Epilogue

The wedding of the Duke of Blackthorn to Lady Alice Barkley was the talk of the Season precisely for the reason that their unorthodox courtship had set tongues wagging all over London. The couple had been betrothed once, which lasted for all of a fortnight before Lady Alice declared that both she and the Duke were ill-suited for each other.

Nevertheless, it would seem that the Duke of Blackthorn had some truly compelling means, for he managed to convince the young lady that they were both perfectly matched for each other. This caused a great many young ladies to sigh in envy and bemoan the great fortune that could never be theirs.

As all this talk swirled around her, Lady Evelyn Fitzroy merely sat serenely as the rest of the guests chatted in anticipation of the arrival of the bride. This was still her very first Season, and although she had had a reasonable amount of success, she was not so favorably inclined towards the suitors lining up to her door.

Fortunately, her brother was not one to force her into marriage and had even declared that she may have her pick of whomever she wanted, and if she did not find anyone that she liked, well…

"What did those poor flowers ever do to merit your fierce dislike?" a low voice teased her from behind.

Evie swiveled and found one of her brother's closest friends—the most vexing one—regarding her with a single eyebrow raised in the most despicably arrogant manner.

Daniel Stanton, the Duke of Ashton, was most probably the most irritating man she had ever met.

"It is not so much the flowers as the company." She sniffed.

She honestly did not know what her grandmama was thinking when she arranged for the Duke of Ashton to sit behind her, when she knew they hated each other. If they had not been in a place of worship, Evie might have been more inclined to commit some form of bloodshed.

That, and it was only with the help of this infuriating man that her brother was able to find true happiness with the woman he loved and who loved him deeply in return.

For that, she supposed she might be able to tolerate his presence a little more today.

How fortunate for him!

Daniel looked as if he was about to say something but was stopped from doing so when the music for the bride's entrance began to play. A frown marred his handsome features, and she could not help but smile in satisfaction to see him so thwarted.

Did I just think him handsome?

Evie shook her head inwardly.

I did not just think that!

She surreptitiously slid her gaze to him, and true enough, the Duke of Ash was quite incredibly a fine specimen of masculine perfection. In fact, there were very few who could match up to his good looks.

Unfortunately, his attitude did not match his physical attributes.

A pity, really, but what did that matter to her?

* * *

Colin had never imagined this day would come—the day in which he would marry the woman he loved more than life itself.

As he watched her walking down the aisle on her father's arm, he felt his heart clench almost painfully in his chest. She was so breathtakingly beautiful that he could scarcely imagine he was actually so fortunate as to be able to marry her.

"Your Grace," the Marquess of Brandon whispered to him, "I will now hold you accountable for my daughter's happiness."

Colin nodded at the older man. "I would rather hurt myself, My Lord."

The man who was to become his father-in-law in a few more minutes smiled in satisfaction and handed over his daughter's gloved hand to Colin.

"Be happy, dearest," he murmured as he pressed a kiss to her cheek through her veil.

"I will, Papa," Alice replied, her voice choked with tears.

As his hand closed over her lace-clad fingers, Colin felt his chest expand with so much happiness. Slowly, he led her to the altar, where the Archbishop was waiting for them.

They had come such a long way since she first crashed into him in Blackthorn Estate with every intention of stealing a particularly scandalous piece of literature. He had initially thought it a most convenient circumstance and quickly maneuvered the situation to his greatest advantage.

Who would have thought that she would be the woman to claim this heart covered in thorns?

As the Archbishop began the ceremony, he could not help but steal a look at her, his bride. His little lamb. His Alice.

And when she met his gaze with her happy one, he knew that he had found peace at last. But more than that, he had found love.

* * *

The wedding party was concluded with much fanfare, owing to the combined efforts of the Dowager Countess of Wellington and the Marchioness of Brandon.

Ethan had happily clapped a hand on Colin's shoulder, grinning at him. "I am glad you finally came around, you idiot!" he said with good humor. "Certainly took you long enough!"

"It would have taken him far longer if Daniel had not managed to get his hands on the evidence," Hudson muttered dryly.

But Daniel simply shook his head. "Technically, it was your sister who found it in the library. I just did the rest of the work."

Colin turned his gaze to his lovely bride, who was also surrounded by Evie, Phoebe, and Scarlett.

"You must tell me if my brother is being an idiot," he heard his sister warn Alice. "I shall not countenance it!"

Phoebe laughed at the dark look in the young woman's eyes. "Evie might be quiet most of the time, but she certainly has a fierce side to her!"

At this, Scarlett only smiled and nodded in agreement. "A woman must, after all, have her own boundaries. Not just anyone can cross them!"

Colin could only shake his head at the sight, but he was happy that the young ladies would give his wife such good, solid advice. It certainly took a strong woman to tame a Wolf, especially one who had been so wounded.

As far as Society weddings go, one might be able to say that this one was a bit rushed. If Colin had his way, he might have obtained a special license from the Archbishop of Canterbury, and that would have been the end of it, but his grandmother was appalled that he even dared to think of such a thing.

"After all the pain you have put dear Alice through, it is only right that you should hold the grandest wedding that any Duke of Blackthorn has ever managed!" she scolded him.

Colin, duly chastised, saw the error of his ways and happily set about planning what might be the grandest wedding in five Seasons.

Now, as she sat before the vanity in the bedchamber they shared, Alice could not help but be surprised at the sudden shyness that overcame her.

