by Marnie Perry
He was relieved, ‘but I have to say that when you related your story I wanted nothing more than to beat that guy senseless,’ he ran his fingers gently down her face, ‘and when he came to the cabin and I thought of the things he’d done and what he’d put you through it was all I could do to keep my hands from his throat. But I had to be content with hitting him with my rifle.’
She gasped, ‘you…you hit him.’
He nodded, ‘yep. In the car on the way to rescue you. He was goading me about Adrianne. But that’s not why I hit him, although I told myself it was. It was really for you.’
She stared at him her expression shocked, ‘and Hennessey, what did he do?’
He grinned, ‘he stuck his gun in my face.’
‘Did he hurt you? ‘The question was a whisper.
Still smiling he said, ‘no, I knew he wouldn’t, he needed me as much as I needed him. I was impressed though at how restrained he was, for a killer.’
She looked away from his eyes and he said quickly, ‘sorry, that was insensitive.’
She looked back at him, ‘oh no, no, it’s okay. It’s good that you told me, I like that you confide in me. And thanks for hitting him for me.’
He laughed, ‘you’re welcome. But I bet it didn’t hurt half as much as your slap did, I felt that from the other side of the room.’
She looked embarrassed for a moment, then gave a small smile which vanished as she continued to look at him, ‘since you’ve been so honest with me I want to return the compliment.’
It was his turn to look anxious but said, ‘go ahead.’
She took a deep breath, ‘you’ve said you don’t want Hennessey to come between us, but I know you’re thinking about what happened between him and me.’
He opened his mouth to refute that but closed it again, she wouldn’t believe him if he said he didn’t care about that, because he did. She said, ‘I don’t know what he told you when you had your little chat but if he told you that we had…we had,’ she couldn’t help it she blushed and he couldn’t help but smile although he tried to hide it. She spoke very quickly now, ‘we didn’t…didn’t consummate our relationship.’
Consummate? When had he last heard that word to describe sexual intercourse? He tried, he really did but couldn’t prevent himself from letting out a chuckle. She looked chagrined, ‘you think that’s funny?’
‘That you didn’t consummate your relationship? No, I’m relieved and happy about that.’ This much was true anyway.
She was not placated, ‘then why are you smiling like an idiot.’
He burst out laughing and Adela could not stay angry with him. To hear him laugh like that was so unusual, so wonderful that she found herself laughing too.
He ran his fingers down her cheek, ‘Hennessey told me that you and he had not…consummated…your relationship.' He said the exact same thing you did, that it was one more excuse I could cross off my list of reasons for us not to be together.’
Adela was flabbergasted and embarrassed that Hennessey should tell him something so personal, and the truth too. She said, ‘but you didn’t believe him did you?’
He was silent for a few moments then said, ‘you yourself said he was not to be trusted, that he was the world’s biggest liar. But if he wanted to torment us both he could have said you had been together intimately. So yes, I did believe him I just didn’t want too. I just didn’t want to cross it off that list.
Although I’m happy that you’ve now confirmed it, it wouldn’t have made any difference to my coming back here today. I’ve faced up to the fact that I love you, and nothing I do, or try to do, and nothing that you’ve done will alter that. I’m as caught as an animal snared in a trap, an enchanting, beautiful trap that I never want to escape.’
Her reply was barely audible so overcome was she, ‘I’m glad, so glad that you feel that way. I feel the same. All that happened with Hennessey, it was all a façade. I thought I wanted him, for a time I even thought I loved him. But I know now that I was just carried away in the moment. He was exciting and adventurous, like one of the hero’s in my books, and the only life I ever really knew was through my books. It was easy to persuade myself that it was love I felt. I craved excitement and because of that people were hurt. But I knew even before the Dean Maxwell incident that my feelings for him were just an illusion, an escape from my dreary, lonely life. Much like you’ve tried to do, the only difference is that your life is even better now.’
