sounds like a good quality in a man.”
“Not just a man,” he panted just a bit as he started to
stroke his way inside her, “your mate.”
“Is that the same as husband?”
He slowed, looking down into her eyes. He knew how important
it was to her. He hadn’t wanted to push her, but yes, he did want her to accept
him as her mate and her husband according to the traditions in which she’d been
raised.
“If you want it to be. I was going to wait for you to get
used to the idea of me before I sprang the question.”
“Popped.”
“What?”
“Popped the question. That’s the proper phrase.”
“You can correct my English at a time like this?” He stroked
deep to emphasize his point.
She nodded against his shoulder, kissing any skin she could
reach. “I was a school teacher before I started working for Lissa and Atticus.
Correct use of language is important.”
“I had no idea I was joining my life to such a stickler.”
Satisfaction purred through his voice as he picked up the pace, moving deep
within her, though still in a leisurely way. “You’ll be able to teach our
young.”
She pulled back, staring at him with hope burning in her
eyes.
“We can have children? I mean, I thought—”
He sorted through the confusion of her thoughts. “Ah, I see.
You thought our kind could not reproduce in the traditional way. It is rare,
I’ll admit, but possible between a truly mated pair. I suspect Atticus and
Lissa may have the first announcement, but we will not be far behind. I want to
have a child with you, Kelly, if you want it too.”
She pushed at his shoulders again. “Then you damn well
better pop the question, buster. I will not have our baby without a ring on my
finger.”
He laughed with the pleasure. “You’re an old-fashioned
woman, I see. That’s good, for I am an old-fashioned man. I’ve made you mine in
the way of my kind, but you’re right, we should observe the traditions of
humans. You will marry me.”
“Stop.”
Chapter Thirteen
His smug tone grated on her nerves. She found the strength
to push him off her, immediately missing the feel of his hardness inside her,
but needing to set something straight. He seemed surprised that she would use
her new strength against him. The hurt look on his face almost stopped her, but
dammit, she was going to have a real proposal, not some half-assed order to
marry him.
“What’s wrong?”
“I want a real proposal, Marc. I won’t be ordered to marry
you like some faithful dog.”
His tension eased, but he was puzzled, she could tell. She
was getting better at reading his thoughts, though it still freaked her out a
little bit.
“What do you wish of me, ma petite ? I will do
anything for you.”
She liked the sound of that. She smiled as she sat up on the
bed.
“Get on your knees.”
“Now that sounds interesting.” His devilish smile lit the
room, and she chuckled.
“Hold that thought. I want a traditional proposal.”
“Ah, I see. And are most ‘traditional proposals’ carried out
in the nude?”
“Among nudists, I suppose they are, but this will do for us.
I want a moment. A question and an answer. Is that too much to ask?”
He kissed her playfully on the nose before going down on one
knee next to the bed. He took her hand in his, kissing it as he looked up into
her shining eyes.
“You could never ask too much of me, my love. But now, I
believe, I have something to ask of you.”
She sighed as she watched him. He was a beautiful, powerful
man. How did she get so lucky to have a man like this want her forever?
“Will you marry me, Kelly?”
Even though she knew it was coming—had demanded it, in
fact—the question still took her breath away. Tears formed behind her eyes as
she looked down at him, holding her hand so gently, with a hopeful light in his
compelling dark eyes. She could feel the love shimmering in the air and in the
space that joined their two souls. He loved her. She knew it soul deep, as
“Not just a man,” he panted just a bit as he started to
stroke his way inside her, “your mate.”
“Is that the same as husband?”
He slowed, looking down into her eyes. He knew how important
it was to her. He hadn’t wanted to push her, but yes, he did want her to accept
him as her mate and her husband according to the traditions in which she’d been
raised.
“If you want it to be. I was going to wait for you to get
used to the idea of me before I sprang the question.”
“Popped.”
“What?”
“Popped the question. That’s the proper phrase.”
“You can correct my English at a time like this?” He stroked
deep to emphasize his point.
She nodded against his shoulder, kissing any skin she could
reach. “I was a school teacher before I started working for Lissa and Atticus.
Correct use of language is important.”
“I had no idea I was joining my life to such a stickler.”
Satisfaction purred through his voice as he picked up the pace, moving deep
within her, though still in a leisurely way. “You’ll be able to teach our
young.”
She pulled back, staring at him with hope burning in her
eyes.
“We can have children? I mean, I thought—”
He sorted through the confusion of her thoughts. “Ah, I see.
You thought our kind could not reproduce in the traditional way. It is rare,
I’ll admit, but possible between a truly mated pair. I suspect Atticus and
Lissa may have the first announcement, but we will not be far behind. I want to
have a child with you, Kelly, if you want it too.”
She pushed at his shoulders again. “Then you damn well
better pop the question, buster. I will not have our baby without a ring on my
finger.”
He laughed with the pleasure. “You’re an old-fashioned
woman, I see. That’s good, for I am an old-fashioned man. I’ve made you mine in
the way of my kind, but you’re right, we should observe the traditions of
humans. You will marry me.”
“Stop.”
Chapter Thirteen
His smug tone grated on her nerves. She found the strength
to push him off her, immediately missing the feel of his hardness inside her,
but needing to set something straight. He seemed surprised that she would use
her new strength against him. The hurt look on his face almost stopped her, but
dammit, she was going to have a real proposal, not some half-assed order to
marry him.
“What’s wrong?”
“I want a real proposal, Marc. I won’t be ordered to marry
you like some faithful dog.”
His tension eased, but he was puzzled, she could tell. She
was getting better at reading his thoughts, though it still freaked her out a
little bit.
“What do you wish of me, ma petite ? I will do
anything for you.”
She liked the sound of that. She smiled as she sat up on the
bed.
“Get on your knees.”
“Now that sounds interesting.” His devilish smile lit the
room, and she chuckled.
“Hold that thought. I want a traditional proposal.”
“Ah, I see. And are most ‘traditional proposals’ carried out
in the nude?”
“Among nudists, I suppose they are, but this will do for us.
I want a moment. A question and an answer. Is that too much to ask?”
He kissed her playfully on the nose before going down on one
knee next to the bed. He took her hand in his, kissing it as he looked up into
her shining eyes.
“You could never ask too much of me, my love. But now, I
believe, I have something to ask of you.”
She sighed as she watched him. He was a beautiful, powerful
man. How did she get so lucky to have a man like this want her forever?
“Will you marry me, Kelly?”
Even though she knew it was coming—had demanded it, in
fact—the question still took her breath away. Tears formed behind her eyes as
she looked down at him, holding her hand so gently, with a hopeful light in his
compelling dark eyes. She could feel the love shimmering in the air and in the
space that joined their two souls. He loved her. She knew it soul deep, as
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