by Meara Platt
“Dry your tears, sweetheart. You see, I found out this morning that I was dying. The infection that ravaged my face has also ravaged my body. Do you see my scar yet, Ginny?”
“No, not yet.”
“I suppose it doesn’t matter. I have no more than a month left to live. That’s why I wasn’t going to propose to you. But I want you to know that I fell in love with you the moment you crashed into me at Lord Selby’s ball.”
She felt his body succumb to another wave of shuddering pain. “That night, you asked if I was going to kiss you. What an odd question, I thought at the time. But I did want to kiss you. I knew then and there that I had found the girl I’d been searching for all of my life. Even longer. Throughout eternity. Why is that?”
She struggled to find her voice. “Because we’ve loved each other for always. I’m not sure how this works, but it has to do with souls aligned and guardian angels.”
He tried to laugh, but coughed instead. “Angels, you say? I’ve never kissed an angel.”
“Nor have I, but it isn’t from lack of wanting to.”
“Ginny, you’re my angel. Would you mind kissing me goodbye?” She felt his hand begin to go limp and she panicked.
Not yet.
“Titus, you can’t leave me.” Could he make out what she was saying through her blubbers and sniffles?
“I’ve always wanted to kiss an angel,” he whispered as she bent close to place her trembling lips on his. “Thank you, my love.”
Then she kissed him.
There was nothing for the longest moment. No breath. No words. Just the fading warmth of his lips against hers.
Someone tried to draw her away. It was her father and he had tears in his eyes as well. “Ginny, sweetheart. He’s gone.”
“No, he isn’t. He’s alive. He’s going to survive and I won’t ever leave him.” As if to prove her point, she held tightly to his limp hand, as though she would heal him with the mere force of her determination and all the longing in her heart. “I love you,” she whispered against his ear and bent to kiss him again. “I love you.” He and Jeremiah shared one heart, one soul, it was so obvious now.
Please, Jeremiah. Realize it in time.
She felt a sudden tingling in her fingers and then a small burst of warmth began to spread up her arm and through her body like a gentle stream of fireflies dancing on a summer breeze, their movements light and joyful as they swirled around her heart.
I’m here, Ginny.
Her lips were still pressed to his, so she laughed against them. Light, joyful? A dancing firefly? This feeling had to be so odd for Jeremiah. He was a warrior angel who smashed through demon armies and turned heaven upside down.
She felt him grin against her lips and then his lips warmed against hers. His hand slid up to cup the back of her head and draw her into a hot kiss that spoke of his yearning, of his finding home, for that’s what she meant to him and what he meant to her. She was by his side now and that’s where she belonged. That’s where she always wanted to remain.
“You came back as a firefly,” she teased when he finally broke off the kiss.
He let out a soft growl of indignation, but his eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled, and their rich amber and green pools glistened with happiness. “We did it, Ginny… but I’m no damn twinkling firefly.”
“Perish the thought. You’re a demon-stomping fiery angel. You’re my one and only forever true love.”
“Aye,” he said softly. “And you’re mine, Ginny. But there’s just me now. No wings. No more Jeremiah the guardian angel. Only Titus de Wolfe. Can you accept that?”
Jeremiah was still a part of him and always would be, but this was no time to argue the fine points, so she simply nodded. “I like Titus. He makes my heart flutter. I’d marry Titus if he asked me.”
“Consider yourself asked.” He caressed her cheek. “No, that won’t do at all. No halfhearted proposal for my future duchess, the debutante who singlehandedly shook the foundations of nature and existence. Ginny, I love you. It will take a few weeks for my body to recover, but as soon as it does… will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
“Yes, Titus. I won’t leave your side ever again. I’m glad you’re the one who makes my heart flutter.”
He kissed her with an intensity borne of satisfaction. “Do you hear that?”
She did hear a rumble overhead and glanced up, but the sky was cloudless and a vivid blue. “What is that sound?”
“A chorus of warrior angels cheering. I wonder who’ll be next to turn the laws of nature upside down?”
THE END
Dear Reader
Thank you for reading Kiss An Angel. This is a story about staying true to yourself and believing in love. Ginny, despite being raised in comfort as an earl’s daughter, was not afraid to follow her heart wherever it would lead her. A little matter of wrong place and time couldn’t stop her, nor the fact that the man she loved was a demon-fighting, arrogant warrior angel. Titus de Wolfe’s role in Kathryn Le Veque’s wonderful story, The Lion of the North, was to die early on and watch his wife fall in love with his beloved brother, Atticus. Titus was so noble and such a beautifully crafted character, that he stuck with me long after I’d finished reading the book. He needed to find his true love! So I gave him Ginny, a Regency debutante who loved this heroic de Wolfe with all her heart and wasn’t afraid to upset the laws of existence to be with him.
Writing is a joy for me, and to be able to participate in Kathryn Le Veque’s de Wolfe Pack World is a thrill. What makes her stories so memorable is the heart and courage of the proud warriors she creates and the women who are worthy to stand as equals by their side. I hope you enjoy all of Kathryn’s books and if you have a little time for some lighthearted Regency romances, I hope you’ll try my bestselling Farthingale series. Lily, Daffodil, Daisy, Laurel, and Rose Farthingale hope you’ll join them as they manage to find love amid the chaos of their respective debut seasons. Please visit my website: www.mearaplatt.com and subscribe to my newsletter for a gift Farthingale novella from me. You’ll also learn of special events, prizes, contests and much more from me and other historical romance authors.
Cheers!
Meara
About the Author
Meara Platt is happily married and has two terrific children. She lives in one of the many great towns on Long Island, New York and loves it, except for the traffic. She has traveled the world, occasionally lectures, and always finds time to write. Her favorite place in all the world is England’s Lake District, which may not come as a surprise since many of her stories are set in that idyllic landscape, including her bestselling Farthingale series and her Romance Writers of America Golden Heart award winning story to be released as Book 3 in her paranormal romance Garden series, which is set to debut in 2016. Learn more about Meara Platt by visiting her website at www.mearaplatt.com.