He looked perplexed and she explained, ‘you thought you liked your life before you went to prison, you thought were content with it, at least with your job which was your life. But you had to suddenly leave it all behind and you resented that.
You told yourself that what happened had forced you to exchange one kind of life for another, and it did. It’s a different life, but an even better one, if you just took the time to realise that.’ He was stunned and a little apprehensive that she could sum him up so well. ‘And we will make it a good life my love. To quote you, I’ll try really, really hard to be there for you, to make you happy.’ She laughed suddenly.
‘What’s so funny, the thought of me capable of being happy?’
She ran strands of his hair through her fingers lovingly, ‘no, I know you will be. It’s just that when I first met you I swore to myself I would get you to smile just once, or die trying.’
‘Well you almost had to, to bring me to my senses. What’s that old saying? Careful what you wish for.’
She laughed, ‘I got what I wished for remember?’
He laughed too and putting his head back on her breast gave a sigh of contentment, ‘God woman, your breasts are like pillows, so soft and comfortable. You’d be embarrassed at the thoughts that went through my head the day I undressed you and saw these plump, glorious things. It took me all my time to concentrate on your injuries; I should be given a medal for self control. And not just then either, but every time I laid eyes on them.’
Her chest vibrated with giggles, ‘just them?’
He raised his head, ‘no, not just them, he ran his fingers through her hair, ‘this too.’
She said, ‘that day you stopped me from cutting it. You said, “You’ll regret it, it’s…” then stopped. Tell me now what you were going to say.’
He looked a little uncomfortable, ‘I was going to say it’s beautiful, which it is.’ He gripped a handful of it and put it to his cheek, 'that’s why I was so damned angry when you tried to cut it. That’s why I saved the piece you cut off, I kept it in the coal bucket. That’s why Hennessey kept teasing me about you; he must have seen it when he put the documents and tapes in there.’
Adela was silent and Lando knew it would be a long time before she would ever forget or forgive Hennessey’s betrayal. He said, ‘sorry, I never meant to bring him up again.’
‘No, it’s not that, well, not just that. I just can’t believe I ever told him that I felt safe with him, how could I have been so wrong.’
‘Well, you have me now; I’ll keep you safe, always.’ He kissed the scar on her temple, ‘I swear.’
She shivered and her voice shaky said, ‘I know you will. I always knew it really. I once quoted to Hennessey that what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, and maybe Nietzsche was right after all.’
‘You were always strong, honey.’
Her lips trembled and her whole body glowed at the endearment, ‘and with you beside me I’ll be stronger still.’
He smiled, moved. She said, ‘but I just can’t believe you saved my hair. ‘
He looked a trifle embarrassed, ‘I wanted to keep it as a reminder of you after…after you’d gone.’
She ran her hands up and down his biceps. After a few moments she said quietly, ‘I do want to talk about Hennessey and about everything that happened, but not today. Today is for just for us.’
‘Whatever you say, lady.’
She gave him a mock stern look, ‘you never learn do you? What did I say about calling me that?’
&nbs
p; He grinned, ‘but you are a lady. The first time I saw you, after the initial shock had warn off, I thought of you as a lady. Almost aristocratic. So dignified and elegant and regal.’
She burst out laughing, ‘Aristocratic, me? Regal? Dignified? Elegant?’
‘Yeah.’
‘You’re obviously suffering from severe memory loss. Remember how you found me in your barn, covered in leaves and slime. Oh yes, Elegant. And when I broke down and cried on your shoulder? Very dignified.’
He laughed, ‘yes, even then. You’ll never lose that quality, you’ve either got it or you ain’t.’
She joined in his laughter. Then he said, ‘it was one of the reasons I fell in love with you, and one of the reasons I tried not to.’
Would her heart ever stop contracting every time he said things like that? When he said them he didn’t even sound like the same man she had met just over a month ago in the woods.
He said, ‘I also thought you were rather haughty, especially after that day I found you lost. You walked past me as though I was another tree, completely ignoring me, your nose in the air.’
