Luc kissed her softly on the lips before picking up the bag and moving away. “Our house, Kate. If you like it, then it’s fine with me. I’m not much of a decorator.”
“No, you prefer to demolish things.”
Luc laughed. “Actually, our little project was my first experiment in destruction, but I did rather enjoy myself. I really think I’ll tackle that kitchen before we leave, and give the contractors a head start.”
They moved from place to place, eyeing various trinkets. Kate ended up buying a wind chime and fresh flowers while Luc was busy talking to another merchant. She wanted to liven up the dining area in the house, especially since the room was in desperate need of paint. The lavender flowers would look perfect in that new yellow vase.
Once they had all their bags, they loaded up the boat and headed home.
Home. As if this was a normal evening and they were settled in some married-couple routine. Kate shouldn’t think of Luc’s house as her home. She’d started getting too settled in, too comfortable with this whole lifestyle, and in the end, when her lie was exposed and his inevitable rejection sliced her in two, she would have nobody to blame but herself.
These past few hours with Luc had been amazing, but her fantasy life wouldn’t last forever.
Nine
Sometime during the past hour, Kate had fully detached herself. She’d been quiet on the boat, quiet when they came into the house. She’d arranged fresh flowers in that beautiful yellow vase and placed them on the hideous dining room table without saying a word.
She’d made dinner, and the only sound he’d heard was her soft humming as she stirred the rice. Now they’d finished eating, and Luc couldn’t handle the silence anymore.
He had something to say.
“Kate.”
She stepped from the kitchen, wiping her hands down her dress. Luc remained standing, waited for her to cross to him.
“I know you’ve got a lot on your mind right now,” he started. “But there’s something I need to tell you.”
“Wait.” She held up a palm. “I need to go first. I’ve been trying to figu
re out a way to talk to you about your amnesia.”
She sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t even know how to start,” she muttered. “I’ve racked my brain, but nothing sounds right.”
“The doctor said not to prompt me.” Luc reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, velvet pouch. “While you’re thinking about the right words, why don’t you take this?”
She jerked her gaze up to his, then stared down at the present in his hand. “What is it?”
“Open it.”
Her fingers shook as she took the pouch and tugged on the gathered opening. With a soft gasp, she reached in and pulled out an emerald-cut amethyst ring.
“Luc.” She held the ring up, stared at it, then looked to him. “What’s this for?”
“Because you don’t have a ring on your finger. It hit me today, and I don’t know why you don’t, but I didn’t want to wait and find out. I saw this and I knew you’d love it.”
When she didn’t say anything or put the ring on, his nerves spiked. Strange, since he’d obviously already popped the question. Unless she just didn’t like it.
“If you’d rather have something else, I can take it back to the lady and exchange it. When I saw that stone, I remembered something else about you.”
Her eyes widened. “You did?”
A tear slipped down her cheek as she blinked. Luc swiped it away, resting his hand on the side of her face. “I remembered your birthday is in February and that’s your birthstone. I remembered you have this amethyst pendant you’ve worn with gowns to parties at the palace. That pendant would nestle right above your breasts. I used to be jealous of that stone.”
Kate sucked in a breath as another tear fell down her face. “You say things like that to me and I feel like you’ve had feelings for me for longer than I ever imagined.”
Taking the ring from her hand, he slid it onto her left ring finger. “There are many things I don’t remember, but I know this—I’ve wanted you forever, Kate.”
He didn’t give her a chance to respond. Luc enveloped her in his arms, pulled her against him and claimed her mouth. He loved kissing her, loved feeling her lush body against his. Nothing had ever felt this perfect, as far as he could recall. And he was pretty sure if anything had ever felt this good, he’d remember.