Fans of Eloisa James & Julia Quinn discussion

One of my favourite scenes in a romance novel is the one where the Hero and Heroine have finally overcome their romantic troubles and accept their love for each other. This is a one of those scenes. Its short, sweet and lovely.

Hero was lying down in bed reading.
He heard the bathroom door open and then close softly. He looked up smiling, and
forgot to breathe.
Heroine snuggled in beside him, resplendent in something that was designed to do
serious damage to a man’s thinking capabilities. It was working.
“I don’t know if you remember,” she said, taking his book away from him. “But I
tried this before. It didn’t go very well.”
Groaning he put his arms around her and said, “I caused you so much hurt. Oh,
dear God, I’m so sorry, Heroine, I don’t know what came over me.” He stopped looked at
her somberly and said, “Please say you forgive me for that?”
“What do you think I’m doing?” she asked.
He took her face in his hands, his eyes warm, his voice full of regret, “You mean
that?”
“Let’s not ever mention it again?” she said.
“You really forgive me? You don’t hate me anymore? You’re not angry?”
“ No,” she whispered.
They stared at each other for the longest time.
Humbly, Hero said, “Thank you.”
She smiled and gathered herself back into his arms.
He whispered, “I don’t deserve you. I felt so ugly and you’re nothing but light and
joy. I felt guilty when I wanted you, and God did I ever. You’re perfect and I was so
damaged. I was afraid for the longest time that you pitied me, that you couldn’t possibly
feel love for someone like me.”
“Don’t. Please. Let’s not dwell on the past,” she whispered.
“I love you Heroine. I swear to you that I’ll spend the rest of my life loving you in every
way you can imagine, and some you can’t.”
A stunned little laugh escaped her and she looked at him, her eyes full of warmth.
He held her gently in his arms, cradling her like she was the most precious thing to him
in the world.
“Let me count the ways I fell in love with thee…thou? Well, you know—you. Maybe
it was when you declared to an entire roomful of cynics that you’d been dreaming of
being my bride since you were ten, or maybe it was when you said that ‘it was really nice’
and you didn’t honestly want it any way.”
Heroine spluttered with laughter.
“And I fervently hope, I’ve helped you come up with more flattering adjectives by
now.” He smiled and said softly, “I know I was definitely in love with you by the time
you seduced me so sweetly, and I was a goner by the time you were yanking my chain six
ways to Sunday. You made me happy when nothing and no one did.”
Feeling like she’d been transported into the dream she’d held on to for the longest
time, and against all odds, Heroine blinked her tears away. He did love her. He did love
her! Why else would he be quoting—well, paraphrasing really—Elizabeth Barrett
Browning? How she loved him for knowing enough about one of her favorite poets to
misquote her.
“It goes against a man’s nature when he’s blubbering ad infinitum like a lovesick
teenager and doesn’t hear it back. Just for the symmetry you know.”
Laughing, she said, “And we know how you love symmetry.”
“We do,” he nodded with mock gravity, “second only to your erotic bedroom games.
Don’t let me stop you from whatever it was you were going to do,” said Hero.
She laughed and nestled up against him. Eyes shining, she sniffed a little and said,
“You know I love you. You’ve known it all along. I can’t seem to help myself.”
“I’ll forever be grateful for that.”
Looking at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes, he said, “Did I mention polo
season’s about to start? I’ll be playing.”
Heroine’s eyes were full of stars, when she asked, breathless and wide-eyed, “You will?
In khaki breeches and riding boots?”
Hero burst out laughing again, and pulling her in further towards him, he
murmured, “Oh God, Heroine, my love, I want you back. The way you were, with your
sunshine, your kindness, the foot in mouth situations you cannot seem to avoid—and I
wouldn’t mind you swooning a couple of times on my account, so that I can revive you
with true love’s kiss. Or a hundred.”

I don't know it but I want to. So sweet :-) ♥

super curious!

No idea!

At first, I thought it was familiar, then it veered off in another direction that I don't recall. Sounds interesting!

I can honestly say that I have never read a book about a polo player.

The hero is not a polo player. That is just a pastime. He is by profession a lawyer. This book went straight to the top of my favourite-list as soon as I read it. Love it:)

I definitely haven't read it. Can't wait to find out what it is! ( but since you had a posting delay let's give people a little more time.)

Yeah.. sure.

Sounds interesting..,,

No clue.

Wow. It's Thursday afternoon and I'm dying to find out -- who is the polo-playing Lawyer?

Yes, tell us please!

She Loves Me, He Loves Me Not by Zeenat Mahal

Yay a new to me author. I can't wait to try it.

Haven't heard of it but you've got me curious!