Chapter 14.
Eva came to a halt as Finn released her hand to switch on the lights in a smaller gallery at the back of the building, revealing walls that were adorned with at least two dozen perfectly lit black and white photographs.
All of them of Eva.
She crossed the room as if in a dream, totally absorbed as she moved from photograph to photograph.
When she had asked Finn about them that day in North Wales, he had told her the photographs of her were beautiful, but this... This was so much more than Eva could ever have imagined.
Because of the subject, the mistress, and the poses Finn had demanded of her that day, Eva had fully expected the photographs to portray raw s.e.xuality. A woman ripe for carnal pleasure. A siren. Temptation incarnate.
Instead Finn had captured the depth of beauty and sensuality that was a woman. The joy, the expectation, the promise of pleasure, in every shadowed dip and curve.
True to his word, Finn had ensured that her face was never revealed. But Eva recognized herself, nonetheless.
Finn"s anxiety grew exponentially as he watched and waited for Eva reaction. His heart pounded in his chest as she walked slowly around the gallery, looking at each photograph, her face in the shadows and her expression unreadable.
He still had no idea whether or not she liked them. "These photographs will never be seen by anyone else but me," he a.s.sured her softly.
Eva"s eyebrows rose as she turned to look at him. "They aren"t "The Mistress"?"
"h.e.l.l, no," he rasped harshly as he stepped forward, and then stopped again as he realized that he and Eva still had a lot to talk about.
He probably shouldn"t have done things this way. Should have just telephoned Eva and invited her out to dinner, like any other man interested in dating a woman, rather than setting up this evening.
"Do you have a name for these photographs, Finn?" Eva looked across at him curiously.
Finn"s anxiety rose to new heights as he wondered how best to answer her.
With the truth, idiot, he instantly reprimanded himself. If anyone deserved that then it was Eva.
The Eva who had insisted on standing at his side during the media frenzy that had followed Moira"s death. The Eva whose determination had never wavered, despite having been hounded by that same media every time she so much as stepped outside of the London apartment she had returned to after the Christmas holidays, in preparation for resuming her university degree, which she had now done, presumably.
Eva had handled it all with great dignity and strength, completely unflappable, before, during, and after the hearing on Moira"s death.
She deserved the absolute truth from him in return.
He drew in a deep breath before answering her. "I call them "Love". Don"t panic," he added quickly as Eva"s eyes widened. "I"m not expecting... Oh h.e.l.l!" He ran a hand agitatedly through his hair as he could no longer meet Eva"s gaze. "As far as I"m concerned, these photographs-your photographs, are the image of the perfect woman. A woman of both sensual promise and innocence. Of what every man dreams of-or should dream of-possessing for himself." He closed his eyes, knowing that his dreams of Eva these past weeks had been the only thing that had helped to keep the nightmares of Moira at bay.
Eva chewed on her bottom lip, knowing it would be so easy to misunderstand what Finn was now saying to her. That he could just be telling her that the photographs of her represented the innocence of a woman after the ugliness his relationship with Moira Summers had become.
He could be telling her that. But he could just as easily be telling her something else completely. Something much more important...
Something worth so much more than a few moments of humiliation on her part. Something she would be a fool to walk away from...
She gave a rueful smile. "We went about things the wrong way, didn"t we, Finn?" she kept her tone deliberately light. "The photographs. The s.e.x. We should have gotten to know each other a little better first."
His jaw tightened, those beautiful Irish-blue eyes glittering darkly. "That wasn"t just s.e.x, Eva. I know what casual s.e.x is, and that wasn"t it."
So did Eva. And no, that connection between the two of them had been nothing like the relationship she"d had with those other two men. It had been more than just physical. So much more.
She had felt it. The emotional tendrils wrapping themselves about her heart. And once or twice, just briefly, she had known Finn felt it too.
And here in front of her was the proof of that.
The beautiful photographs that Finn called "Love".
Surely Finn was trying to tell her something. The private invitation for tonight. The photographs. The fact that he had a.s.sured her they would never be seen by anyone else but him.
Eva straightened her shoulders determinedly as she now looked him straight in the eyes. "How would you feel about the two of us having s.e.x that wasn"t s.e.x again right now?"
