It Started With... Collection. Miranda Lee
buts. I’m tired of your buts.’ With that he drew a blue velvet box out of his jacket pocket and flipped it open. ‘I hope you like it.’
Jessie stared down at the solitaire diamond engagement ring, then swallowed. Oh, God, she was going to cry. ‘It…it’s beautiful,’ she stammered.
‘You’re beautiful,’ he said thickly, and taking the ring out of the box, he put the box back in his pocket, then came forward and picked up her left hand.
‘I love you, Jessie Denton,’ he said as he slipped it on her trembling ring finger.
Her eyes flooded, then tears spilled over, running down her cheeks. ‘And I love you,’ she choked out.
He wiped the tears away with his spare hand, then bent to kiss each wet cheek. ‘That’s nothing to cry about,’ he said with a soft smile in his voice. ‘At least, I hope not.’
‘Oh, no,’ she denied hotly. ‘Never!’
With a rush of sweet emotion, Jessie wound her arms up around his neck and pulled him close. ‘You mean the world to me!’ she proclaimed.
His hesitation was only slight before he kissed her. Soon, there was no hesitation, only passion. His kisses were fierce, his clasp so tight around her back that her breasts were totally flattened against his chest.
His sudden wrenching away came as a shock.
‘Sorry,’ he ground out. ‘I promised I wouldn’t do that.’
She loved it that he cared enough about her to stop. But the time for testing him further was long over.
‘It’s all right, Kane. I want you to make love to me.’
‘What? You mean…here?’
‘Yes, here. Now.’
He watched, gaze smouldering as she kicked off her shoes then reached up under her skirt to peel her panties off. That done, she untied the bow at the back of her neck, letting the straps fall so that her bare breasts were exposed.
When Kane sucked in sharply, her stomach quivered and her already erect nipples tightened further.
‘I’d better lock the door,’ he rasped.
He did so, then took her hand and led her over to the nearby Chesterfield. There, he drew her down onto his lap, kissing her and playing with her breasts till she was breathless and shaking. Only then did he slide one hand up under her skirt.
‘No,’ she protested. ‘No, I don’t want that, Kane. I want you. With nothing between us.’
‘But…’
‘No buts. It’s all right. It’s a safe time in my cycle. And if I’m wrong, what does it matter? I love you. You love me. We’re getting married. A baby would be just fine.’
Kane could not believe the impact of her words. She must really love him and trust him, if she didn’t mind conceiving his baby before they were married. He could not ask for more.
How he wanted her! His lovely Jessie. His woman.
He groaned at the first contact of their naked bodies, then moaned when his flesh began to enter hers. The look on her face as she sank all the way downwards told him she felt very much what he was feeling. When her hands cradled his face and she looked deep into his eyes, it took all of his will-power not to weep.
‘I love you,’ she whispered, and began to rise and fall upon him in a voluptuously sensual rhythm. ‘I love you,’ she repeated, pressing tiny kisses all over his face at the same time.
Kane closed his eyes in defence of the emotion that ripped through him. Never in his life had he felt anything like what this woman could make him feel. He could not wait to marry her, to promise to love and cherish her till death did them part. Because nothing short of death would destroy their union. They were as one, not just in their bodies but also in their minds. She was going to be his soul mate. His best friend. The mother of his children.
When he took her hands from around his face and held them to his lips, she stopped moving to stare at him with glazed eyes.
‘I…I never thought it could be like this,’ she said in a voice that betrayed some lingering bewilderment over their relationship.
‘I don’t think it is very often,’ he returned. ‘We’re very lucky.’
‘Yes,’ she agreed. ‘Very.’
‘We’re going to go back to the party afterwards and announce our engagement,’ he commanded, taking full advantage of the moment.
Jessie nodded. ‘Yes. All right. But Kane…about tomorrow night…’
Kane frowned. ‘What about tomorrow night?’ She and Emily were supposed to be coming to sleep over at his house. It was Christmas Eve. He’d already bought a Christmas tree. A real one. And loads of decorations, which he planned on putting up with Emily. Not to mention more presents than was wise.
But how often did a man fall in love and get an instant family, one that probably hadn’t been spoiled as he intended to spoil them, if he was allowed to?
‘Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind about coming!’
She laughed a wicked little laugh. ‘I’ll be coming all right. Tonight. But Kane…about tomorrow night. I know it’s probably old-fashioned of me, but I won’t sleep in your bed with Emily in the same house. Not until we’re married.’
Kane wasn’t going to argue with her. Not at this precise moment. ‘Fine,’ he said. ‘But I give you the right to change your mind again.’
‘I won’t change my mind this time.’
‘We’ll see,’ he said, taking hold of her hips and urging her to start moving again.
When she cried out in naked ecstasy, Kane suspected he was in there with a pretty good chance.
‘LOOK, Mummy, it’s a Felicity Fairy doll!’ Emily squealed as she ripped off the rest of the wrapping paper. ‘And her horse! And her castle!’
‘What a lucky girl you are,’ Jessie replied from where she was curled up in the corner of Kane’s sofa, dressed in the red silk nightie and robe Kane had given her on the stroke of midnight last night. They’d been up late talking and wrapping presents for Emily.
Of course, he’d insisted on seeing Jessie in his gift, one thing had led to another and, well…at least she hadn’t actually slept in his bed. This room, however, had been witness to some torrid but tender lovemaking between even more provocative present-giving: perfume, body lotion and chocolates, which he’d fed her one by one as rewards for various services rendered.
Around one o’clock, a sated Jessie had given Kane the gifts she’d bought him. A book about the teachings of the Dalai Lama, a Robbie Williams CD and a DVD of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. She’d gleaned his taste from their many talks. He’d been so overcome that he had to listen to the CD and watch some of the DVD before making love to her again as a thank-you.
Shortly before three, a totally spent Jessie had stumbled into the second guest room, climbed into the bed and fallen into a deep sleep, where she had remained, not moving an inch, till Emily started tugging on her hair around six, saying Santa had been and Mummy just had to get up.
After Jessie had opened a single bleary eye, Emily had rushed off, saying she would wake Kane up, too.
That had been about fifteen minutes ago.
Jessie yawned just as Kane came into the living room with two mugs of freshly brewed coffee. He was actually wearing clothes. Shorts and a T-shirt. He needed a shave but he looked good like that.