Marriage for One

Leaning against him, I tried to be as quiet as I possibly could and asked, “Jack?”

His hand gave mine a squeeze, which was his version of I’m listening, I supposed. My heart rate picking up, I whispered, “That just happened, right? You want to…you want us to date? As in be boyfriend and girlfriend?”

He gave me a long look. “More like husband and wife, don’t you think?”

I wanted her to keep me forever.

“So you have to work from your office today, huh?”

Did she want me to stay? If she asked, I would.

“So then you are staying?”

I leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss on the edge of her lips as she closed her eyes. “Always,” I said, my voice raw. “Even when the time comes that you don’t want me anywhere near you.”

She smiled a little. “I like having you around, so I doubt that will happen.”

I wished that were true.

I pulled on the cover he was lying on top of, and as soon as he moved to the side and it was clear, I threw it over him, leaning over and making sure he was covered.

“What’s going on here?”

“Just so you won’t be cold,” I muttered, securing him to my side. It was more like Just so you can’t leave.

Her eyes were partly closed, her lips curved up. “By the way, I can’t believe the word Christmassy came out of your mouth.”

“It only came out of my mouth because I was repeating your words.”

“Sure, you keep telling yourself that.”

So…do you want to wait for a table to open, or do you want to eat with me in the kitchen?”

“What do you want to do?”

The smile that had been missing ever since Joshua Landon had walked in came back out for me again. “Kitchen. I like having you all to myself.”

It was one of the best things I had heard in all my life, if not the absolute best.

“It was a good day. I really enjoyed cooking with you.”

“You didn’t cook, Rose. You sat on the counter and stole my carrots and roasted potatoes.”

“But you fed them to me yourself.”

“You stole more than what I gave you.”

“I shared my roasted chestnuts with you.”

I nodded and my eyes fell to her lips. “You did.”

“So do you want to make it a regular thing?”

“You mean where I cook for you and you steal from my preparations?”

She grinned and nodded enthusiastically.

“Sure. Why not.”

“I want you,” she said, her voice so small I could feel something breaking inside me. “I want you more than anything I’ve ever wanted in my life.”

“That’s a lot of want. Mrs. Hawthorne.” I cupped her cheeks with my palms and closed my eyes. “I’ve been craving you for so long I don’t know what to do with myself anymore.”

“My brain is tingling,” she murmured, clearly half out of it.

I was moving my fingers in her in small, light movements but stopped at her words.

“Rose we sh— ”

She covered my hand with hers before I could think or gather the strength to pull out. “If you stop, I’ll kill you in your sleep, Jack Hawthorne. Don’t you dare.”

“Rose, if you feel—”

“I’m being serious, Jack. I’ll murder you. Please make me come on your fingers. Please. Please.”

“You’re a vicious little thing, aren’t you? And all mine.”