In Over His Head

'Hell, no. The dating thing just didn't work for us, so I vote we skip it. Let's get married.'

He may have seen a more dumbstruck expression before, but he'd be hard-pressed to name it. She looked as if he'd just suggested they ride bareback all the way to Manhattan.

'Married?'

Amused by her stunned reaction, he leaned forward and touched his lips gently to hers. 'Yeah. Married. You know-you, me, a minister.' He leaned back and waggled his brows at her. 'A honeymoon.'

She didn't smile. Instead her very serious gaze searched his. 'Are you sure you're ready for that kind of commitment?'

He rested his hand over his heart. 'I am fully ready to be committed.' His words brought a flash of amusement to her eyes. 'And,' he continued, 'to show you just how serious I am, I brought you this.' Reaching into his back pocket, he slipped out an envelope and handed it to her. 'Open it.'

She cocked a brow. 'Odd shape for an engagement ring,' she murmured with a mischievous grin. She pulled out the contents and scanned them, her expression turning to one of utter bemused confusion. 'I don't understand,' she whispered. 'How…?' Her voice trailed off and she shook her head.

'That day we went horseback riding on the beach,' he said hesitantly, sudden doubt assailing him. Damn, she looked pale and about ready to drop. Had he made a big mistake? 'You said you wanted to live on the water. Then you pointed out a spot with some great waterfront property. Said there was a whole series of canals and hidden coves and that it was peaceful and private and perfect. I spent a good bit of time driving around, looking the area over.'

He touched the signed sales contract between her fingers. 'That particular lot appealed to me the most. It's real quiet, with lots of trees and situated on a deepwater cove. I spoke to a broker who told me it wasn't for sale yet, but that he expected it to come up on the market soon. When it did, the broker called me and I made an offer.' She just stared at him, increasing his unease. 'So, uh, I bought it. Just today. Thinkin' you might like it.'

Her bottom lip trembled, and a fat tear rolled down her pale cheek. His insides froze with panic. 'Whoa,' he said, patting her awkwardly on the back. 'Hey, don't do that. If there's one thing I can't take, it's a crying woman.'

'I can't believe you did that,' she said, the tears coming faster.

'Me, either.' He looked frantically around for some sort of tissue, and grabbed the closest thing-the dishtowel resting on the countertop-and gently dabbed at her wet cheeks. 'Please stop crying. I'll talk to the broker. There must be some way out of the agreement. Shouldn't be a problem, especially since there was someone else interested in the land.'

She made a noise that sounded like a laugh, but surely wasn't since tears still streamed down her face. 'Me,' she said, thumping herself on the chest like Tarzan. 'I'm the someone else who was interested in buying it.'

He stopped mopping her face. 'You're joking.'

'I'm not. I've been waiting for ages for that cove plot to come on the market. And just before you arrived here, Darla had broken the news that someone-someone who I promptly wished a flea infestation upon-had outbid me.' An incredulous laugh escaped her, and she flung her arms around his neck, nearly unbalancing him.

'You are the most wonderful, romantic, thoughtful man,' she said, covering his face with kisses between words. She leaned back in the circle of his arms and beamed at him. 'I'm overwhelmed.'

'Well, that's a relief. And now, you'd better hope that your flea-infestation wish doesn't come true, 'cause I have no intention of being any farther away from you than this-' he pulled her closer and smiled '-for a long, long time.'

She wriggled against him, inspiring a groan of want in him. 'You won't hear any complaints from me,' she murmured.

'Glad to hear it. But you haven't officially answered my proposal.' He looked into her beautiful, love-filled eyes. 'So what do you say, darlin'-wanna be my cowgirl?'

She treated him to a slow, sexy smile that nearly stopped his heart. 'Like you wouldn't believe.'

Jacquie D’Alessandro

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