He nodded but didn’t say anything more as she left.
It was just the two of them now, but she didn’t move toward him. His heart ached, but he didn’t push her. “Are you all right?”
“I will be.”
“I’m sorry about the door.” When he’d kicked it open, it’d broken from the hinges. “I’ll have it repaired.” When she didn’t say anything, he raked a hand through his hair, frustrated he couldn’t take her in his arms. “Hannah, I know you just went through something awful. I know you need time. But I just have to tell you that nothing Alexander said was true. None of it. I didn’t know about your inheritance. I just wanted you. Nothing else.”
“I know,” she said softly.
His head jerked up, and he gaped. “You do?”
She nodded and then slowly moved toward him. “Yes. Alexander told me he’d lied. He only said that because he was threatened when he saw you.”
Relief coursed through him, but he still didn’t dare take her in his arms. “I would never. Hannah, I did come here with the intention of marrying you. But, even though I still want that, I’ve changed. Before coming, I thought I knew who you were. I knew what I could offer—a comfortable life in the society you grew up in. I thought you’d be content with that, if not happy. But I wanted to take care of you.”
“And you don’t anymore?”
He shook his head. “I want more. I want us to take care of each other. I need you, Hannah. More than I ever thought I’d need anyone. You make me see things differently, you make me want to be a better man. You’ve made me realize that not everything is logical, not everything can be planned out. I love you so much I ache for wanting you. You’ve changed who I am. And even if you decide not to marry me, I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to convince you otherwise. I don’t need New York. If you love it here, then here is where we’ll stay. All I need is you.”
When she ran into his arms, he froze, shocked at her reaction.
“I love you too,” she said.
He closed his eyes, squeezing her tightly against him. He couldn’t speak for a moment. Finally, he pulled back, cupping her face so he could look into her eyes. “You are everything to me. From this moment on, it’s just us. You and me. Everything that is mine is now yours. And I promise that no matter what, I’ll always be honest with you, I’ll always love you, and you’ll always come first.”
She smiled, her eyes crinkling with happiness. She kissed him, and it felt as though everything around them stopped. She was safe, she was his, and nothing could have made him happier in that moment. “Marry me, Hannah.”
She chuckled. “I thought my answer to that question was obvious.”
He laughed, squeezing her tight. “I need a verbal confirmation.”
“Then yes, Nathan, I’ll marry you.” She stood on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his. “I want you to be mine forever.”
He groaned, fusing his mouth to hers. People could die from so much happiness. But if he expired right here, he would still be the luckiest man to ever live.
Hannah was his.
Epilogue
Hannah sat on the bed in their New York home, fastening one of the large sapphire earrings Nathan had given her after their wedding. He’d lavished her with so many gifts it was obscene. She didn’t love living in New York, but after spending half of their first year of marriage here, she’d come to appreciate it once more.
Hearing something, she turned toward the door as Nathan casually leaned against the frame, watching her finish her task.
She blushed, seeing the heat in his eyes. “Before you get any ideas, we have to leave in fifteen minutes.”
“Oh, I always have ideas.”
He stalked into their bedroom, and she squealed, jumping up to run, but before she could, he fell onto the bed with her in his arms.
She squirmed, but not to get away. She was trying to get closer to him. His lips found hers, but they were gentle, playful as he nipped her bottom lip. Pulling away, he groaned and let his head flop on the bed. “If this wasn’t such a huge moment for you, I’d keep you in bed for a week.”
She chuckled, getting comfortable in his arms. “We could skip it, you know.”
He lifted his head slightly to look at her. “And miss your big opening? Not a chance.” He placed another lingering kiss on her lips. “I’m so proud of you.”
Her stomach fluttered with both desire and nerves. “I still can’t believe it’s happening.”
He sat up and pulled her into his lap, cradling her against his chest. “Believe it. You’re an amazing artist. I’m not surprised even the puffed-up peacocks of New York society can see it. And now they’ll all be paying you small fortunes and fighting over who gets which pieces.” He grinned. “I can’t wait.”
She chuckled and pinched his stomach playfully. “Behave.”
He only laughed and placed a hot kiss on her neck, focusing on a spot that always made her shiver.
“Nathan.” Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she started thinking that they might have time after all. Besides, it was her party, she could be late if she wanted to.
But before she could make her move, he pulled away. “I have a surprise for you.”
“You do?” She laughed. “I swear you’ve bought out all the jewelry stores in New York already.”
“You’ll like this a bit more than a bauble,” he said dryly. But then he smiled and hugged her. “I finished up my business early. And if it pleases you, we can leave tomorrow.”
