Love Everlastin' Book 3 (44 page)

Deliah's mouth went dry as
longing stirred deep inside her, taunting her as it had so often
the past weeks. She wanted to tell him off as a means of
unburdening her heart, but she couldn't initiate the internal fires
it would require to do it properly. Instead, she murmured, "I hope
ye will be happy."

He seemed surprised and
thrust his hands in his pockets. "I hope we both are happy." He
glanced at the windows. "Mind if I close them? It's
chil—"

He bit back the word when
with a flick of her right hand, the windows slid shut.

"Thank you."

She nodded.

Seconds of silence ticked
by. Winston rocked on his feet while Deliah observed him through
hooded eyes.

"So, how am I to take this,
Deliah?"

"Take wha'?"

"The door was unlocked, but
I can't say you look too happy to see me."

"Aye."

A comical frown masked his
face. "Aye wha'? Will you or won't you, Deliah? I realize it's
wi’in your rights to make me squirm, but it's damn uncomfortable
no' knowing your answer."

"Weel, all I can say is yer
wife will have her measure o' work handlin’ ye, she will. Wha' wi'
ye bein’ a broodin’, chauvinistic, miserable, intense jerk at
times."

With a low, cynical laugh,
Winston walked around her and stopped in front of the left window.
His back to her, he said, "I guess I shouldn't begrudge you evening
the score."

"I have no score to settle,
but I be o' a mind to have a few words wi' ye."

Turning, he arched a brow
and nodded that she should go on.

"Weel," she sighed,
straightening her shoulders and slightly titling up her chin, "Far
be it a fay should settle for less than she deserves. Twould no' be
ma nature to let any mon dictate when I should feel the need to
make love, and when to and no' to speak ma mind. Furthermair, a
fair provider would hire a cook to compensate for his cherished
wife's lack thereo', and such provider would never sit alone
readin’ a musty paper while his wife be somewhere else, missin’
him."

With an airy shrug, Winston
said, "All doable."

"Do-a-ble?"

He nodded. "Go
on."

She thought his mood very
strange and wished she understood what it was he expected from her.
"I ask ye, Winston, do ye love this wife to be?"

Without hesitation, he
replied, "More than I believed I could ever love
anyone."

Deliah painfully swallowed
and lowered her gaze. "Then I beg ye be kind to her."

When silence followed, she
looked up to find him frowning at her. Then his expression cleared
and his bearing took on an air of haughtiness that further
bewildered her.

"Kind?" He closed the
distance between them and removed his hands from his pockets.
"Kinder than I've been to you?"

Her head jerked back and she
gasped, "I pray so!"

To her surprise, he laughed
as his bright eyes scanned her face. "You know, Deliah, when I left
this room a while ago, I promised maself I wouldn't scan you for
your answer. And I didn't. And I wouldn't have now if you weren't
acting so peculiar."

"Tis be a fay thing, this
peculiar," she said airily, although unease twittered in the pit of
her stomach.

"Have you any idea why I'm
here?" he asked teasingly.

"Ta torment me, no
doubt."

"You're going to make me do
it, aren't you?"

Weary and frustrated, she
asked, "Do wha'?"

Walking back to her, he
lowered himself to one knee. "Get down on a knee." He took her left
hand and kissed the ring finger. "Take yer hand and asked for it in
marriage."

Deliah blinked down at
him.
"Ma
hand?"

"I would prefer all o'
you."

"Me?"

"Will you marry
me?"

"Me?"
she croaked, trying to retain her reasoning despite the
buzzing in her head.

"Who did you think I was
talking abou'?"

"No'...
me."

His arms went around her
thighs and he lifted her as he stood. Then he loosened his hold
just enough to let her slide against him until her feet were again
on the floor. Heat washed through Deliah and she found herself
breathlessly staring into a face glowing with love and such
devotion, she wondered if he had somehow cast a spell on
her.

Laughingly, he chided, "You
remembered 'brooding, chauvinistic, miserable, intense jerk at
times', but no' when I said I didn't want you to commit to marriage
wi’ou' knowing wha' to expect when I'm at ma worst?"