She moved her head to look closer at him, ‘Haughty? Really?’
He laughed, ‘yeah.’
‘Well if I was haughty you deserved it.’
‘I did too.’
She was mollified by his answer and laughed too
She pulled his head down and put her lips to his in a kiss so tender he caught his breath in his throat. They stayed that way for a few seconds until she said rather tentatively, ‘you know, nothings really changed, you still live in a cabin in the woods and I still have more than ten million dollars in the bank.’
It was his turn to be silent and she said softly, ‘if you want me to give it away I will, to charity or something. All I want is to be with you, to live in your cabin with you and Dante. To help you find injured creatures and make them well again. My money has brought me nothing but misery anyway.’
His amazement by her offer to give away her money for him was eclipsed by his relief that she wanted to live here with him and not move to a more affluent part of the state. Maybe into a bigger house with a huge garden and a swimming pool as Adrianne had. That she would do this for him moved him deeply. To cover his emotions he resorted to humour. ‘Oh, so I’m misery now am I?’
‘Oh no, of course not, I just meant…’she saw his lips twitch and gave him a punch on the arm for his trouble.
He cried out in pretend pain and she laughed, ‘you’re such a wuss.’
He tipped his head back in surprise, ‘I thought I was an arse.’
To his delight she reddened, ‘oh please, don’t mention that. I felt awful when I called you that, after everything you’d done for me I called you an awful name.’
He chuckled, ‘I’ll never forget your face when you said it. In fact until I met you I thought I’d forgotten what it felt like to be amused, to laugh, to smile even. Thank you for that,’ he smiled mischievously, ‘lady.’
She gave him a warning look, ‘you know you’re going to have to call me by my name when we get married, it’s part of the ceremony.’
The smile slipped from his lips and his face took on a grave expression. Her heart sunk and her limbs felt heavy as she looked into his now sombre eyes. She knew he was thinking about his marriage to Adrianne.
She swallowed deeply and from somewhere managed to say lightly, ‘but I will understand of course if you feel you can’t take that step. I’m quite prepared to live with you,’ she attempted a smile, ‘to shack up with you. People do it all the time these days, marriage is old fashioned now anyway.’
He looked down at her in astonishment then the gloomy expression lifted and instead became stern. ‘I’m an old fashioned kinda guy, lady, you’ll either marry me or I’ll put you on that plane tomorrow myself. Ain’t no woman 'o mine gonna shack up with anyone. Understood?’
Her eyes wide and her expression demure she nodded slowly, ‘understood.’
‘Good.’ He continued to look stern for a moment longer then bent his head and kissed her lips, a kiss of such tenderness, such gentleness, such love that she almost cried again.
She said, ‘was that a proposal by any chance, Mr. Lando?’
He broke the kiss and his eyes on hers said, ‘why, wasn’t it good enough for a lady?’
She ran her fingers down his face to his neck, to his chest and her smile as bright as the rising sun said earnestly, ‘it was good enough for a lady or a peasant, or even a cleaner.’
He laughed out loud, ‘but you know you’ve never called me by my name either.’
She reached up, took his face in her hands and looking into his beautiful brown eyes said with deep feeling, ‘I love you, Jonas, I love you so much it hurts. I want to be with you always, I want to marry you and have your children.’
How long had he waited to hear those words, to hear a woman call him Jonas with such feeling? How long had he waited to hear words of love spoken so softly, so sincerely? Almost eight years? No, all of his life, and to have it said with such fervency, such conviction, such love, was worth the long wait.
He kissed her again this time his lips were firm and almost fierce and when he drew back his eyes were wet and his voice raspy as he said, ‘thank you, my love, thank you for that.’
Her lips trembled as she looked into the eyes of the man she loved, had loved from the first, had loved all her life. Here was the hero of her stories; here was her fantasy lover, here in flesh and blood, in heart and soul. Jonas Lando.
