Faking It (16 page)

The front door swung open before they reached it and Erin threw herself into Jack’s arms. She kissed him soundly, then pulled away, smiling. “Come in and meet my family.”

“Wait.” He tugged her hand. “This is the family you have nothing in common with? The one you don’t like to talk about?”

“It took me a while to realize it, but I’ve finally accepted that we have more in common than I wanted to admit. Now come in. I want them to meet you.”

“Wait.” He tugged on her hand again. “I have that something to tell you and I want to tell you in private and I can’t wait another minute.”

“Oh, Jack, I love you.”

“Damn it, quit saying that,” he said.

“But I do. I love you.”

“But that’s what I want to tell you. Now you’re making me look bad because you’ve said it so many times and I haven’t.”

“You two are nuts. Is it okay if I go in?” Bobby asked Erin.

“Please do and tell them I’m going to be a while. Jack seems to be having trouble telling me what he wants to tell me, but tell them I still love him anyway.”

“Erin.” Jack pulled her hard up against him, then he kissed her before she could say another word.

She melted into his arms and he decided he liked
kissing her probably as much as he was going to like telling her he loved her, so he kissed her longer, until she melted a little more and he was fairly certain she’d be at least out of breath.

Then he pulled back and looked deep into her sea-green eyes. “Erin McClellan, I love you. Now will you make an honest man of me? Because the more we’re together, the more obvious it is that we can’t keep our hands off each other. I think the best way to take care of that is to get married.”

Her eyes rounded and her smile widened. “Married? Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. I want you to be my wife and make passionate love to me at every opportunity.”

She cocked her head, her lips pursed. “What about the other? Were you okay today…you know…after?”

“Oh, actually I was great. I’d forgotten all about that. Must have gotten everything purged the last time.”

“But what if it happens again?” she asked.

“I don’t care. I love you and I want to be with you. Always. So what do you say? Will you marry me? I don’t have a ring because I didn’t know I was going to ask you until I did, but we can pick one out tomorrow.”

“Don’t you want to meet my family first? I mean, before you commit yourself to a lifetime with them?”

“Nope. I already know I’ll love them.”

She nodded and her eyes darkened. “Then yes, Jack. I will marry you.”

He pulled her close and kissed her, then kissed her again for good measure, just because he could. “So I guess it’s time to meet everyone.”

“We don’t have to. We could sneak away to my place and make love some more,” she said, her voice hopeful.

“Let’s do that later.”

“Okay, but you should know they really are a little out of the ordinary.”

“But you’ve come to accept that, haven’t you? Even though you’re this normal kind of girl.”

“Well, about that normal thing. I have a confession to make,” she said.

“Yes?” He smiled as he took her hand and they headed for the door.

“I was faking it.”