Page 49 of Snow Kisses
She stared up at him curiously. “You mean, you learned everything you just did to me out of a book?”
His eyebrows arched. “It was a good book,” he said defensively, “kind of a primer…well, damn it, I thought that after I gave you a while to think about me and the ranch, and maybe miss me, I might come up here and try to change your mind. I was going to wait until Christmas….” He shrugged his powerful shoulders. “Then tonight, after Calla went out with Jeb, I got lonely and started drinking.” He sighed. “First time I’ve put away that much whiskey in years.” He looked down at her radiant face. “When you started ranting and ravingat me, it was the sweetest music I’d ever heard. I didn’t even take time to shave, I just got Hank out of bed to drive me to the airport.”
“You said he was quitting!”
“When he found out I was on my way to you, he took back his resignation,” Cade said, grinning. “Told me he had wondered if I planned to stay stupid all my life.”
“I think we were both a little dense,” she replied. Her eyes devoured him. “I love you,” she whispered intensely.
“I love you,” he replied, bending to kiss her softly, slowly, with tender promise. “Can you live with me on Painted Ridge and give up all you’ve accomplished? If not, I’ll compromise, now that I know you love me.”
“I could give up breathing if you’ll make love to me every night,” she murmured, pressing close. “I hate it here. After the first few months, all the glamour and adventure wore off. I worked like a zombie all day and dreamed all night about how it would be to sleep in your arms and carry your child in my body….”
He drew in a sharp breath. “Don’t say things like that to me, I’ll go crazy.”
“Take me with you,” she said, brushing her hand over his chest and smiling when he trembled. “Let’s go together.”
“In a minute.” He put out the cigarette and leaned over her, his eyes solemn. “I can’t expect you to sacrifice four years of hard work just to raise children. I don’t want you to give up being a person just because you’re my wife. We all need to feel fulfillment, a sense of purpose.”
“Oh, my gosh, I didn’t ever tell you about Jessica Dane!” she burst out, and explained it all, even her behavior at the reception.
He sighed angrily. “Well, I was a damned fool over that, wasn’t I?” he ground out. He kissed her gently. “I’m sorry, honey.”
“It’s all right. You didn’t know.” She touched his mouth. “So you see, I could work for Jessica and never leave the house except to supervise some seamstresses once in a while. And I’ve always preferred designing to modeling, anyway.”
“Lucky me,” he said. He grinned. “If we have little girls, you can make party dresses for them, too.”
She laughed. “Not for the little boys, though. I don’t want my sons parading around in petticoats.” She leaned forward and kissed him lazily. “My throat’s sore from talking. Teach me some more things you learned in that book of yours.”
He chuckled. “There’s just one more little thing to talk about. I had Hank promise to make a few phone calls for me after daylight.”
“Did you?” she murmured, nibbling at his lips.
“I had him invite the minister over for next Saturday.”
“That’s nice,” she whispered. Her hands smoothed over his long, tanned body.
“Plus about fifty other people.”
“Um,” she murmured. Her hands moved to his hair-roughened chest and she pressed against him. “That’s nice, too.”
“For the wedding.”
She drew away. “Next Saturday?”
“Why wait?” he asked, biting at her mouth. “I sure was hoping you’d say yes, Abby. All the way here I had nightmares about trying to line up a bride and groom at such short notice if you refused me….”
“Cade Alexander McLaren, what am I going to do with you?” she asked sharply.
“Lie down here and I’ll show you,” he murmured with a laugh, easing her onto her back. “This is the best chapter of all….”
Abby smiled as she met his hungry mouth. When they got home to Painted Ridge, she had some heavy reading to do.
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