Emma eyed him cautiously, unsure of his mood. Was he as ready to forgive her for her mistakes as she was to forgive him for any he had made? Emma bit her lip uncertainly, then forced herself to go on. Aware her knees were trembling, she looked him in the eye. “I should have believed you.” She swallowed hard around the ache building in her throat. “I should have trusted you to be faithful to me. To us.”
“Yes.” He straightened and swaggered laconically toward her, not stopping until they stood toe-to-toe. His amber eyes were shrewdly direct as they locked on hers. “You should have. The question is, why didn’t you?”
As much as Emma would have liked to blame it on her father—his warning about the temptations faced by players—or the “test” he had insisted Joe pass—she knew in reality that had little to do with her reaction. Aware she had never felt more tense or full of bittersweet anticipation in her life, Emma shrugged. Looked deep into his eyes…and her soul. “I don’t know,” she answered finally, aware her voice had taken on a husky tremor. “I think it had less to do with you than me, really.”
“Because?” He searched her eyes, looking ready to understand.
“Deep down, I guess I didn’t think I could hold on to you.” It hurt as much to say the words as it did to think them, but she forced herself to go on, anyway. “I didn’t before. So…” Her voice trailed off in heartfelt regret. Aware she was very close to bursting into tears, she let her hands fall to her sides.
Joe lifted a hand to her face. With the pad of his thumb, he brushed away the tears trembling on her lower lashes. “Before we were young. And foolish,” he reminded her huskily, the passion he had always felt for her gleaming in his eyes.
Emma took his hand in hers. “I’m still foolish sometimes.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist, brought her closer yet. “I think we can work on that.”
Emma splayed her hands across his chest. She could feel the thundering of his heart—it matched her own. “I think we already have,” she told him tremulously, then rushed on, ready at long last to tell him all that she felt. “I love you, Joe. I know I’ve never said that to you before. And I don’t know if you’ll ever love me back, but—”
He grinned. Then erupted into a full belly laugh.
Emma flushed. This wasn’t exactly the response she had hoped for. And yet…he looked happy. Happier than she had ever seen him.
Joe tangled his hands through her hair, lifted her face to his. “Damn, Emma,” he said in a voice that sounded as if it were brimming with joyful tears. “Don’t you know how much you mean to me?” he demanded hoarsely, tightening his arms around her possessively.
Emma had hoped. And now she was crying!
Joe stroked a loving hand down her face. “You’re my reason for getting up in the morning, my reason for coming home. My reason for smiling!” He searched her eyes, all the passion and tenderness she had ever hoped to see in his eyes. “I’ve never felt the way I feel about you for anyone else, and I never will again.”
Hope rose within her. “Does that mean you want to stay married to me?” she asked softly, searching his face.
“Only on one condition,” he warned gruffly, his beautiful eyes brimming with emotion.
Emma was ready to grant him anything. “Name it,” she ordered huskily.
Joe put his hands on her shoulders and held her in front of him, his protective, possessive hold telling her every bit as much as his low, forceful words. “No more walking out when the going gets rough—for either of us, Emma. And no more accusing me of not loving you with all my heart and soul, because I do.”
Emma couldn’t think of anything better than spending the rest of her life with Joe. “I promise,” she whispered emotionally, love filling her with blissful emotion. “I’ll never doubt you—or us—again.” Because now she knew. They were meant to be together. Not just temporarily. But forever.
Tightening his grasp on her, Joe brought her closer yet. “And no more letting circumstances, or careers, or anyone or anything else break us apart. ’Cause we’re in this for the long haul, Emma,” he told her seriously. “For better, for worse. From this day, this moment, for the rest of our lives. We’re husband and wife. Not just legally, but—” he touched his chest and hers “—in here. In our hearts.”
Nothing could have sounded better to her. Emma hugged Joe back tightly, her lip trembling as the joyful passion she had been holding back spilled over, inundating them with the warmth and comfort of their love. “I promise.”
Joe smiled and took her all the way into his arms once again. Her body warmed as they touched and they kissed. Deeply. Passionately. Sweetly. Until every doubt Emma had ever had faded, replaced by the love in her heart. And his. And she knew for certain that everything really was going to be okay.
Joe broke off the kiss reluctantly, linked fingers with her.
Emma had only to look into his eyes to know what was on his mind.
“What do you say we go home, Mrs. Hart?” he teased, lifting her hand to his lips.
Emma grinned as he kissed the back of her hand.
Then she guided his palm to her mouth and caressed it tenderly. “I say yes,” Emma whispered as she kissed his hand again, and then his lips.
And then they did what they both wanted—they went home.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-7798-8
THE VIRGIN’S SECRET MARRIAGE
Copyright © 2003 by Cathy Gillen Thacker.
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*The McCabes of Texas
†The Lockharts of Texas
**The Deveraux Legacy
ΔΔThe Brides of Holly Springs
The Virgin's Secret Marriage Page 24