She thought this over and
blushed. "The worst case scenario. Aye. I do now."

"And?"

"Winston, I canna give ye
children, and I canna cook!"

His kissed one corner of her
mouth. "You are all the family I need. As for cooking." He released
a laugh and gave her an affectionate squeeze. "Like you said, we
can always hire someone." He took in a deep breath and released it
slowly while he soberly caressed her face with his gaze. When he
spoke again, his words were deep and husky, quivering with emotion.
"I've been such a fool, Deliah. I vow, if you marry me, I'll do
everything I can to make you happy."

Tears of joy spilled down
Deliah's radiant face. "Lovin’ me is enough." She reached up and
framed his face with her trembling hands. "Ye be ma lover, ma
hopes, ma dreams, and ma life, Winston Ian Connery. I vow to serve
ye proper wi' ma heart, ma mind, and ma spirit."

Now tears formed in his eyes
and a tremulous smile quirked on his lips. "Are you saying yes,
Deliah?"

"O' course, ma dour
Scotsmon. I will marry ye."

Winston wound his arms
tighter about her and nuzzled the left side of his face to hers.
Deliah wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him, glorying
in the feel of his hard body molded against her. Their hearts beat
as one in a symphony of profound love and joy.

"God, how I love you!" he
gasped, then laughed a bit unsteadily, drew back and looked deeply
into her eyes. "How anything so..." He brushed the back of a hand
down her cheek and hitched a breath. "...perfect could want
me!"

"Want?" she countered
softly. "Winston, ye be ma sun and moon, ma breath and ma pulse.
Wantin’ be no' the measure but the necessity. Wi’ou' love, life be
but fallow land, existin’ yet uncultivated. Wi’ou' ye, ma heart
would be barren and have no hope o' nurturin’ ma spirit. Want ye,
Winston? I
need
ye!"

Winston kissed her then,
passionately, deeply. Deliah didn't need to unfurl her wings for
she soared on wings of love, within an infinite blueness of
happiness. Whatever life brought them now, she knew they would face
it together. Darkness would never again find a place to hide, and
sorrow would never touch them long enough to even blemish their
lives.

By the time Winston ended
the kiss, Deliah was deliriously content. She dreamily peered into
his handsome face and mutely thanked the fates for delivering her
into his arms.

"Winston, make love to
me."

"Wouldn't you rather wait
until we're officially Mr. and Mrs. Winston Ian
Connery?"

Although his tone was almost
playful, she detected a serious note as well. She studied his
features for a few seconds more. When she spoke, her words were but
a whisper. "Our spirits were wed when first ye kissed me. Wait, ye
ask?" She smiled impishly then nipped his chin. "On ma word,
Winston, I'll perish from achin’ if ye dinna join wi' me
now."

In response, Winston lifted
her into his arms and carried her to the bed, where he stood for a
time staring into her face as if incredulous he'd truly been
granted fortune's favor.

"You have no
doubts?"

Deliah laughed. "Och, ye be
a pestin’ mon, ma Winston!"

Smiling from the depths of
his enlightened soul, he lowered her to the bed.

THE END

Mickee’s titles available in
e-books

* * *

Midnight Sun — Science
Fiction

Katiah Trilogy:

One Bright Star — Science
Fiction Romance

Written In The Stars —
Science Fiction Romance

Nova — Science Fiction
Romance

Haunting Rose — Historical
Time-Travel Romance

Everlasting Book 1 —
Supernatural Romance

Dawns Everlasting Book 2
(formerly Dusk Before Dawn) — Supernatural Romance

Love Everlasting Book 3 —
Supernatural/Fantasy Romance

* * *

Coming soon:

* * *

Hope Everlasting Book 4 —
Supernatural/Fantasy Romance

Time Everlasting Book 5 —
Supernatural/Fantasy Romance

Dreams Everlasting Book 6 —
Supernatural/Fantasy