite rude!" an unknown female voice called back, but she evidently stopped trying as the silence ensued.

"Dominic, that could have been a client," Marie protested softly, her voice barely above a whisper. Her hand trembled in his as she waited for him to carry on.

"Oh, it doesn't matter; your business was going down the privy anyway." He shook his head and turned back to her.

Marie laughed more freely this time, allowing the sweet notes to fill the empty shop and making his chest want to burst with fullness.

"The point that I was trying to make before we were so rudely interrupted, Marie Webster, is that you are an insufferable woman, but I must confess that I am in love with you. I have been for quite some time, and not only that, but I wish to have as many children with you as your hips are capable of birthing. I hope you don't think me too forward when I say that I hope some of your stubbornness goes away when you become Her Grace, Marie Harding, Duchess of Wiltshire." He winked at her.

"Dominic, I don't know what to say." Marie gasped for breath, shaking her head as the tears flowed down her cheeks.

"Say that you will marry me and spend the rest of your life being deliriously happy at my side. Those are the only words that I wish to hear coming from your lips at present." He held her gaze as his heart raced with anticipation. Every ounce of happiness that he ever hoped to experience rested on her response.

"Yes, Dominic Harding, I will marry you. I have loved you for so long. How could I not when you have turned my world right side up?" She leaned forward and threw her arms around his neck, drawing him in for a passionate kiss.

Dominic could not believe how happy he felt as he lifted her in his arms, kissing her deeply as he drank in the moment. Pulling back, he held her tight and looked into her beautiful green eyes. "Do you mean that my love? Have you loved me for as long as I have loved you?"

Her lips curved into a bright smile that touched his heart. "For much longer, if that is even possible."

Feeling overcome by his longing for her, Dominic leaned down and drew her lips against his, gently parting her mouth with his tongue before gaining entry to the warm depths.

A soft sigh reached his ears as his hands traveled to her hips pulling her body closer to his.

"Did you lock the back of the shop?" he whispered against her lips before kissing a path down to her neck.

"I did…" Marie practically gasped her reply as he nibbled the tender flesh of her neck, lifting his hands to cup her breasts.

"Good, I don't want to be interrupted for the next few hours," he growled against her neck before reaching around and unbuttoning her dress.

The fabric fluttered to the ground as Marie stood before him in her corset and undergarments. He took his time to look at her before gently spinning her around and untying the ribbons that held her corset in place.

"I hope you didn't want to wait until after the wedding because I don't think I can," he whispered behind her ear as he allowed her corset to fall to the ground beside her dress.

"I don't think I can wait either. I have wanted you for so long," she whispered back and leaned her head against his shoulder.

His lips curled into a smile as he gripped the bottom section of her chemise and lifted it over her head.

Marie hurriedly loosened the rest of her garments and stepped out of them, standing naked before him as she turned.

"I can't believe I have waited this long to make you mine." His gaze hungrily swept over her body from her perfect breasts to her full hips.

Coming forward, he placed his hands on her hips, sliding them over to her backside before giving her buttocks a firm squeeze that made her gasp in surprise. He lifted her in his arms, guiding her legs around his waist as their mouths locked together in a passionate kiss. Their tongues battled for dominance as Dominic guided her over to the table and placed her bottom on the edge.

Using one hand to reach behind her, he swept everything off the table, including her tea set and stacks of parchment.

"I'll buy you another one," he hurriedly explained and drew her in for another kiss, pushing her back as he fondled her full breasts.

Her lips parted in a loud moan when he cupped one breast and rolled her nipple in his palm. Wanting to taste her, he gently guided her back until she was lying on the desk with her legs on either side of his hips. He kissed a path down her neck, stopping at her chest to nibble the soft flesh before taking one of her hard nipples into his mouth and teasing the rosy nub with his tongue.

A soft whimper of pleasure escaped her throat as she reached down and tangled her fingers in his hair, drawing him closer to her breast. His left hand sought her free breast, pinching her nipple between his index finger and thumb.

Feeling his arousal pressing against his breeches, Dominic gave her breast a final teasing nip before coming up straight and unbuckling his belt.

Marie blushed and turned her face to the side after looking down.

Reaching down, he gently tilted her chin until she was looking at him again. "No, don't look away. I want to be looking into your eyes when I make you mine," he growled hungrily before repositioning himself between her thighs.

The look of pain on her face lasted only for a moment as he entered her, gently thrusting until her whimpers turned to moans of pleasure. The fullness of her warm body wrapped around him as she sat up straight and flung her arms around his neck, spurring him on.

Making love to her with each slow, determined thrust felt as if a part of his heart that had been missing had slowly returned.

Placing her hands behind her on the desk, Marie leaned back, her hair tumbling free from the loose bun. The luscious view of her full breasts bouncing in rhythm to his thrusts drove him wild as he leaned down and took her nipple into his mouth.

Her panting grew more urgent as she began to whimper again, begging him for more with every breath that she took.

His own pleasure was beginning to build as she shut her eyes and felt the trembling of her thighs against his body. Sensing that she was ready, he picked up the pace and gave himself over to the animalistic desires that coursed through his veins.

"Dominic!" Marie cried out in ecstasy as her back arched, her core throbbing as she thrust her breaths out during the first waves of her orgasm.

Her muscles spasmed out of control as Dominic reached his climax, his body stiffening against hers as he shut his eyes and rode the wave of pleasure that crashed between them like a raging river.

Her panting became almost erratic when she fell back on the desk, placing her hands over her eyes as she struggled to regain control of her breathing.

Dominic collapsed on top of her, his head between her breasts as he waited for his climax to subside.

"That was quite something," Marie whispered above his head, running her fingers through his hair.

His lips curled into a smile as he turned his head and placed a single kiss between her breasts. "If you think that was amazing, you will be amazed at the other things that I can teach you."

Marie giggled, gently tousling his hair with an affectionate tug.

Positioning his head to look up at her, he admired the gentle curve of her features and the valley between her breasts. "So, what do you think? Would you like to do that with me several hundred more times until we've sired an army large enough to man your feeding schemes?"

"I'm not so sure about that, Your Grace. Considering the fact that I will be the one pushing this army out, I think we had better focus on making me a respectable woman first, don't you?" She laughed and accepted his hand when he straightened up and held it out to her.

"That can definitely be arranged. Does next week work for you?" He smiled at her before pressing a lingering kiss onto her lips.

"Why, do you have anything scheduled at the end of this week?" Her lips parted into a cheeky grin that he found damn near irresistible.

"I thought you women needed time to plan these things?" He looked down at her with all the love and affection in the world as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

Marie's smile only broadened as her beautiful eyes grew more serious. "I don't need the wedding of a century. All I need is the right man by my side. I don't mean to sound smug or self-righteous, but I do believe that I have found that match."

Gazing down at the woman he knew he'd be spending the rest of his life with, Dominic found all the happiness that had been missing from his life. "We can have the wedding whenever you want as long as you are the woman beside me on that day. I know I haven't said the right things in the past, but I fully intend to spend the rest of my life making up for that."

Angling her face toward his, Marie looked up and drew him in with her eyes before kissing him with all the passion and longing that had been building between them since they had met.

Everything in his world seemed to be falling into place as Dominic lifted her in his arms, holding her close to his body for what felt like a lifetime.

He may not have seen it at first, but he was surer than ever before in his life that he had found the secret to lasting happiness. Drawing back, he looked into her eyes. "Do you think we will be able to make it work with all of our differences?"

Leaning back, Marie let out a laugh that damn near intoxicated him as he drank it in. "You know, I think we might just make it work if we try hard enough. You know what I always say to my clients? Opposites attract."