Free Tempest of Passion by Elyzabeth M. VaLey Page B

slid up to his neck, tangling on his
hair as they found new anchorage on the nape of his neck. Dear God,
but how could a man taste like heaven? Their tongues rolled and
sucked, took and gave. Slowly, she felt William pull back. His
playful tongue moved away, his lips locking with hers repeatedly,
the urgency fading. Her beating heart needed to calm down. What was
she doing? This was madness. She finally opened her eyes just as he
pulled away. He had her face captured in between his hands and his
eyes, still shone with amber highlights, the pupils fully
dilated.
    “ Feel this.” He grasped her hand and placed it over his heart.
“It is not the heart of a man set on placing you in a glass cage,
it is the man of a heart set on making you happy.”
    Emily
nodded, for once speechless.
    “ Emily. I want us to get married.”

Chapter Eleven
    William
was not surprised when she took a hasty step backwards.
    “ What?”
    “ I want us to get married.”
    “ Have you not heard anything I’ve told you?” she whispered
angrily.
    William sighed. Gone was the loving gaze she’d given him. Gone
were the whimpers and moans of excitement. Gone was the inkling of
contentedness he’d seen in her eyes. Emily, the hater of love and
marriage, was back with a vengeance. Not that he’d kissed her to
seduce her into marriage. No, he’d kissed her because he couldn’t
hold back any longer. He’d been a week without seeing her and he’d
missed her. Missed her outspoken ways and her smirk. Missed her
quick wit and bright eyes. Missed her figure, her sole
presence.
    “ I have heard everything you told me but have you not felt
anything in that kiss? Do you not feel my beating
heart?”
    Amused,
he smiled as she hastily removed her hand from his
chest.
    “ Mine also beats rapidly, but it is the natural reaction after
a kiss. A kiss, which I might add, I did not ask for.”
    William chuckled. “Ms. Bunsbury, you’re impossible. I will
enjoy spending the rest of my life with you.”
    “ You will do no such thing,” she retorted, defensively
crossing her arms over her chest.
    “ Do what? Enjoy my time with you?”
    “ Spend your life with me.”
    “ You cannot stop me, precious. You cannot cease the way I feel
for you.” William crowded her against the wall. His gaze centered
on her parted lips. His head swam, the scent of her arousal so
clear it was an aphrodisiac unto itself. The tip of her tongue
touched her mouth. He moved in closer. Her scent was intoxicating.
She tilted her head back.
    “ Mr. Dalton, I think you should leave.”
    He
glanced into her eyes. The soft brown depths contradicted her
words. She cared about him. Somewhere in her heart, she cared about
him. Lust or something more, he could not say. How much she cared,
he did not know. He could only hope that it was enough so she
wouldn’t hate him forever when he told her what he’d
done.
    “ Emily.” His mouth dried. His wolf cowered in his
still-beating heart. He was glad his hands were flat against the
wall, for otherwise they’d tremble. “I already asked your father
for your hand.”
    “ What?” Her brow wrinkled, marring her perfect
complexion.
    “ I have to go to London to see to some urgent matters and I
don’t want us to part.”
    “ No.” She shook her head. “I don’t understand.” She pushed
against him and he let her go. “You asked my father for my hand
because you must leave to London?”
    The scent of fear was unmistakable as she hurried to the other
side of the room … the farthest she could get away without leaving.
William ran his fingers through his hair. At least she had not run
out the door.
    “ Could you not have written to me from London?”
    “ Emily.” William hesitated. How was he to explain that he
could not leave her behind because he feared for her life? How
could he tell her that the grey wolves had returned and he and
Reeves had fought to the death with them? How could he explain that
he feared more would come and that