Shock filled her as she realized what he meant. She jerked her body around to face him more fully. “You mean to Promise Creek?”
At her excitement, he chuckled. “Yes. To home.”
She squealed and rained kisses all over his face. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”
He kissed her one last time. “I’m glad you’re happy.”
“Are you sad to leave New York?” She worried her lip. She knew how much he liked it here.
“No. Absolutely not. I’m sick of the nonsense here. And it’ll be nice to see my partners again.”
She squirmed on his lap. She’d been keeping a secret from him, and she’d planned to tell him tonight after the gallery opening was finished, but she just couldn’t hold it in any longer. “I think it’s about time we started building our house there.”
He agreed easily. “We’ll get started on it right away. You don’t mind staying at the hotel for awhile, do you?”
“No. It’s wonderful. I’m just worried it might get a little cramped.”
He frowned. “We can have the suite for the full time.”
Amused, she only laughed and wrapped her arm around his neck. “It might be cramped because pretty soon we’ll have someone else staying with us.”
He looked even more confused. “Did you invite someone to visit?”
She couldn’t help it, she laughed. “We both did.” She paused. “We’re having a baby.”
His eyes widened, and his jaw went slack. “A baby?” he breathed, glancing at her stomach. “Are you certain?”
She nodded happily. “Yes. The doctor came for a visit today while you were at your meeting. He’s not completely certain about the timing, but he’s guessing the baby will come in the fall.”
He whooped and crushed his lips to hers, his hands coming to her stomach. He pulled away, grinning. “A baby?”
She nodded, chuckling over his joy. “Are you happy?”
He cradled her face. “Happier than I ever thought possible.” He laughed. “Looks like we’re going to need to have our house built rather quickly.”
“As long as we’re together, it doesn’t matter where we are.”
His eyebrow rose. “As long as it’s somewhere near Promise Creek?”
She shrugged sheepishly. “That wouldn’t hurt.”
He kissed her then, laying her on the bed, allowing their love to flow freely. They’d be late for the opening, but she didn’t care.
This was what ma
ttered, more than any amount of money or how successful her paintings were.
Nathan was her home, and she couldn’t wait to bring their child into the world. No matter what she’d endured, it had been worth it.
Love was worth it.
*****
Thank you for reading Western Desire! If you enjoyed this story, please don’t forget to leave a review! It helps readers decide if they will like it, and it helps more than you know. Thank you for being my reader! <3
-Janelle Daniels
Titles by Janelle Daniels
Copper Kings
Western Bride (Copper Kings – Book 1)
Western Promise (Copper Kings – Book 2)
Western Future (Copper Kings – Book 3)
Western Dilemma (Copper Kings – Book 4)
Western Desire (Copper Kings – Book 5)
Miners to Millionaires
A Mail-Order Heart (Miners to Millionaires – Book 1)
A Mail-Order Wish (Miners to Millionaires – Book 2)
A Mail-Order Hope (Miners to Millionaires – Book 3)
A Mail-Order Dream (Miners to Millionaires – Book 4)
A Mail-Order Chance (Miners to Millionaires – Book 5)
A Mail-Order Dawn (Miners to Millionaires – Book 6)
A Mail-Order Escape (Miners to Millionaires – Book 7)
A Mail-Order Illusion (Miners to Millionaires – Book 8)
A Mail-Order Haven (Miners to Millionaires – Book 9)
A Mail-Order Destiny (Miners to Millionaires – Book 10)
Scandals & Secrets
Scandal of Love (Scandals & Secrets – Book 1)
Masquerade Secrets (Scandals & Secrets – Book 2)
Secrets in Mourning (Scandals & Secrets – Book 3)
A Kiss with Scandal (Scandals & Secrets – Book 4)
A Christmas Secret (Scandals & Secrets – Book 4.5)
Single Title Romance
Sunkissed
My Only Wish
Collaborations
Kitty: Bride of Hawaii (American Mail-Order Brides)
Falling for a Duke (Timeless Regency Collection)
Zara’s Zephyr (The Alphabet Mail-Order Brides)
The Minx Miner (The Book Club)
The Witches of Redwood Falls
The Witching Moon (The Witches of Redwood Falls – Book 1)
The Witches Craft (The Witches of Redwood Falls – Book 2)
Discover other titles by Janelle Daniels
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WESTERN DESIRE
Dream Cache Publishing
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
www.janelledaniels.com
Copyright © 2019 by Janelle Daniels
Cover Art © 2019 Erin Dameron-Hill
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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