Hallie read aloud while Jamie fed her. “Mmmm, look at this,” she said, her mouth full of wedding cake. “Miss Emmeline Wells married Mr. Drue Hartley on the twenty-second of July in 1912. They’re my family.”
Jamie leaned forward and kissed the corner of her mouth. “You had icing right there and I couldn’t find a napkin.”
“There’s one on your leg.”
“So there is. What did Leland say about your ancestors?”
“Uh…” Hallie was having trouble recovering from his kiss. “Oh, yes. Drue was the youngest child and when he was nineteen he fell madly in love with a pretty young actress. His father, who was a very wealthy businessman, gave his son a choice of the family or pretty little Emmeline.”
“And he very wisely chose the girl,” Jamie said. “And that choice eventually gave birth to you. Did I tell you how much I like that dress on you?”
“No, you didn’t. But everyone else did. Braden said I could only wear it because I’ve lost so much weight. I don’t know how I’ve done it since we eat such high-calorie food.”
Jamie picked up the papers that were on the couch between them and put them on the floor so he could move closer to her. “He certainly does think a lot about weight, doesn’t he?”
“What are you doing?”
Jamie ran his hand down her bare arm. “So what’s your cousin planning to do?”
“I don’t know. He’s as unattached to family as I am. That’s why he dropped everything to come here to meet me. He may…” She trailed off because Jamie had put his hand on her waist and was kissing her neck.
“I’ve missed you every second we were apart,” he whispered. “I wanted them all to leave so we could be together.”
She leaned her head back to give him greater access to her throat.
He whispered as he kissed her. “I missed all our talks, our sharing time and food. I missed knowing you were in a bed close to mine. I remembered when I woke up with you in my arms.”
He was kissing her chin, her cheeks. His hands clasped her face and he kissed her closed eyelids.
“I don’t think we should do this,” Hallie said, but her voice lacked conviction.
Holding her face, he waited for her to open her eyes and look at him. “Are you going to marry a man who thinks of you as a consolation prize?”
“No,” Hallie said and with that answer, she felt a great relief come over her. She didn’t want to disappoint Braden or his mother, but she really couldn’t go through with it. “No, I’m not.”
Jamie started to put his lips on hers, but a clatter made him draw back. He looked on the floor and there, sparkling up at him, was the big engagement ring. It had fallen off Hallie’s finger. He picked it up and held it between his thumb and forefinger. He started to say something, but Hallie took it out of his hand and put it on the table.
“Okay, that’s it,” she said. “I’ve heard enough about your lovemaking. I’d like proof of life.”
Smiling, Jamie took her hand in his, grabbed a crutch, and made it to the stairs. He let Hallie go up first.
Once they were in the bedroom, she felt a little nervous. What now? she wondered. More up-against-a-wall? Or get into the bed?
But Jamie took over. He sat down on the edge of the bed, his knees apart, and pulled her to him. He turned her so her back was to him and slowly unzipped her beautiful dress. He kissed her skin as each bit was exposed, his hands sliding around her bare waist, then down over her hips.
Gently, he pushed the dress forward, over her shoulders, then down until it puddled at her feet.
Turning her around, he pressed his face on her bare stomach, kissing it, then put his arms around her, holding her close to him.
Hallie bent down, her face in his hair. She’d touched him in massages, but this wasn’t the same. “I’ve missed you too,” she whispered.
He looked up at her, smiling, and when she bent to kiss him, he abruptly pulled her off her feet to land on the bed in a flurry of covers.
“Now I have you on your back,” he said in a way that made him sound like a cartoon villain.
Hallie laughed and started to unbutton his shirt.
He brushed her hand away. “Nope. It’s your turn to be naked in front of me.”