His heart thundered in his chest. Had their conversation taken a turn for the better?
He could not disguise the thickness in his voice, given his excitement. “And what might those things be?” He took her hand, drawing circles with his thumb, an impulsive caress he could not suppress. “Perhaps you should give me an example, something I can wrap my dense head around.”
Flirting with Gaby was like diving into a bed of rose petals. His senses were spinning with the need to hold her. He couldn’t deny that he was head over heels in love with her, and it filled him with strength admitting so to himself. It made him realize that his future possibilities were embodied in this enigmatic, beautiful creature sitting next to him. If she reciprocated his love, there was no mountain he couldn’t climb, no obstacle so great that they couldn’t conquer it together, and no storm that could tear them apart.
He had to believe she felt the same, but he needed her to say it. In truth, he wanted her to shout it from the rooftops so the entire world would hear her say she loved him. Then and only then would he be satisfied.
“There is nothing dense about your brain. You are clear thinking, even if a stubborn know-it-all streak runs deep in your psyche,” she said with a chuckle.
He laughed. “Now, who’s calling the kettle black?”
“Never have I met a man who confused me more than you. Yet all I want is to know your every thought, and I don’t understand why.”
Did he dare put words into her mouth? If he didn’t do it once and for all, he doubted she would ever say what she truly felt, and he needed to know. What he planned would change his life forever, and he had to be sure. The possibility that she didn’t love him wasn’t something he could bear. The thought of living the rest of his days without her brought a wrenching pain to his chest.
“Is it possible you’re in love with me?”
She examined his face—now, he had her complete attention. It was as if he could see his desire manifest itself in her expression.
“If I tell you that I love you, what will you do?” she asked. “Will you offer me a castle to live in where you visit when the opportunity presents itself? Will you keep me there while you pursue another heiress to regain your estate and title? Will you regret your impulsive commitment?”
“What if I tell you that I can’t bear the thought of living my life without you?” Jack said. “That my heart is yours to do with as you wish? Nothing else matters if you are not by my side today, tomorrow, and every day after that.”
His face was so close to hers that he could feel her breath whisper across his features. Her lips were so close that he could already taste their sweetness. The ache that filled him was palpable and delicious. It was more powerful than any emotion he’d ever experienced. It felt addictive, and he was sure that when he kissed her, he would never kiss another woman ever again. There would be no substitutes for Gabriella. This was his only chance for love, and that realization was strangely liberating.
“I want to believe you, Jack,” she said. “I really do.”
“Then take a chance, Gabriella. Stay here with me and let us build a life together.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying I love you more than my very next breath. More than all the titles and lands in the world, it is you I want. It is you I want to bear my sons and daughters. I love you, Gabriella D’Angelo, and I beg you to consider me for your husband. Grant me this privilege, and you will never regret it.”
Gaby blinked rapidly, seeming stunned into silence.
“Sometimes, when I look at you, I can’t bear it,” she said.
“But why?” Fear constricted his heart, and he didn’t dare breathe.
“I love you so much, Jack, that it hurts.” Her hand on his cheek was warm, and he covered it with his.
“Say it again.”
“I love you, Jack, and I will never leave you. And before you change your mind”—she giggled—“yes, I will marry you, but—”
Before she could finish the sentence, his lips were pressed to hers. His desire would allow for no more conversation. She could finish her thought after he’d ravished her and brought them both to satisfaction.
He pulled her onto his lap and pulled up her skirt, and his fingers sought the source of her pleasure.
“Jack, what are you doing?” she said breathlessly.
“Don’t speak, my love, just enjoy. I’ve dreamed of this moment since the night we spent together. Please don’t deny me.” He circled her with the pad of his thumb while his middle finger entered her.
“I… Oh, Jack!”
Her nugget had swelled, and a little more pressure from his thumb sent her head back against his shoulder, silencing her. Moans replaced words, and she spread her legs apart, giving him greater access. He swallowed her moans with his kisses, and when his middle finger slipped inside her again, her back arched, and her beautiful breasts pressed against her bodice. He shifted her on his lap and pushed his finger deeper. All the while, he kissed her passionately, fervently, allowing her not a breath of protest. One day he would make love to her in every room of Singly Park, and all of the lonely memories of growing up there would be put to rest once and for all.
Every time she worked in this kitchen, this would be her memory. It would always be where he asked her to marry him, and she accepted. But her private erotic memory would be this, his making love to her here.
