Time for Love (36 page)

He swirled the brandy around the snifter, watching the amber liquid clinging to the sides of the glass, reflecting light from the small fire in the hearth. An image of Alex leaning over him, laughing as they spent delightful hours in his bed aboard
The Reliant
, came to mind.

Stupid, besotted fool
. Her eyes were green, not brown. Why does everything bring forth memories of her? The glass slammed into the fireplace. He stumbled back as the flames blazed high, consuming the liquor. The fire reached for him but quickly died back.

He looked at the hand that had so recently held the heavy, crystal glass. He had thrown it without thinking, cursing the alcohol’s inability to erase the ache deep in his soul.

Damn. Mother won’t be pleased.

The door creaked. “Damn it, I told you I have no wish to be disturbed!” He didn’t bother to turn around. Visitors held no interest for him.

“Should I come back later, then?”

Nicholas’s eyes closed tight. It couldn’t be. It had to be his imagination. She couldn’t be here.

Steps approached from behind, and the feather light touch on his shoulder sent a tremor through his body. He turned around slowly, scarcely daring to breathe.

****

Alex fought to keep her voice calm, yet it sounded wobbly and unsure. “Should I come back later, then?” She approached his rigid back; her hand rose of its own accord and rested lightly on his shoulder. Did those vibrations originate with her or him? The cloth covering his shoulder was cool, but she could feel his warmth reaching out to her, tempting her to lay her head on his back and fold her arms around him. Never let go.

He turned slowly, agonizingly so. Her rapid breathing was in direct opposition to his. For a moment, she wondered if he breathed at all. Time crawled in that moment their eyes met for the first time in four months.

He looked worn out. Dark shadows framed his eyes, his cheeks sunken and covered with stubble. The time apart had been no easier on him. He had missed her. He must love her. Her doubts faded, and she took the two steps that separated them and flung her arms around his waist.

He still didn’t respond, and she started to pull back, when his arms suddenly surrounded her and he lifted her off the floor in his embrace.

She laughed with the sheer joy of being in his arms again and held on for dear life as he spun her around.

After several dizzying seconds, she was on the ground once again and held out at arm’s length. Nicholas’s eyes were suspiciously bright. The tenderness in his gaze would have brought tears to her eyes, if they weren’t already dripping steadily down her cheeks.

He brushed his thumb gently over her cheek, wiping away the tears. “Don’t cry, my love.”

“I’ve missed you.”

“And I you.”

Alex studied his precious face as his gaze dropped to her mouth, and he slowly bent forward to touch his lips ever so lightly to hers, like a butterfly resting briefly on a flower petal before fluttering away, only to return once more to consume the flower’s essence.

The kiss deepened, and his tongue delved into her mouth. Alex heard a low groan, whether it was his or hers, she couldn’t tell, didn’t care. How long they remained, locked in that heated embrace, was anyone’s guess. They eventually broke apart and moved as one to the settee, neither willing to let go for even a moment so soon after they’d found each other again.

For a while they sat quietly together, staring into the fire, Alex’s head resting comfortably on Nicholas’s chest, his arm across her shoulders. He idly twirled her hair in his fingers. “Your hair is longer.”

“I figured the cat was out of the bag, no need to look like a boy anymore, so I let it grow.” She patted her hair a little self-consciously. “What do you think?”

“It’s perfect. Just like you.” He moved away from her, and Alex shivered as cold air replaced the warmth of his side.

She cast him an enquiring gaze.

“I have been pondering the question of where I went wrong in recent events.” He grinned. “My mother might disagree with the word pondering. I believe she referred to it as brooding.”

“Brooding, huh?” Her brow furrowed as she thought back on their time together, trying to figure out what exactly he was talking about. “Wrong? What do you mean?”

“My proposal of marriage was a dismal failure. I could not understand why, at first. It never occurred to me your answer could be anything other than yes. I believe that to be my first mistake. My second, and the most egregious, was that I never told you
why
I wished to marry you.”

“Oh,” Alex whispered, eagerly awaiting his answer.

“Alexandra, darling.” To her amazement, he sank to one knee before her. “My heart belongs to you. I have realized my life is empty without you. I love you. Will you marry me?”

Tears of joy sprang to her eyes as she stared at Nicholas. Her lips formed the words, but she couldn’t get past the lump in her throat. She threw her arms around his neck instead and leaned in to kiss him. Pulling back moments later, she finally gasped out the answer she had been longing to give, “Yes. I will marry you. I love you.”

It would be a long time before any other words were spoken.

A word about the author...

Emma Kaye is married to her high school sweetheart and has two beautiful kids that she spends an insane amount of time driving around central New Jersey.

Before ballet classes and soccer entered her life, she decided to try writing one of those romances she loved to read and discovered a new passion. She has been writing ever since.

Add in a playful puppy and an extremely patient cat and she’s living her own happily ever after while making her characters work hard to reach theirs.

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