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  Stephen stilled at those words, concern for her gripping him, but she opened her eyes and smiled at him gently.

  “Pray, do not stop. I do not wish you to stop.” She hesitated, then added, “But I do want to thank you for giving my mother everything she wanted for Christmas.”

  “Ah.” Aroused and pleased by the good he’d done, Stephen rubbed a thumb over the damp nipple he had been suckling, enjoying the way she arched and purred in response. “And what do you want for Christmas?”

  “Me?” She seemed surprised.

  “Aye. You,” he said. Then he stilled as he realized that it was Christmas Eve. He could not buy her a gift until the shops reopened. Vexed that he hadn’t thought of a gift before this, he warned, “I shan’t be able to procure it until after the shops reopen, but—”

  “What I want cannot be purchased.”

  Stephen drew back at that soft assurance. “What?”

  “I would like more of this,” she said huskily. Laughing, she drew his head toward her own.

  Stephen allowed her to pull him forward until his mouth was a bare inch away, then paused and murmured, “I am not sure.”

  “What?”

  He couldn’t tell if she was more affronted or shocked by his refusal to take what she offered, and he nearly smiled at her reaction, but managed to keep a solemn demeanor. “Well,” he amended. “Perhaps I could be persuaded… if you were to agree to give me what I want for Christmas in return.”

  Prudence suddenly looked wary. “What do you want for Christmas?”

  “All I want in the world for Christmas is for you to make an honest man of me. Marry me, Prudence.”

  —

  Pru caught her breath at Stephen’s proposal, nearly squeezing him silly. She wanted to shriek, “Yes,” but she hesitated and pushed at his chest until he eased the embrace. Solemnly she said, “You do not have to marry me. We can stop this right now. No one would ever know. I have escaped notice for far worse. You do not have to feel honor-bound to marry me.”

  “On the other hand,” he said slowly, “I could enjoy you now, tonight, on this Christmas Eve, and every other night so long as we both shall live. I could share your life, have children with you who will look as sweet and be just as cussedly stubborn as you. And I can have you and your harebrained schemes to make the rest of my life an adventure.” He smiled crookedly. “It is not a hard choice.”

  “Truly?”

  “Truly,” he assured her. “Besides, that clever reason I gave for why I was paying your father’s debts…”

  Confusion covered her expression at the seeming change of subject. “Yes?”

  “I said it was because we were marrying and he had to save up for a huge wedding.”

  “Stephen!” she cried, slapping at his chest.

  He grinned unrepentantly and pulled her closer in his arms. “I do love you, Pru, and I want to share my life with you. What of you?”

  “Me?” She smiled crookedly at the uncertainty on his face as he asked the question, then made a serious face and tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Hmmm, let me see. Marry my own personal hero? The man who saved my family?”

  “No,” Stephen said at once, “I do not wish you to marry me for what I did. I do not wish you to marry me out of simple gratitude.”

  “Ah.” Prudence nodded her head with understanding. “Then how about because you make me burn? Raise my passions? Test my mind? Make me smile. Or because my heart sings when you are near? Because when you are away I think of you and wonder what you are doing, and when you are near I wonder what you are thinking and wish you would touch me? Would that be reason enough? Or perhaps because I love you?”

  She gasped when he hugged her tightly, then rolled on the floor with her until she lay atop him. Pulling her head down, he kissed her until they were both aching with want; then he leaned his forehead against hers and held her close. Doing so, he whispered, “I do love you. You make me very happy, Pru.”

  “Ahhhh,” Prudence sighed in a quavery voice. “I have changed my mind.”

  “About what?” he asked, brushing the hair back behind her ears, a loving smile on his face for her and only her.

  “All I want for Christmas is for you to say that again,” she murmured, a smile trembling on her lips.

  Stephen’s lips widened. “I believe that can be arranged. In fact, lucky girl that you are, I think I can give you both things.”

  And he did.

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