It is not like we have not anticipated our wedding vows.

In fact, Colin giving her his translated copy of La Philosophie dans Le Boudoir and insisting on reading it together had resulted in several more heated encounters between them. Why now was she acting like a blushing, virginal bride?

The door slid open, and she let out a soft sigh of admiration when she saw her husband enter, dressed in only a robe.

Colin, she decided, would never cease to be the most attractive man she had ever laid eyes on, and she did not care if Scarlett called her out on her bias. She was married to the man, after all—of course, he should be the handsomest in all the world!

"Is it time to read our book?" she asked him coquettishly, watching his pupils dilate.

They had been slowly making progress through La Nouvelle Justine in the past few days, and she said slowly because they never could get past a chapter or two without them somehow ending in each other's arms in a passioned frenzy.

She watched as Colin nodded slowly before he sat at her feet. She smiled and took the book out, opening it on a page she had marked with aribbon.

She read to him softly, a deep heat coiling in her lower belly as the heated passages leaped at her from the pages. After letting out a soft gasp at one rather lewd part, she could not help but set the book aside and lean in to kiss Colin herself.

Her hands delved into his hair as she pressed herself to him, eager to be rid of the flimsy barrier between their bodies. His tongue twined with hers, and she sighed, opening up to him completely.

Moments later, they parted breathlessly. Alice made a move to push the robe off his shoulders, but Colin let out a soft, hoarse laugh.

He pulled her to her feet and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "My dear wife," he murmured. "If you continue kissing me like that, I will never get to the business of giving you my gift."

She pulled back slightly and looked up at him. "What gift?"

"Come," he said, tugging gently on her hand. "Let me show you."

He led her to a small room adjoined to their bedchamber, and Alice recognized it as the one she had inadvertently stumbled into on her first adventure into Blackthorn Estate.

Who would have thought that I would marry its master?

It was a working area, she realized. Numerous canvases of various sizes sat on the floor and on several easels. There were also racks of paint and jars holding a great many brushes. On one table was a pile of rags stained with so many colors that it looked as if a rainbow had vomited on them.

He pulled her before a covered canvas that occupied nearly half the height of the entire room and was twice as wide. His smile was like that of a young boy on Christmas morning, so she felt this was as much a gift to himself as it was to her.

"Should I close my eyes?" she teased.

He laughed. "It is too late for that now!"

With a flourish, he pulled the cloth and revealed the painting to her.

Alice could only stand there in shock and awe, marveling at the exquisiteness of his work. It was so lifelike that she almost believed she could feel the soft texture of the bed linens depicted.

"Do you like it?" he asked her, showing an uncharacteristic hesitance.

Alice nodded. "I love it! However, there is but one problem?—"

"There is?" He frowned, peering into what seemed to be his grandest work to date. "What is it?"

She looked at him somberly. "Colin, I cannot be this impossibly stunning!"

Indeed, the painting was a truly lifelike scene of her on the bed with her hair spread across the pillows like silk. Her hand delicately held a deep red rose to her breast, fingers barely grazing the thorns that lined its stem, the petals brushing against her bosom erotically as if she was teasing herself with it.

Her slumberous eyes seemed to gaze at the viewer, her sensual lips gently curled into a smile. The covers were painted in such a way as to tastefully cover her, ah, more private bits, but there was no doubt she was nude under all that.

Colin only laughed and pressed a kiss to her lips. "My love, of course that is you! Can you not see? This is how I see you."

Alice peered at it again and sighed. "Perhaps it is a good thing that I am not so blind, or else this would be a fine case of the blind marrying the blind."

Colin let out a loud guffaw and swung her in his arms.

"My wife is the best in the world," he declared softly. "And now, it is my turn to unwrap my gift."

His hand reached into the slit in her robe, sucking in a deep breath when he realized she was naked underneath it.

"I hope you like my surprise, dearest husband," she murmured mischievously.

"Little lamb," he groaned. "You truly find the most ingenious ways to test my control!"

Alice gave him a sultry look from beneath her lashes. "I like it when you lose control."

He let out a soft growl and swept an arm across one of the tables, knocking down bottles of paint and sending several brushes clattering to the floor. He pushed her onto the surface, spreading her legs wide open and sinking himself into her in one smooth stroke.

Alice let out a soft cry, her body arching off the wooden surface as she felt him deep inside her, stoking the fire that had simmered in her the whole day. His large hand squeezed her breast as he rocked into her, his massive girth stroking that secret spot inside her until she was mewling, thrashing on the table, pushed to the edge of the precipice.

When he pressed his thumb against that little nub at the apex of her thighs, she let out a loud scream as her release tore through her with the force of a hurricane. At the same time, Colin also let out a roar, his fingers gripping her thighs as he spilled his seed into her.

Panting, he pressed his brow against hers and looked deeply into her eyes.

"I had always wanted to make love in my workshop," he told her. "But you will be the only woman I ever allow in here."

She smiled up at him and cupped his face with her hand. "And you will be the only man I ever allow in my heart." She paused and added mischievously, "Inside me as well."

He groaned and kissed her deeply. "You are going to be the death of me."

"I sincerely hope not!" She giggled, nipping his lower lip. "I intend to have you inside me for a great many years to come…"

As Alice laid her hand on his chest, feeling his heart beating against her palm, she smiled.

If she had never believed in miracles before, she did now.

Colin was her greatest miracle.

The End?