He might not know his own name, or where he came from, but in Sarah he had found his true love, his real home. It might be selfish of him, and he might well have to pay the piper on the morrow, but Alexander surrendered himself body and soul to her, and she responded in kind.
Love was so much more than she ever could have imagined. The man she had come to know as a friend, and had fallen in love with, completed her body and soul.
She grew brave at the power she had over him and explored his lean hard physique and all of its joys more and more boldly until the dawn crept up over the horizon.
"Are you sure there aren't any other interesting tattoos you'd like to show me?" she giggled, rolling off him at last.
"No, dearest, I think you've found every single one. And might have even given me a few more."
"Did I hurt your back too much?" she asked, her tone chagrined.
He laughed. "The only thing I felt was pure pleasure, believe me."
"I do. I was there, felt it myself first-hand."
"Both hands, you mean." He grinned with delight. "If I didn't know better I would say I had met the most expensive and skilled lady-bird in London."
She blushed at his words, but oddly felt no shame. She was his. What could be more natural than to love and treasure him?
"I must have a naturally wanton disposition. But only when you're within ten miles of me."
"Just try to get me to go that far from you."
Her face grew serious as she traced the lines of his lips with her forefinger. "I hope you never have to leave."
"I pray God I never have to either." He paused, obviously hesitating. "Sarah, I know it may be wrong of me to ask this of you, my love. To take on a burden such as myself. But I can't imagine a future without you, my lovely darling. I want you to marry me, as soon as we can manage. Love me always, the way I plan to love you. Forever. No matter what." His golden eyes glowed with a new warmth of expression she'd never seen before.
Sarah was stunned. All the time she had been admiring him, falling in love with him, he had been doing the same? Or was he only saying this because he was such an innate gentleman he felt he had to?
Alexander kissed her hand, and began to trail kisses down her wrist, to her elbow, and up to her shoulder, before moving to her breast, and placing his head upon her chest.
"I can hear your heart beating in time to mine. We're one heart now, one flesh, Sarah. I'm never going to leave you. I don't care about my old life. I don't want any more questions answered. I belong with you, to you, and you alone. Everything I need to know is right here. Everything I could ever want is here too." He wrapped his arms around her as though he would never let her go.
Her bargain with God popped into her head for a fleeting moment, but it was enough to fill her with alarm. Sarah began to pull away by small degrees. She had no regrets, though she knew there could well be consequences for her and her whole family were she to fall pregnant. But even more alarming was the prospect of loving him too much only to lose him.
But his clever fingers on her sensitized body soon had her thrumming with desire.
When he pulled her to him tightly, she surrendered herself and her worries gladly. There was no such thing as loving too much. At least not with a man like Alexander.
They made love once more under the glowing rays of the sun which, with their lovemaking, warmed their bodies better than any blanket.
Chapter Eighteen
Sarah opened her eyes sleepily, and looked out the window. Another glorious spring day beckoned. She yawned and stretched, and started as she came up against something rock-solid in the bed. Turning her head, she stared at the huge, lithe form of Alexander.
She looked at her own naked body and his, and gaped. He was even more splendid in broad daylight than he had been last night. He was lying prone on his back, one arm tucked under his head, his other hand stretched along the pillow under her head. He was completely bared to her gaze, nothing hidden, all revealed.
Her cheeks grew heated, her breathing ragged. She feasted her eyes on him taking in every inch of his magnificent maleness. His face was boyishly handsome in repose, more gorgeous than ever before. Perhaps it was just because she was looking at him with the eyes of love?
But no, there was more to it than that. For the first time since she had known him, the frown of studied concentration had vanished. He looked happy and carefree. Like a man in love.
She admired him for a few moments, her heart racing at a breakneck pace. Unable to resist his splendor, she leaned over to kiss him. Her hand stroked over his shoulder, across his chest, and down to his hand. She grasped it firmly in her own, and stroked up that arm, pulling herself more closely to him.