Ever After (43 page)

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.”

“What a terrible idea,” she said, blinking rapidly at him.

Jamie began kissing her neck, his hands roaming over her body. She still had on her pretty white underwear, but he didn't remove it, just ran his hands over all of her, feeling, caressing. “I've thought you were beautiful since the first day I saw you,” he said as his kisses moved downward.

He certainly did seem to know what to touch and how to do it, she thought as his hands and lips moved over her body. She wasn't sure when the last of her clothing came off, but she was
nude before him and he touched her body. His hands caressed her inner thighs so that she opened her legs for him. His lips on her breast made her arch her back.

When she was ready for him, she found that he had protection with him and he put it on.

When he entered her, she clung to him, loving the weight of his big body. He still had on his shirt and she could feel the buttons on her skin.

The size of him, the weight, the pure masculine smell of him, nearly drove her to a frenzy. She came before he did and he held her to him, caressing her back. Just holding her tightly to him, letting her feel the release in her body.

Gradually, he began his long, slow strokes inside her, waking her in a way she'd never felt before. It was as though something deep within her was coming alive.

She gave herself over to it, let herself feel only this man and this moment.

“Jamie,” she whispered.

“I'm here,” he said, his lips against her ear. “I'm always here.”

His shirt came off and she felt his hot skin near hers, felt the ridges of the scars. Her hands on his back went over the bumps and dents—and they made her smile. This was Jamie. This unique, fascinating man was Jamie.

When he came, he fell against her, holding her to him. As he lay in her arms, his body limp, relaxed, she had a feeling of power. He
needed
her. For all his strength and size, all his masculinity, with her he could release all that. With him, it was a matter of trust and possibly love.

They slept for a while, wrapped up together, so close they were like one being. In the early morning, Jamie became restless. A nightmare. As always, Hallie soothed him with kisses. He settled, but a moment later he woke up.

“Did I do it again?”

“Yes,” she said, smoothing his hair back from his face.

“I may never recover,” he said softly. His naked body was close to hers, his leg over hers, and she could feel the tension that was beginning to build in him. His tone was light, but she could feel that what he was saying meant a lot to him.

“I know.”

“No, you don't,” he said. “I may always be plagued with nightmares. I can't imagine that I'll ever be tolerant of loud noises. If I hadn't wanted you so much, I would
never
have gone to a family wedding. All those doorways and people and noises and—”

She kissed him. “I know. It's all part of you.”

“The scars inside me will always be there. Years may dull them, but they'll never go away. I can't live like other people; I have to make concessions.”

Hallie wasn't sure, but she thought maybe he was talking about the two of them being together past when his leg healed. She didn't have a reply to that but just kissed him some more.

“I like your answer,” he said. “Your turn to be on top.”

Smiling, he rolled onto his back while holding her up, and set her down on him. He was ready for her.

Hallie woke to the sound of water running. The door to her bathroom was open and she saw Jamie in front of the mirror. He had just a towel around his waist and he was shaving.

He saw her in the mirror. “You finally woke up.”

She stretched luxuriously, not bothering to keep the sheet over her naked breasts.

Jamie paused in shaving to watch her. He finished, dried his face, then went to sit on the side of the bed.

“You in just a towel,” she murmured as she ran her hand over his arm. “That's what got me in trouble the first time.”

He kissed her, but when it became deeper, he pulled back. “I don't know how you want to handle this, but Adam just sent a text. Your boyfriend will be here in a few minutes.”

She was kissing his neck. “Who is that?”

“Glad you don't remember,” Jamie said as he stretched out beside her.

Suddenly, Hallie sat up. “I forgot about Braden!”

“Understandable.” Jamie reached out to pull her down beside him, but she rolled to the far side of the bed and got out.

Jamie's shirt was on the floor and she picked it up, put her arm in one sleeve, and turned the other one to the right side as she ran to the bathroom. “I forgot all about him,” she said through the door. “Where did he sleep? Oh, no! You don't think he jumped in bed with one of your cousins, do you? His mom will
kill
me. I'm supposed to take care of him but I didn't. This is terrible.”

Jamie was stretched out on the bed, a stack of pillows under his head. “No to all of it. Boyfriend is safe and virginal.”

Hallie looked around the door at him. “You can laugh about this, but Braden is my responsibility. I'm going to have to tell him that even his backup girl won't marry him. And how do you know he's safe?”

“From about a dozen text messages. Adam wrote that he took both Leland and the boyfriend—”

“Please stop calling him that.”

“
Ex
-boyfriend to Plymouth's house. With Todd gone, they had an empty bedroom.”

“Your brother left?” Hallie said. “Too bad. I would have liked to say goodbye to him. Maybe Uncle Kit can teach me some special goodbye boxing moves just for your brother.”

Jamie chuckled. “Just so you know, Todd would
never
hit a girl back.”

“Good to hear.” She left the bathroom wearing her robe. “You made me forget everything last night.”

“Did I?” Jamie opened his arms to her.

She went to him, snuggling beside him, and they began kissing. Her robe opened and his hands began to explore.

“Hallie? Are you here?” she heard Braden call from downstairs.

She pushed away from Jamie. “I have to go.” When he didn't release her, she pushed harder. “I have to see to Braden.”

“Tell him you're busy.”

She gave such a big push that she would have landed on the floor if Jamie hadn't caught her as he got out of bed. “He can't know about us. Not yet. I have to break it to him gently. He's had too many heartbreaks lately.” She put her hand to her forehead. “I just remembered I promised Leland that this morning I'd walk around Nantucket with him. And some of your family is leaving today and I have to say goodbye. You should too.”

“I had all the family I can bear yesterday. How long before you can get rid of cousin and boyfriend?”

“Leland leaves this afternoon, but Braden…I don't know. He's a mess right now and he's my friend.” She went to the stairs to call down to him that she'd be there in a few minutes. “I have to get dressed,” she said to Jamie as she hurried past him. “Do me a favor and go mess up your bed so Braden thinks that's where you slept.”

“I don't like lying,” he said.

She put her hands on his back and pushed him toward the door. “You love lying when it gets you what you want. Now go! And put some clothes on.”

“Boyfriend might freak at the scars of a soldier?” He said it as though he were a martyr.

Hallie stopped and looked at him. “No, because you are so magnificently beautiful that Braden will feel awful.”

“Yeah?” Jamie asked, smiling.

“Go!” she said as she went into her closet. For a moment she stood there and breathed deeply. She wanted time to think
about all that had happened, to go over everything in her mind: Jamie, Braden, finding a family, Jamie, Todd, and oh, yeah, Jamie.