Tempting a Gentleman by Smith, Ann (bearly read books .txt) 📕

“I had not pictured to be an ocean apart from my wife when I proposed. But I’ll not force you to do anything against your will. I had assumed as part of the Network, you understood our lives would never be the same once we received the mark.” He took the apple and bit deeply to prevent himself from speaking more.

“I do understand, and that’s the reason why I’ve been bloomin’ workin’ day and night to prepare.” Emma reached back into the basket and pulled out a roasted chicken leg.

Swallowing, Christopher asked hopefully, “Prepare to leave?”

Emma sat there, staring at him as she chewed the dark meat that she’d bitten off. It felt like a century before she finally patted her mouth with a napkin and said, “Aye.”

He lurched forward. A great wave of energy forged through him. His forehead touched hers, and he kissed her smiling lips. “What made you decide to leave?”

“Hmm…let me see, it might have been yer dastardly kisses.” Emma giggled as he kissed her again. Pulling back, his wife-to-be cupped his face and stared into his eyes. “I’m sorry, me noggin wasn’t workin’ right when ye first explained. I was confused and scared.”

Christopher lowered his head again. This time he lingered, taking his time to kiss Emma until she relaxed against him. He wanted to reassure her, banish her worries. When she looped her arms about his neck, he relaxed into the kiss and savored the sweet taste of her mixed with the remaining tart juices of the apple.

His elbow hit the basket, and he remembered where they were. “Emma, I must tell you something.”

She tilted her chin up. He couldn’t resist. He bent and indulged in sultry open-mouth kisses until she was left breathless.

He ran his thumb over her furrowed brow. Emma said, “Now ye have me worried again.”

“Emma Lennox, I’ve fallen in love with you.”

“But ye hardly know me.”

“That is the madness of it.” He searched her eyes for understanding and then added, “I’ve never believed a person can fall in love with another upon sight. Yet, since the day I met you, I’ve not been able to think upon anyone else. At first, I thought it was merely physical attraction, but that doesn’t explain why it is your voice in my head challenging me to do better or why I want to seek out your opinion on everything.”

She placed a hand over his heart, and the parchment crinkled. He sat up, pulling her with him. Christopher reached into his pocket and withdrew the list with the names of the Network contingent they were to escort. “And I’d dearly love your advice on the list of people Landon and I have devised.”

Emma peered down as he unfolded the paper. Head bent, she asked, “Wot’s it say?”

He pulled her closer and then pointed to the first column. “Their names,”—he shifted his finger to hover over the next column—“and these are the advantages and disadvantages we considered if they were to leave their present position.”

Emma pointed to the top of the list. “’Tis me name. Why did ye fink I should go with ye?”

“Those reasons were developed by Landon, not I.”

She tilted her head to look up at him. He couldn’t resist kissing the frown from her brow. “I couldn’t be objective. I desperately wanted you to come with me. I couldn’t bear the thought of not waking up next to you every morn, but I didn’t want to force you into something you would hate me for later.”

"I love ye for giving me the time to figure it out on me own.” Emma rested her head against his shoulder and released a sigh. “I’m looking forward to marrying ye, Christopher Neale, but I’m afraid once we wed, ye’ll not be able to get rid of me. I’ve been told I’m rather stubborn, and I’ll not be separated from me husband.”

Reaching into his coat pocket once more, he extracted Emma’s ring. Twirling the gold band until Emma could see the engraving, he said, “It says, me kisses are fer ye.”

Emma stared at the posy ring and then raised her hand out for him. As he slid the ring on her finger, Emma pressed her mouth to his. She shifted. Her knees on either side of his hips, she straddled him and pushed her chest to his. She was so close he could feel her heart beating as wildly as his own. Christopher wrapped his arms around her waist. He was never letting go of this woman.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Firmly seated upon her betrothed’s lap, entangled in his arms, Emma’s entire world narrowed and centered upon one man—Christopher. Warm. Safe. Secure. Her worries about the future slipped from her mind. Undoubtedly, they would return later, but for now, she wanted to languish in the moment. Emma boldly pushed Christopher to lie on his back.

“Ow.” His head had hit the floor.

Rolling forward, Emma placed her hands on either side of Christopher’s head. She giggled and removed the half-eaten chicken leg that he had landed upon. “Sorry.”

Taking the bone out of her hand, Christopher threw it back into the picnic basket. Face-to-face, Emma raised her hand and smoothed the worry lines creasing his forehead. Dark shadows sat beneath his playful brown eyes. “I can see ye have been working long hours.” She cupped his face and ran her thumb over his cheekbone. He needed rest. He needed a wife to take care of him.

He turned and kissed her palm. “Requesting a member to give up the only life he or she has ever known is not something one does without significant consideration.”

At the tender gesture, she lowered to capture the lips that had just branded her hand. Emma meant to lightly brush her lips over his, but when his fingers curled behind her head, she crushed herself to him until he was the one left breathless.

Shifting down his hard body, she rested her cheek on his shoulder and peered up at him. “Is