could hear it. What would he do if he knew she'd found the jewelry box and discovered what was inside? “You make very good eggs,” she blurted.
He looked at her plate. “How can you say that, when you haven’t even tried them?”
She picked up her fork, cut off a piece of the white, and popped it into her mouth. “Very good,” she said, her mouth full. “As I knew they would be.”
His smile broadened as his eyes raked over her. “Anything else you can tell me, Mrs. Stone?”
She quickly took another bite of egg. “No,” she mumbled as she chewed. “Nothing I can think of at the moment. Shall we finish our dinner?”
He smiled again. The look he gave her sent a chill up her spine. It was one of utter and complete anticipation . But of what? “Have you given any thought as to what we might have for dessert?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No, I hadn't considered dessert until now.” He took a forkful of gravy-covered biscuit, chewed it slowly, and watched her. There was a hunger in his eyes and a sudden heat flared in her belly. “What… what did you have in mind?”
“Something sweet,” he said as he took another bite of his dinner.
“Did your mother teach you how to bake, as well?”
“No, but I'm sure I can get something going for us.”
Fina's eyes widened and she swallowed hard. “We still have pie,” she pushed out.
He took another bite of food. “I had something else in mind, other than pie, Mrs. Stone.”
Fina could stand it no longer. She stood up from her chair in a huff. “I have eight days left, Mr. Stone! Eight days as per our agreement.”
He raised both brows, and laughed. “You are the most beautiful, adorable, and fascinating woman I have ever met!”
“What?” she asked in exasperation.
He laughed harder and dropped his fork onto his plate. “You should see the look on your face right now! It's priceless!”
“Levi Stone! Are you making fun of me?”
He nodded through his laughter. “Yes, I am!”
“Oh! You… you… man, you!”
“Yes, Mrs. Stone, I certainly am.” He moved so fast she had no time to react. Before she knew it, she was trapped in his arms and staring into his wickedly-handsome face. “You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, did you know that?” he asked as his eyes raked over her. There was nothing languid about the look he gave her now. No, this look was pure hunger, and it wasn't for biscuits and gravy.
“Unhand me!” she demanded as she squirmed in his arms.
“Never! You're too beautiful to let go,” he said, yet the muscles in his arms relaxed into a gentle hold. He kissed her forehead, then the tip of her nose, and smiled. “Fella, you’re a man's pure delight, and if I could bottle you up and sell you, I’d be a very rich man. But as my wife , you make me the wealthiest among men.” He swallowed hard as he looked into her eyes. “You’re seeing a side of me no one has ever seen, and it's all because you’re able to bring it out. When I'm with you, I feel freer than I ever have before, so much more than when I first came to this place years ago.”
Fina noticed her breaths were coming in short pants. “Why, Mr. Stone, I'm not sure I understand what you mean.”
He lowered his face, his lips hovering over hers. “What I'm saying, is that you make me feel alive, Fina Stone. More alive than I've ever felt before.”
“What happened to calling me, ‘Fella’?”
He gave her the tiniest hint of a smile. “So,” he said against her lips. “You like it when I call you ‘Fella’?”
“It doesn't bother me anymore… if that's what you mean.”
He kissed her then, like a starving man who’d just found food. He broke the kiss, looked into her eyes, and held her tight against his body. “To me you’ll always be Fella. It suits you somehow.” He smiled again. “Weren’t you going to come up with a name for me?”
Fina fought to form words. He'd done it to her again. “I… haven't had time to think
He looked at her plate. “How can you say that, when you haven’t even tried them?”
She picked up her fork, cut off a piece of the white, and popped it into her mouth. “Very good,” she said, her mouth full. “As I knew they would be.”
His smile broadened as his eyes raked over her. “Anything else you can tell me, Mrs. Stone?”
She quickly took another bite of egg. “No,” she mumbled as she chewed. “Nothing I can think of at the moment. Shall we finish our dinner?”
He smiled again. The look he gave her sent a chill up her spine. It was one of utter and complete anticipation . But of what? “Have you given any thought as to what we might have for dessert?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No, I hadn't considered dessert until now.” He took a forkful of gravy-covered biscuit, chewed it slowly, and watched her. There was a hunger in his eyes and a sudden heat flared in her belly. “What… what did you have in mind?”
“Something sweet,” he said as he took another bite of his dinner.
“Did your mother teach you how to bake, as well?”
“No, but I'm sure I can get something going for us.”
Fina's eyes widened and she swallowed hard. “We still have pie,” she pushed out.
He took another bite of food. “I had something else in mind, other than pie, Mrs. Stone.”
Fina could stand it no longer. She stood up from her chair in a huff. “I have eight days left, Mr. Stone! Eight days as per our agreement.”
He raised both brows, and laughed. “You are the most beautiful, adorable, and fascinating woman I have ever met!”
“What?” she asked in exasperation.
He laughed harder and dropped his fork onto his plate. “You should see the look on your face right now! It's priceless!”
“Levi Stone! Are you making fun of me?”
He nodded through his laughter. “Yes, I am!”
“Oh! You… you… man, you!”
“Yes, Mrs. Stone, I certainly am.” He moved so fast she had no time to react. Before she knew it, she was trapped in his arms and staring into his wickedly-handsome face. “You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, did you know that?” he asked as his eyes raked over her. There was nothing languid about the look he gave her now. No, this look was pure hunger, and it wasn't for biscuits and gravy.
“Unhand me!” she demanded as she squirmed in his arms.
“Never! You're too beautiful to let go,” he said, yet the muscles in his arms relaxed into a gentle hold. He kissed her forehead, then the tip of her nose, and smiled. “Fella, you’re a man's pure delight, and if I could bottle you up and sell you, I’d be a very rich man. But as my wife , you make me the wealthiest among men.” He swallowed hard as he looked into her eyes. “You’re seeing a side of me no one has ever seen, and it's all because you’re able to bring it out. When I'm with you, I feel freer than I ever have before, so much more than when I first came to this place years ago.”
Fina noticed her breaths were coming in short pants. “Why, Mr. Stone, I'm not sure I understand what you mean.”
He lowered his face, his lips hovering over hers. “What I'm saying, is that you make me feel alive, Fina Stone. More alive than I've ever felt before.”
“What happened to calling me, ‘Fella’?”
He gave her the tiniest hint of a smile. “So,” he said against her lips. “You like it when I call you ‘Fella’?”
“It doesn't bother me anymore… if that's what you mean.”
He kissed her then, like a starving man who’d just found food. He broke the kiss, looked into her eyes, and held her tight against his body. “To me you’ll always be Fella. It suits you somehow.” He smiled again. “Weren’t you going to come up with a name for me?”
Fina fought to form words. He'd done it to her again. “I… haven't had time to think
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