'But Jamie, we've people' -- 'Now, Tess.'
She was alarmed when he started to drag her up the stairs, and she
tugged on his hand.
'Jamie' -- 'Tess!' He groaned. She was too slow. He turned and swept her
into his arms and ran the rest of the way up the stairs.
'Damn you, Jamie Slater' -- 'I told you, Tess. Things were going to go
my way today!'
They reached her room. Setting her down firmly upon her feet, he closed
and locked the door and leaned against it.
She backed away from him distrustfully. She moistened her lips. She
still hadn't really talked to him. There had been so much commotion when
she had first come to. Kristin and Shannon had insisted on taking care
of her, and she hadn't realized until tonight that they had won not just
a battle but the war.
'Thank you. Thank you for saving my life.'
'You're welcome,' he said briefly, striding across the room for her.
'It seemed the least I could do.'
'Yes, well, it's done now.'
'Damn you, stand still.'
'Jamie' -- He caught her. He caught her arms and he pulled her against
him.
He buried his face against her neck and he murmured softly.
'Just think, you could be carrying a child. And it would be a fine
child.
Cute, beautiful, just like my brothers' kids.'
'Jamie' -- He moved away from her, his eyes flittering silver as they
met hers.
'I told you, we're doing things my way today. And we're going to get
married.'
She gasped, stunned.
'Wh-what?'
'Married. Now.'
'But why?'
'Well ...' He touched her cheek, softly, gently, studying the movement
of his fingers upon her face as if he were seeing it for the first time.
'Well, for one, I'm damned afraid that if I don't, l~lalte will
determine to ride away with you again. He'd already warned me that I
really better make you my woman in truth.'
She stiffened.
'Jamie, I heard you say yourself that no one could force you' -- 'Then
there's Kristin and Shannon. They'll never give me a moment's peace.'
'Jamie' -- 'Then I'll be damned if you'll be having any children of mine
without me being present.'
'But we don't even' -- 'Then there's this,' he said softly, and his lips
touched hers more gently and tenderly than she had ever imagined
possible, as if the moon itself touched her. She closed her eyes and she
was back, back to a beautiful valley where they had made love beneath
the moon, where their love had seemed so very right. Where magic had
touched them despite all the odds.
'And this ...'
