“But he never liked me,” Mary Vaughn protested.
“No, he never liked that you didn’t love me the way he thought you ought to. He wasn’t blind, Mary Vaughn, and it’s a small town. He knew you never got over Ronnie.”
“I have now, you know,” she said, meeting his gaze directly. “You’re the only man I want.”
“I’m actually starting to believe that,” he told her. “In fact, I have an early Christmas present for you.”
He reached into his pocket and withdrew a box. “It’s not a ring,” he warned when he handed it to her. “I’m telling you that so you won’t be disappointed. It’s too soon for that kind of commitment, but I wanted you to know how I feel about you just the same. I have faith in what’s happening between us.”
She opened the box to find a piece of estate jewelry inside, a locket. Her fingers trembling, she opened it to find a snapshot of Sonny and Rory Sue on one side. The other side had been engraved with a single word: Forever.
“That’s what I want for us, Mary Vaughn. This time I want it to be forever.”
“Oh, Sonny, so do I,” she whispered against his cheek. “So do I.”
“Shall I put it on for you?” he asked.
She nodded and lifted her hair out of the way as he dealt with the delicate clasp. The brush of his fingers across the nape of her neck made her shiver with anticipation.
For the first time, she was glad Rory Sue wasn’t home from college, that she wouldn’t be here for a few more days. It meant she and Sonny would have the house to themselves once the party was over. And if she had her way, they’d make good use of as many bedrooms as they possibly could. She smiled at the thought.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Even though she’d committed to going with Tom, Jeanette wasn’t entirely sure how smart it was to attend the dinner party at his parents’ home the week after the kickoff of the Christmas festival. Tom was on edge, too, which made her even more nervous. There were easily half a dozen ways this night could be a disaster.
Even as Tom was parking the car in the brick-paved, circular driveway, she was scrambling for an excuse to cut and run. She didn’t trust the truce she’d made with his father, and his mother was too darn unpredictable.
“This is a bad idea,” she said.
“You’re just coming to that conclusion now?” Tom said, his own tone dire.
“You could go alone,” she suggested.
“While you do what? Hide in the bushes?”
“You could drop me off at a restaurant and pick me up later.”
“Not a chance. They’re expecting you. Besides, need I remind you that this was part of our deal? I drop the bah-humbug attitude and you try to get along with my folks.”
“Whatever,” she said, not nearly as entranced with the idea now that she was on their doorstep.
“Look, my parents need to get used to the idea that we’re seriously involved. Let’s just go inside and do this,” he said.
“Whoa!” she protested. “We are not seriously involved. We’re sleeping together, but that’s not the same thing.”
Tom scowled. “We most certainly are seriously involved. And do you really want to sit out here and debate this when we both know I could prove you wrong if I really wanted to?”
His confident words made her feel a little reckless...or maybe it was knowing they were practically sitting under his parents’ watchful eyes. She met his gaze. “Oh, yeah?” she challenged.
He blinked, but then his eyes turned dark and dangerous. “Are you sure you want to challenge me about this right now?”
“I believe I do,” she said as a little shiver of anticipation scooted up her spine.
He was out of the car and around to her side in a split second. He yanked open the door and seized her hand. “Let’s go.”
She saw now that she might have pushed him a tiny bit too far. “Go where?”
“There’s a guesthouse out back. Nobody’s staying in it.” He was walking so fast, she had to run to keep up with him.
“Tom, wait,” she protested.
“I’ve been waiting for this ever since I saw that dress you’re wearing tonight.”
“We can’t sneak off and get all hot and sweaty in your parents’ guesthouse when they’re expecting us for dinner. It would be rude.” To say nothing of courting disaster. She was skating on very thin ice with his parents as it was.
He laughed. “Do you really want to discuss etiquette now?”
“Your mother already has an exceptionally low opinion of me. I don’t want to make it worse.”
“My opinion’s the one that counts,” he reminded her, though he did slow down and back her into a wrought-iron fence. Then he grabbed the railings on either side of her and leaned in to cover her mouth with his.
Jeanette gasped, as his tongue plunged inside. With all his hot, very male hardness pressed against her, she forgot why this was such a bad idea. Her hands cupped his face, ensuring that the kiss didn’t end. His hips ground into hers. He reached down, lifted the hem of her dress and slid his hand along her bare thigh until it found the moist core of her. She jerked at the intimate touch and almost flew apart right then and there.
“Stop,” she murmured, then, “No, don’t stop. Don’t... Tom?” His clever fingers dived inside her and then she did come undone. Her eyes wide, her breath coming in quick pants, she met his gaze. “That wasn’t supposed to happen. It...we shouldn’t be doing this.” She buried her head in his shoulder. “Tom, how can I possibly go inside now? Everyone will know what we’ve been doing.”
He touched a finger to her cheek, brushed back a wayward curl. “There’s a bathroom in the guesthouse. You can check yourself out in the mirror in there, though I happen to think you look amazing, all tousled and
