Page 160 of The Trouble with Tigers
His eyes lit on the letter she still held. “You wrote to your brother, informing him?”
She nodded.
“I’m sorry he couldn’t be here for our wedding, Kitty. Much as"—He cleared his throat—"as he’s not my favourite person, I know how much he means to you.”
She sent him a brilliant smile. “You gave me a choice. Wait ‘til Collin was well enough to travel or marry my knight and shining armor right away.”
“Come here.” He opened his arms and Kitty went to him without hesitation. He scooped her onto his lap.
“Sooner was certainly my preference. Sneaking to the conservatory or into your chamber late at night—"
"—And don't forget the secret garden," she murmured.
He barked out a laugh. "I could never forget that, darling." He kissed the tip of her nose. "Call me old fashioned. I like falling asleep and waking with you in my arms—and sharing a bed will make it so much easier to make a little tiger kitten to twist me around her pinky.”
“Or a little lion cub,” she said, tugging on a lock of his golden hair.
“And if all we ever do is practice making babies, I’ll still die a happy, happy man, my love. One tiger is really all a man needs.”
“Oh, Zeke, I do love you so.”
He crooked a finger under her chin. “I love you more, Kitty.” And in the brightly lit room, on a cool winter's day, sun pouring in through the windows, he proceeded to show her.
The End
