Forever His(110)

“What?”

“Female hunting falcons,” he snapped, his harsh breathing forming steam in the cold air. “You never asked what sort of females.”

She blinked at him, raindrops falling from her lashes. “But ... but there was still that tavern wench. When you and your men went hunting, and you came back injured, and—”

“I never bedded her. Royce leaped to the wrong conclusion and I did not correct him, because I could not admit that I had tripped on my own accursed sword because my mind was so befuddled with thoughts of you.” He swore, shaking his head, his arms tensing at his sides as he fought the desire to stalk over and kiss her senseless. “There have been no others since you. I do not want any others. I do not want Rosalind.” He let the heat he felt blaze through in his eyes. “I want you.”

She almost tripped over the fire as she stumbled backward. “Gaston, you can’t ... you don’t ...” With a small sound of distress, she turned away, lifting her hood and huddling into her cloak. “I-I don’t think we should be talking about this. It doesn’t matter what you want. Or what I want. Nothing we say can make any difference. We know what has to happen. You and Rosalind are meant to be together.”

Cursing, Gaston shut his eyes and lifted his face to the sting of the rain. For once, she was being practical and reasonable, and he knew she spoke the truth. Burn him, he knew. They could not change what was meant to be. Why did some reckless impulse within him keep fighting it?

Celine must return to her time, where she would be safe and well. Where she belonged. He must stay here, where he belonged. With his intended wife, and all the power and influence any lord could want, and a bold son who would one day save a king’s life.

And in that moment all the wealth and promise of his future seemed so unappealing that he would have gladly traded places with a peasant ... if it meant he could keep Celine.

He dropped his head, raking one hand through his dripping hair. “If you could stay,” he said, his voice almost lost in the wind and rain, “would you?”

A crash of thunder made her jump.

“Gaston ... don’t.” She hunched her shoulders. “Don’t ask that. It doesn’t make any sense even to think of that. Don’t you understand? It doesn’t matter what I want.”

“Is there so much in your time that you could not live without?”

“I-I used to think so. When I first got here, I thought I would just die without electricity and hot showers and my car and central heating and ...” Her voice faltered and she turned toward him, her lower lip quivering. “And my family. Sometimes I miss them so much it ... it’s like part of me is missing. I have a sister and a brother, and my parents, and lots of aunts and uncles and cousins ...”

He could hear neither aye nor nay in her broken reply. He started to walk toward her.

She did not move away. “But now I ... think that when I go back, part of me will still be missing. Because I’ve never felt this way about anyone.” Her lashes brushed her damp cheeks, and though her eyes were closed, she swayed almost drunkenly on her feet as he came to stand before her, as if she could sense how close he was. Her voice was a whisper. “I’ve never loved any man the way I love you.”

His heart pounding, he reached out for her, his gloved hands slipping inside her hood to cup her face. “If you stayed ... if you could stay ...” He brushed wet strands of hair from her ivory skin, “I would take care of you, Celine. And protect you, and keep you with me all the days of my life.”

There was no sound save the spattering of the rain through the trees, no movement save the slight parting of her lips.

Then she suddenly withdrew. “No.” She backed away, lifting her gaze to his with an expression of stinging accusation, rubbing her cheeks as if she could wipe away his touch as easily as water. “It’s impossible, Gaston. And what you’re saying to me now isn’t any different from what you said to me once before. When you returned from your hunting trip. You locked me in my room to keep me prisoner because you wanted me to tell you the truth—and you promised to keep me safe and feed me well and clothe me warmly. For you, nothing has changed!”

“God’s breath, woman, everything has changed! I want you so badly that I burn with it. You set me afire from the time I awaken in the morning until I fall asleep at night. And then you invade my dreams. You have taken possession of every moment of my life. What more would you demand of me?”

“If you don’t know, I can’t explain it to you.” She shook her head as if he were incapable of understanding. “You don’t love me. You’ll never love me.”