"Don"t mess with me, Eva..." He groaned as he closed his eyes briefly, those blue orbs over-bright when he looked at her again. "These past seven weeks of not touching you, three of them not even seeing you, have been agony."
Eva"s heart rose, soared, as she walked slowly towards him. "It didn"t have to be that way, Finn," she a.s.sured huskily. "We could have been together, instead of both being miserable."
"I thought you needed time."
"I"ve decided that all these years my mother must have meant that "thought" was an idiot!" She stepped into Finn"s waiting arms, instantly rea.s.sured by the hardness of his erection as she pressed close against him.
"And I don"t need to know whether your favorite color is red or yellow-"
"It"s blue," Eva answered distractedly as she pushed his t-shirt up his chest.
"Or if you prefer tea or coffee in the morning-"
"Coffee." Her hands explored the hard flesh beneath that t-shirt.
"Or if you squeeze the toothpaste from the bottom or middle of the tube-"
"I have one of those dispenser thingies." She pulled the t-shirt off completely before dropping it to the floor.
Finn was laughing huskily now. For the sheer joy of this woman. "Or whether you prefer white or brown bread-"
"Either-I"m really not that fussy about food." Her expression was intense as she stroked and caressed his bared flesh.
"The way you cook you can"t afford to be!" Finn groaned as her lips followed that same path across his chest. "We may just have to employ a cook to ensure we don"t starve."
She looked up at him uncertainly. ""We"...?"
"We." Finn sobered, gaze intent on her flushed face. "I believe I fell in love with you in Wales. I know I"ve been in love with you all the weeks since. First when you insisted on remaining staunchly at my side. And then these past three weeks of not seeing you at all. I"m willing to wait a few months for you to catch up, but-"
"Oh you are?" Eva"s heart felt as if it were squeezed tightly in her chest.
"A few," he repeated firmly. "After that I"m tying you to my bed until you agree to marry me. I seem to recall you liked the sound of being tied up while I f.u.c.ked you senseless...?"
Tears blurred Eva"s vision now. "If you ever leave me alone out in the cold again, aching with love for you, then you might find that you"re the one being tied to the bed and f.u.c.ked senseless!"
"You love me?" Finn looked stunned.
"Oh yes." Eva turned her attention to the b.u.t.tons on his denims now. "I"d like to wait a few weeks before we get engaged or married, just so my parents can get used to the idea-and having such a famous son-in-law!-but after that, Finn Devlin, you"re all mine!"
"I"m all yours now," Finn murmured gruffly. "I always will be."
"And I"m all yours," Eva a.s.sured huskily.
"We went through a trial of fire together didn"t we?"
Eva nodded. "And emerged stronger and together because of it- Oh my...!" She breathed shakily as she peeled the denims off him and found that he was once again commando, his beautiful c.o.c.k long and thick and oh-so-ready for her. "Less talk, more action, Mr. Devlin!"
Finn gave an appreciative shout of laughter, that laughter soon turning to low groans of pleasure as he and Eva made love together.
Contact Carole Mortimer.
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About The Author.
Carole Mortimer is a USA Today Bestselling Author and recipient of the Pioneer for Romance Romantic Times Award in 2014. She was recognized by Queen Elizabeth II in 2012 for her "outstanding service to literature". To date Carole has written almost 200 novels in the contemporary and Regency romance genre.
She is happily married to Peter. They have 6 sons, and live on the beautiful Isle of Man. She also loves to hear from Readers!
Other books by Carole Mortimer Carole has written 163 romance novels in the Presents/Modern series from Harlequin Mills and Boon.
She has also written 24 Regency romance novels in the Harlequin Mills and Boon"s Historical series.
ALPHA series:.
Christmas Alpha: Novella, publishing date November 8th, 2014.
Dark Alpha: Full-length novel, publishing date January 18th, 2015.
Shadow Alpha: Full-length novel, publishing date March 15th, 2015.
Midnight Alpha: Full length novel, publishing date May 17th, 2015.
There will be more novels and novellas published in the Alpha series in 2015!.
Plus a Regency novella series later in 2015.
end.