Page 91 of Craig

He glanced around the room and then swiveled back to her.

“And you’ve turned this place into a glow of light. Do you think I would ever let you go?”

She fought the tears, but they came. How could she resist when he spoke like that?

How could she ever be proof against such a force of love? Or such determination, such conviction?

Her throat felt thick, and her body began to tremble. Words failed her for a minute, and still he waited.

He was so very good at that.

“You’re right.” She finally conceded.

“I’m in love with you.” She eased out a breath.

“I’m going to mess up a lot and you’re going to have to deal with it. I-I might be a lousy wife-”

“Undoubtedly.” For his pithy remark, he got a painful poke in the ribs.

“I’m not like him.” She eased out another breath.

“Neither is Dylan. For too long, we thought, we believed, we were. That’s why I ran away that first time.”

Tears blurred her vision.

“But damn you, you persisted, and now here I am. The very thought of being without you makes my stomach hurt. I want permanency, so yes, I’ll marry you for real.”

His heart went soaring. Everything inside him went light as a feather.

He wanted to jump up and dance and shout for glee, but he managed to tamp it all down.

“Vegas, here we come.” His eyes gleamed.

“How does tomorrow sound?”

She laughed, tears vanishing.

“The weekend. We both have responsibilities and workmen.”

“This weekend then.” He drew her in then, framing her face with his hands.

His eyes told her everything. “I was prepared to bludgeon you over the head with a two-by-four and drag you onto the jet.”

“Were you?” she murmured.

“Hmm.” He kissed her forehead, then her eyes, sealing them shut with his lips.

Then he moved down to her cheek and the seam of her lips before parting them with his tongue.

“Make love to me.”

His heart took a slow dive and then started up again.

“You don’t have to ask twice.” He laid her back against the pillows and undressed her slowly, his eyes never leaving her face.

Her heart started pounding when he kissed every inch of skin he bared. Slow, slow, teasing, gentle, reverent.

All those words filtered through her mind as he continued to undress and kiss.