***
Louis watched as Marian’s bedroom slowly lightened with the promise of a new day. Sometime during the night they had moved upstairs to her big bed and made love into the early hours of the morning.
When she drifted off to sleep, he’d lain there and watched her, unable to slow his continuous thoughts. For the last three hours he’d gazed down at her sleeping form, wondering what to do.
The passion they aroused together stunned him. Still in shock from how good they were together, he wanted nothing more than to make love to her again and again.
So what now? Every day he would have to face her, remembering her wrapped around him, wondering when she would find out about his attempts to sell Cuvier Shipping. And God, when she found out about him trying to sell the business, she would hate him even more than Jean.
Louis didn’t want to cause her more pain than she’d already had, but he still needed this new business. And he only knew one way to get everything that he wanted. Marriage. He’d been considering matrimony again with the right woman and Marian would be an excellent choice in more ways than one.
He wished he didn’t have to deceive her about selling her portion of Cuvier Shipping, but...maybe he wasn’t looking at this correctly. Maybe he didn’t have to mislead Marian into selling if he could convince her to marry him.
Marriage would give him control and eventually she would accept his decision to sell Cuvier Shipping. Together they could build his new sugar mill. All night long he’d looked at the different ways he could obtain what he wanted and have Marian too, not wanting to settle for anything less than having both the new business and Marian.
Dawn crept in through the window, an unwelcome portent of a new day. Soon the servants would be returning as well as the children. He should be going, before the sunlight exposed them and burned away their midnight ardor. Before her neighbors realized he’d spent the night and made her even more scandalous.
Would the passion they felt last night remain this morning? Or would it be as fleeting as the dawn mist?
He leaned down and began to nuzzle Marian’s neck. She was soft and beautiful, and he loved the way she responded to his kisses, stretching in her sleep, rolling over and surrounding him with her naked flesh.
Her eyes opened and he smiled into the depths of her sleepy gray gaze. “Good morning.”
She returned his smile. “Good morning. What time is it?”
“It’s still early, probably around six.”
“Hmm. The servants will be here at seven.” She closed her eyes as if to go back to sleep.
“I know.” He trailed his finger down her silken shoulder, wishing there was time to explore her body once again. “Marian, wake up we need to talk.”
“I am awake,” she said, opening her eyes sleepily and gazing at him.
“I’ve lain awake all night thinking about us. About the business, your children, wondering what would be best for all of us.”
Her eyes widened. “Why?”
“It’s going to be difficult working together after what we’ve done. I mean, I don’t want to be slipping around trying to find a moment alone with you, when the servants and the children are around.”
Marian sat up, her hair tumbling about her creamy shoulders, her nipples peeking out from beneath her tousled dark locks. A frown gathered between her brows, her gaze suddenly wary.
“I think we should get married,” he said. “I know I’m not doing a very good job of asking, but would you marry me? Would you be my wife?”
Silence filled the room for a moment as she stared at him, her eyes wide with shock. She glanced away and pulled the sheet up to cover her nakedness, her expression filled with distress. Several moments passed before she looked at him, still frowning.
“Marriage? Why are you doing this?” she asked. “This was supposed to be for only one night”
“What? What are you saying?” he asked. He’d just proposed to her and she appeared irritated. He’d asked her to be his wife and she didn’t appear the least bit excited.
She faced him, her smoky eyes flashing as if she were angry.
“You have all these women traipsing through your office and you want to marry me?” She laughed, the sound sarcastic. “I’ve told you repeatedly, I have no intention of ever remarrying. I only wanted one night, not a lifetime.”
“I thought you would be happy if I asked you to marry me. How can you want just one night? We could be together forever.”
“Forever is a fairytale,” she said, her voice rising. “I chose you because I knew you didn’t want forever, either. So why are you doing this? Can you tell me that you love me?”
Louis paused, staring at her. He hadn’t considered love, last night. He’d thought only of the shipping business and his desire for Marian. But if those three little words would make her feel better and convince her to marry him, then yes, he could say them.
“Yes, I ... I love you, Marian. I want you to be my wife, because I love you. That’s why I asked you to marry me.”
Marian jumped out of bed, enraged. “You thought about those words just a little too long.” She grabbed her robe and wrapped it around her nude body. “You’re acting isn’t convincing, Louis. Why would a man known for seducing women suddenly want to marry me after one night together?”
“It’s more than sleeping together!” he said jumping up from the bed and striding toward her nude.
She moved to within inches of him, her face flushed. “Why couldn’t last night just remain one passionate night? That’s all I wanted. I don’t want to get married.”
“Good women are supposed to want to be married the morning after! What’s wrong with you?”
“What’s wrong with me?”she asked her voice rising. “After spending most of my life married to a man who didn’t want to make love, I just wanted one night. Nothing more. I don’t want to be tied to a man. I want the freedom to make my own choices, work at Cuvier Shipping, and earn my living.”
She paused and gazed at him. He could feel her eyes upon him searching out his face and he suddenly felt uncomfortable. “What’s wrong?”
“Cuvier Shipping...” she said, her voice dying away. “Are you trying to get control of the business? Is that why you’re asking me to marry you?”
“Of course not, Marian,” he lied, knowing he’d miscalculated once again and now he looked a fool. He’d let the night affect his thinking and should have realized she would recognize his ploy to acquire the business.
She glared at him, her face flushed, her eyes wide with anger, her body shaking, madder than he’d ever seen her.
“Why did you have to ruin last night, Louis, by offering to marry me? I just wanted one night of passion and now you’ve tainted the memory by asking me to marry you.” She seemed to run out of steam. “Get dressed and get out.”