“Will youand Henry ever wed?”
A hard lumpformed in my throat at the mention of marrying Henry. I told myselfa while ago that if he ever asked me again, I’d say yes. But hehadn’t brought it up since I returned to the past and I began toworry if it were off the table.
“Maybe,”I told my friend and forced a smile, “someday.”
Just then,someone pushed on the swinging door and it whacked me in theback.
“Christ,when are we goin’ to eat?” Finn bellowed from behind me. “We’rewastin’ away out here.”
I turned androlled my eyes. “Yes, I’m sure you’re whittling away to nothingsince lunch.”
His facescrunched into a grin. “The boys be wantin’ to play cards after weeat.” He sniffed the air and waggled his eyebrows. “And I bewantin’ them buns of yers.”
Ilooked at Lottie.“Wheel this out and start serving, I’ll get the buns from the ovenin a few minutes.”
The two of themleft and I walked over to the cooking area to grab thick towels weused to grab hot things. As I bent down to check the buns, I heardthe doors swing open again.
“Sorry,Finn, they’re going to be a few more minutes,” I spoke.
“I’m nothere for the baked goods,” the person replied, a deep and raspyvoice that tickled my heart. I turned to find Henry, clad in hisblack leather outfit, blonde hair loose around his shoulders. “I’mjust here to check on you.”
“Check onme?” I asked.
He came towardme slowly, carefully. I wished he didn’t feel the need to be thatway. I wanted him to just take me in his arms, like the rough andtough pirate king I fell in love with. But there was something tobe said about a man who didn’t trust himself.
“I justworry when you’re gone,” he told me. “When you’re not withme.”
My heart hurtat the sight of his pain and I opened my arms. “Come here.”
Therelief that washed over his body was hard to ignore as he slid intomy embrace. I nestled my face in his hard chest and Henry’s handsheld me tightly. I relished in the moment. One free of anger andfear.
Our facespulled away, so we could bring our foreheads together. My eyesstared at the softness of his pink lips under the blonde facialhair he now sported, and I brought my hands up to caress thevelvety hairs before placing a kiss on his mouth.
“I loveyou, you know that, right?” I told the man.
“That Ido,” he replied with a grin. “And I you. I may doubt a lot of things, but our love isnot one of them.”
“Rememberthat thing you asked me back at that tavern?” I dared to say,swallowing hard against my nervousness. He pulled away to get abetter look at my face and I could see the confusion on his. “The,uh, the big question? Before I told you about my timetravellingsecret?”
Henry’s facewashed with realization and he nodded. “Yes, I recall asking you tobe my wife.”
“Is that…is that still on the table?”
To my surprise,Henry let out a heavy laugh. It was a sound I hadn’t heard comefrom his body in months and it startled a yelp from me.
“I’msorry,” he said, his eyes crinkling with the wide smile that’dfound its way to his face. “I adore you when you’renervous.”
I pushed at hischest and turned to check on the buns again. They were ready, so Igrabbed the towels and pulled the tray from the cast iron oven.“I’m not nervous,” I began, “just curious.”
I dumped thebuns onto a wooden board as Henry’s hands slipped around my hipsfrom behind. My skin scoured with goosebumps as his scruffy facenuzzled my ear. “Are you asking me to marry you, TimeTraveller?”
I dropped thetowels and spun in his arms. Grinning wildly, I replied,“Maybe.”
“I haveevery intent on making you my wife, Dianna.”
“Yeah?”
“Ofcourse,” he affirmed. “When the time is right.”
“How willwe know when the time is right?” I asked, trying to hide thesarcasm in my voice. We were having a baby, for Christ’ssake.
“Thereare some things I’d like to take care of first.”
I slid my handsinside his leather coat and trailed my fingers up the bumps of hisspine. “Like what?”
“Well,I’d like to have my mother’s ring, for one.” He pausedthoughtfully. “But, seeing as it was aboard The Devil’s Heart, I’dlike to find or fashion a special ring for you.”
“I don’tneed a fancy ring,” I told him, my hands now caressing the expanseof his back. “I just need you.”
Henry’s bodypushed mine against the edge of the wooden countertop, and I couldfeel his arousal growing at our nearness. His voice low and raspy,he replied, “I’m yours. As long as you’ll have me.”
His hungrymouth found mine and engulfed me in a slow but passionate kiss.When he withdrew, his hands reached for the collar of my whiteblouse and pulled it loose, so he could trail warm kisses downacross my shoulder.
“But Iwon’t have my wife without a ring. One that means something.” Morekisses on my skin. I threw my head back in ecstasy. “And I won’thave my child born a bastard.”
I snapped toattention. “But that means–”
“Thatwe’re on a deadline,” Henry finished for me. “Once we reachEngland, I’ll search for the perfect ring and then we’ll be wed.”He grabbed my thigh and brought my leg up to his waist as hepressed himself against me. “That is if you don’t mind not having a wedding inNewfoundland.”
I pushed backas he hoisted my rear end up onto the counter, allowing my otherleg to secure a grip all the way around his hips. “I don’t care ifwe’re married in the North Pole. As long as I’m with you.”
This was themost Henry had been intimate with me in the span of a day. Eversince we set out on our journey. It was only a matter of two daysbefore the nightmares began. Then the violent tossing and turningstarted which led to the incident, the breaking point, just a meretwo weeks in.
Eversince then, Henry had refused to relax around me, to touch mesensually. I knew his fear. I felt it, too. But it was nothingcompared to