She said, ‘and there is also that damn sexy accent.’ He laughed aloud at her imitation of him. As she looked at his happy smiling face her heart constricted with love for him. She said, ‘but, Jonas, there is still the problem of my money.’
He let out a long breath, ‘there’ll be plenty of time to discuss that after we’re married.’
A warm fuzzy feeling enveloped her at the words, “After we’re married.” She snuggled up closer to him.
‘But, honey,’ he said, ‘I meant what I said; I don’t care about the money.’ He shook his head, ‘I can’t believe that you would have given all that money to those two guys to save me, and although I hated the thought of it I loved you the more for the gesture.’
She answered very seriously, ‘I would have given everything I had and more. All I want is you.’
His voice was husky, ‘I know.’ She raised her head and looked into his eyes, you know, ‘I once quoted Olivia a passage from the bible, “Better a dinner of herbs where love is than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.” She smiled, ‘obviously I don’t think you’re going to feed me nothing but herbs for the rest of my life, but the sentiment is the same.’
In reply he cupped her chin and kissed her tenderly and oh so lovingly making her tremble with emotion.
To break the intensity of the moment he said, ‘I could stay here on this bed with you all day, all night, all the rest of my life, but I have animals to feed and Dante to walk.’
‘I’ll come with you.’
‘No.’
Her face fell, ‘oh.’
He hastened to reassure her, ‘I meant if you come with me I won’t get anything done. And I’ll never let you leave and you have a flight to cancel and phone calls to make. You have to tell those two losers who call themselves your brothers that you’re gonna marry an arse.’
She laughed out loud and he grinned at her amusement. She said, ‘oh I will enjoy that.’
‘Thought you might.’
He kissed her again and she kissed him back with a desperation that matched his. Eventually he reluctantly broke the kiss and said hoarsely, ‘I have to get out of here before you completely make me forget my responsibilities.
She smiled then asked rather shyly, ‘will you be back later?’
He knew what she meant and smiled at her embarrassment. But he was serious as he took her hand, ‘I’ll be back, tomorrow, then we’ll talk more.’ But sweet, I don’t want to stay the night with you. I don’t tru
st myself with you.
At her look of disappointment he hurried on, ‘look, I want you, oh God how I want you. I want to stay and make love to you all night.' She knew this was true because she could feel his hardness against her thigh. 'I want to stay in this bed with you until we both die of old age.’
‘But...and I know this might sound crazy...I want to wait.’
He gave a self conscious smile at her incredulous expression, ‘I want to use this time before we make it official to get to know you, to woo you if you like. God, we haven’t even been on a date. I’ve waited seven, almost eight years, I think I can wait a few more days.’
Rarely had she been so dumbfounded and her voice trembled, ‘and there was you saying you weren’t romantic.’
‘I think if I remember correctly it was you said that.’
‘Yes, yes I did and I was so, so wrong.’
‘But,’ he said, ‘for the sake of my sanity as well as my physical health, don’t delay the wedding too long.’
She giggled happily but said emphatically, ‘oh don’t worry I won’t. You think you’re frustrated and desperate after eight years, try twenty eight.’
His head snapped back in amazement but then he laughed out loud, ‘you just told me in one sentence that you’re frustrated and desperate and also your age.’
He was satisfied by her blush, she covered her embarrassment with humour, ‘I told you I was no lady.’ He chuckled. ‘Anyway, you’re frustrated and desperate too, plus I’m younger than you.’
He gave her a mock stern look and she said, ‘so tell me, how old is my future husband? Not too old I hope.’
‘Not too old to teach you not to tease me, lady.’ And to prove his words he kissed her long and hard and fiercely.
When he raised his head her eyes were shining and her lips were smiling with satisfaction. She said, ‘I like being taught by you, Mr. Lando, sir.’
He laughed, ‘you’re a minx.’
It was her turn to laugh but then their features took on a sober expression as they gazed into each others eyes. He said, ‘do you want me go see the minister?’
