Once Upon an Irritatingly Magical Kiss by Bree Wolf

Chapter Forty-Eight

How It All Began

Christina was still staring up at her husband as her mind drifted to something her grandmother had once said to her. Hatred does not stem from nothing.

Swallowing hard, Christina then drew in a slow breath. She remembered well how furious she had always been the moment her gaze had fallen upon Mr. Sharpe. She had thought herself furious because of his intentions toward her friend, yet recently, she had come to realize that perhaps it had been more than that.

Blinking, her gaze focused. “She knew that I cared for you even before I did,” Christina whispered, overcome by the thought that if her grandmother had not interfered, she might never have found herself married to the man she loved.

A soft smile played over Thorne’s face. “She said it was to be your decision,” he told her gently, his warm hands holding hers. “She said that if you truly did not care for me, you would leave upon finding yourself alone with me in the library. You would know that you would be compromised if you did not.” He pulled her closer, and one arm slipped around her middle. “She said even if you did not, your heart would know what to do.”

Christina sighed. “She was right. I suppose my heart did know. I do remember thinking that I needed to leave, and yet I could not. Something kept me there.” She smiled up at him. “You.”

Her husband’s arm tightened around her as his other hand slipped into her hair, and then he was suddenly kissing her. Kissing her the way she had wanted him to even on that day in the library.

“You cared for me even then?” Christina whispered, searching his eyes, needing to know if it was the truth. “Truly?”

Thorne nodded. “I could’ve accepted a marriage without love so long as both parties were willing, were not bound by love elsewhere.” He shook his head, a hint of disbelief coming to his eyes. “Then I saw you, and everything changed in that moment. I don’t think I realized it then, but it did.”

Christina rested her forehead against his chest and breathed in deeply. Then she lifted her eyes to his. “I wish she had simply come to me! Why didn’t she simply come to me? She could have told me what she suspected, what she thought instead of—”

“Would you have listened to her? Believed her?”

“No! Of course not!” The words left her lips without thought.

Thorne grinned, his brows rising meaningfully. “I know it feels awful to be manipulated even if it was done for one’s own good. Still, I am grateful for what she did. You must admit if she had not, you would never have agreed to marry me, would you?”

Slowly, Christina shook her head, knowing her husband’s words to be true. “I would not.” The thought was frightening.

Devastating.

“Will you forgive me then?” Thorne asked, regret mingling with the knowledge that he had done right in his green eyes. “I never meant to deceive you, but I’m glad I did nonetheless.”

Christina could not help but smile. “Very well. I forgive you, but only this one time. Do not make it a habit to deceive me for I will not stand for it.” She chuckled.

“I wouldn’t dare,” Thorne whispered, then lowered his head to hers. He brushed a soft kiss onto her lips. “I promise.”

Christina reached up to touch his face, feeling the soft stubbles upon his chin after a day of upheaval. “I know I should not be angry with her, but I am.”

Thorne smiled at her, gently running his knuckles along the line of her jaw. “I don’t think she’d mind. She does what she deems right, unafraid to suffer the consequences.”

Christina laughed. “She knows that I’ll not be angry with her for long. I simply cannot.”

“She’s a hard woman to be furious with, is she not?” he asked chuckling.

“You have no idea,” Christina replied. “Perhaps she simply does so because life is not adventurous enough for her.” She frowned. “I wonder what she might be planning next.”

“While I don’t think she dislikes adventure, I do believe she does what she does out of love for you. You and your siblings.”

Christina rolled her eyes as a sense of foreboding came over her. “I still have three siblings, who are yet unmarried.” She cocked an eyebrow at her husband. “Do you think we should warn them?”

Thorne laughed. “I’m afraid it wouldn’t make a difference.”

“You’re probably right.”

Leaning down, her husband rested his forehead against hers. “Do we need to speak of your grandmother any further?” He grinned at her in a temptingly wicked way.

A tingle chased itself down Christina’s spine at the suggestive tone in her husband’s voice. “What other topic did you have in mind?” she replied teasingly.

Claiming her lips, he kissed her deeply. “Something rather unspeakable.”

“Unspeakable, you say,” Christina murmured as she pushed herself up on her toes to return his kiss. “That does sound intriguing.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” Thorne whispered against her lips before he suddenly swept her into his arms.

Christina shrieked as her feet left the floor, then clamped a hand over her mouth, afraid her family might overhear.

Thorne chuckled. “They’re asleep,” he told her, carrying her to the bed.

“As we should be.”

Again, a wicked grin came to his face. “Later.”

Christina could not argue with that. After all, she would be a fool to do so.