by Susan Fox
“I told you I couldn’t marry a woman unless we agreed on the number.”
Lorna glanced toward the sliding glass door as if she’d just remembered that she needed to control her reaction. There were too many people close by who could simply look in.
“How many, Lorna Dean?”
She looked at him and answered softly. “As many as—six? And maybe one or two of those could be…adopted.”
Mitch crossed his arms over his chest and appeared to give that serious consideration. “Six is a good number. And kids are kids, any kind of kids are fine. We can love ’em all. But won’t that be a burden to a career?”
She saw in his eyes that he already knew her answer. “I’ve wanted a family all my life,” she said, straining to speak calmly, “a traditional one. I’ll stay at home, but my husband will also have to make our children a priority.”
“Your husband will probably have to devote at least a few hours a day to keeping a roof over your head and theirs,” he pointed out. “But I know he’ll not only make your kids a priority, he’ll make you a priority. A big one.”
Her growing joy made her dare a breathless, “I didn’t know you predicted the future. H-how long have you been doing that?”
“About a week. Every time I look into your pretty eyes I see it. But here’s fair warning: Whatever I have to do to get you to marry me, I’ll do.”
But he’d not made a single move toward her and she again glanced toward the glass door. Now that the sun was going down, the light in the room highlighted them like a movie screen.
She looked at him again and was struck by the tender sincerity in his gaze. Still, she was compelled to remind them both, “It’s only been eight days.”
Mitch smiled and stood to walk over to the sliding door. Excitement made her heart race with sweet anticipation as he steadily pulled the cord to close the drapes. Lorna felt her eyes go large as he walked back to her and bent down to brace his big fists on her chair arms. Her body trembled with his nearness and his warm breath gusted lightly on her upturned face.
“I’ve known for a long time what I want,” he said, his voice nearly a growl. “I know what to look for, but I’d never seen it before you.”
The tender kiss he pressed on her lips then made her lift her hands to place her palms on his lean cheeks. He drew back just enough to move his fist off the chair arm and reach into his shirt pocket. He made a bit more space between them to hold up a gold ring with a large diamond. A ring of rubies encircled the diamond and as Lorna stared at it, stunned, he went down on his knee in front of her chair and gently took her left hand.
“If you don’t like this ring, you can have any other ring you want.”
“It’s beautiful,” she said hoarsely. “Perfect.”
Mitch smiled at her dazed expression. “I can’t put it on until you give me your answer, Lorna. Pretty please, Lorna Dean, I love you. Come live with me and let’s make the beautiful life I see every time I look at you.”
“I love you,” she said, almost too choked with emotion to speak, “I love you so much. Yes.”
A small tear streaked happily down her cheek. Mitch slipped the ring on, then leaned toward her to seize her lips with a soft kiss that rapidly escalated into a carnal conflagration.
They were aware only briefly of the applause and cheers outside the closed drapes that were soon drowned out by the country band’s rollicking rendition of “Here Comes the Bride.”
And later, after Mitch made the formal announcement of their engagement to all of their guests, the fireworks display burst in the night sky like a celestial celebration.
ISBN: 978-1-4603-6570-0
HER FORBIDDEN BRIDEGROOM
First North American Publication 2002.
Copyright © 2002 by Susan Fox.
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