The Most to Lose (31 page)

“With your brother. He can at least provide a roof over your head. I can’t.”

“Then you lied when you told me you loved me.”

Jonah set his whiskey glass on the desk. “I didn’t lie. I love you so much I’m not sure I’ll be able to survive the rest of my life without you. But that doesn’t change anything. I’m about to lose everything.”

Jonah stepped around the side of the desk and walked to the window on the far side of the room. “Did you happen to miss the score of men that lined the entryway when you arrived? Each one of them wants money that I don’t seem to have.”

Celie crossed her arms over her chest and forced herself to stay where she was. Oh, how she wanted to go to him. How she wanted to wrap her arms around him and feel the warmth of his flesh against her. How she wanted to cup her fingers around the back of his head and bring his mouth close enough to kiss him.

Her knees turned weak and she gasped a shuddering breath.

“Oh, I counted far more than a score of men demanding payment for bills we accumulated. There were at least thirty, and I imagine by now my brother’s army of solicitors is having quite the time trying to pay them all.”

Jonah turned to face her. “What did you say?”

Celie walked across the room and sat on the corner of the desk. “I said that I sent all of them to Hadleigh. He’s the one who created this problem. He can deal with it.”

Jonah’s eyes opened wide. “How did—”

“Amanda told him the truth about Melisande.”

There was a wary tone in Jonah’s voice when he spoke. “What truth?”

“That she was carrying another man’s child. That if the two of you argued that night, like he says he saw, it was no doubt because she was trying to force you to marry her.”

“How did she know that?”

Celie stood. She leaned forward until their bodies were so close she could feel the heat that radiated from him. “We can discuss that later,” she said, wrapping her hands around Jonah’s middle and pressing her cheek to his chest. “Much later.”

“Celie, what are you doing?”

“Shh,” she whispered, standing perfectly still. “I want to listen to your heart race in your chest.”

A low, earthy moan echoed in her ear, and Celie smiled. “Do you think you could put your arms around me, Jonah?”

He moaned again, this time with a more agonizing tone.

“Try, Jonah. It won’t hurt. I promise.”

Jonah lifted his arms and wrapped them around her, and Celie knew it was possible she could die from the rush of emotions racing through her.

“Now, do you suppose you could kiss me?”

“I think it’s possible, my lady.”

He lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

“I told Bundy he wouldn’t be needed any more today.” She tipped her head to the side to give him better access.

“Did you?” He kissed her again. His fingers skimmed over her shoulder, then around her upper arm, then traveled inside the bodice of her gown to cup her breast.

Celie felt the flames of passion build inside her. She was more than ready for Jonah to make love to her, and she didn’t want to wait one more minute.

“Jonah, kiss me.”

A seductive smile lifted the corners of his mouth as he lowered his head and covered her mouth with his.

His kiss was hot and demanding and wildly intoxicating. She gathered him closer and met his demands. She was desperate to show him how much she loved him, desperate to have him make her his wife.

Jonah opened his mouth atop hers and took possession of her. He deepened his kisses until neither of them could breathe; then, in a movement that caused a sudden void, he lifted his head and broke their kiss.

“Jonah?”

“Not here, Celie. Not like this.” He brought his mouth down on hers and kissed her once more.

“I want to make you a promise,” he said, brushing the backs of the fingers of one hand down her cheek while he held her close with his other. “I swear that you will never want for anything. I can’t promise I can provide all the luxuries you enjoyed under Hadleigh’s roof, but you will never go without. I will spend the rest of my life doing everything in my power to provide for you.”

“Do you think I will demand so much, Jonah?”

“I think you
deserve
that much. You are the rarest jewel in the world, and I am the most fortunate of men to have found you.”

Jonah’s face blurred before her and a warm tear of joy spilled from each eye to run down her cheeks. He wiped them away with his fingertip, then lowered his head and kissed her again.

“I was serious when I told your brother he could take whatever he wanted from me and it didn’t matter. Anything except you. I couldn’t have survived if I had lost you. I love you too much to live the rest of my life without you.”

Tears filled Celie’s eyes and Jonah’s tall figure blurred before her.

“I will give you a lifetime to show me how much you love me.”

“Only one lifetime?”

Celie swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. “No, I love you so much it will take a second lifetime to use all my love up. And maybe a third.”

“Then we’d better not waste a minute of the time we’ve been given,” Jonah said, and carried her up the stairs to the room they would share for the rest of their lives.

About the Author

L
aura Landon taught high school for ten years before leaving the classroom to open her own ice-cream shop. As much as she loved serving up sundaes and malts from behind the counter, she closed up shop after penning her first novel. Now she spends nearly every waking minute writing, guiding her heroes and heroines to happily ever after. She is the author of more than a dozen historical novels, and her books are enjoyed by readers around the world. She lives with her family in the rural Midwest, where she devotes what free time she has to volunteering in her community.