Teddy nodded her approval.
“This looks like a very special occasion.”
“Sit down.”
He helped her into the chair and took his seat next to her. She opened the cover on her plate. “Duck à l’orange,” he supplied.
“This conversation must really be something important,” she said, taking a bite of the food. Her eyes swept down, revealing her appreciation of the succulent meat. Adam loved the way she did that. He’d seen her in the throes of passion and this compared with that expression. The thought aroused him.
Tamp it down, he told himself.
“You like the food?” Adam said.
“I love duck à l’orange.” Teddy took another bite. “And this is excellent. Who catered this?”
One hurdle reached, he thought. This was the opening. It was what he was waiting for, but every word he’d practiced disappeared as if it was in a foreign language. One he didn’t speak.
“Adam,” Teddy called him.
“I’m getting married,” he blurted out.
She didn’t choke, but she came close. “What!”
“I’m thinking of having this as an entrée at the reception.”
“Reception?” Teddy dropped her fork. It clattered against the china before settling on the white tablecloth.
“I’m getting married again. I’d like to hire Weddings by Diana to plan the wedding.”
She sat back in the chair. “I should have brought a pad for notes,” she said flatly. “I suppose congratulations are in order.” She stood up, taking her wineglass with her as she moved away from the table. She hadn’t touched it since they sat down, but must have needed it now. Raising it, she toasted him. The drink she took was long. She drained the glass and set it down next to her uneaten food. Turning away from the table, she moved to the archway between the kitchen and dining room. “Shouldn’t I talk to the bride about the services we provide?”
“I’m sure you know them well enough to choose.”
“I don’t understand.”
Adam moved from his seat at one end of the table to come and stand in front of Teddy. Taking her hands, he pulled her close.
“I love you,” he said. “Quinn says you’re in love with me, too. Is it true?”
Her eyes widened. They were clear and he held them, waiting for her to say something.
“I thought you weren’t looking for a wife, just someone to please your mother.”
“That was true in the beginning.”
“And now?”
The words were delivered slowly, but the weight they carried was immeasurable. “Now I know she chose the right woman for me,” Adam said.
“Are you sure?” Teddy asked. “This isn’t another one of your schemes to get back into good graces with your mother, is it?”
Instead of answering, Adam put his hands on both sides of her head and pulled her mouth to his. He felt her surrender almost immediately. Her arms went around his waist and he deepened the kiss. His tongue swept into her mouth, drinking in the taste of her.
He felt as if years had passed since the last time he had her in his arms, since he could take in the smell of her shampoo, since he could revel in the nectar that was uniquely hers. Frenzy overtook him and he devoured her mouth. He wanted to get closer to her, wanted to speak to her through his kisses, through the texture of her hair, the smoothness of her skin. He wanted all of her.
Raising his head, he mumbled against her mouth, “I love you. I think I have since the first night we met.” His voice was breathy, forcing him to speak in staccato measures. He looked deeply into her eyes. “You were leaving the restaurant and I didn’t want you to go. I couldn’t let you walk away so quickly. Despite the setup by our mothers, I felt the spark.”
He kissed her again. Quinn had to be right. There was no way she could kiss him like this and not feel something for him. No way she could look at him the way she did and not feel the same way he did.
This time she pushed him back. Dropping her head, she took a long breath, then looked directly in his eyes. “I love you, too,” she said.
Adam thought his legs would give out. He’d longed to hear her say it, but he was unsure until this very moment.