Gently, oh so very gently, he captured her shoulders, taking care with her injury.
“For the first time in my life, I’m thinking about a future, about passing the ranch on to future generations. You’re the only woman I’ve ever wanted as a wife.”
Unable to fathom his meaning, scared that she was misunderstanding, she remained silent.
“I’m messing this up. Elissa Conroy, I want you to marry me. To spend our lives together. To be the mother of our children.”
Everything he said was making her wildest dreams come true. Then he dropped to one knee, completing the fantasy.
“Will you say yes?” He captured her hand. “Tell me you love me and that you’ll be mine, Elissa.” His voice held an entreaty. “Will you make me the happiest man in the world? Will you allow me to spend every day trying to make you happy?”
“Jacob, I…” Everything they’d gone through was pushed aside. All that mattered was this moment. “Yes. I love you. Being married to you is my dream. I can’t imagine anything more perfect. I want to be your wife. I want us to have kids.”
He grinned. “Four?”
Her heart was racing, and she was giddy from excitement. “No. Two.”
“To start.”
“I thought you were kidding about having that many.” Frantically she shook her head.
“Having babies with you is not something I joke about. We can get started whenever you want. I’ll let you set the pace in case you need time to recover.”
Her mouth fell open when he stood and plucked her glass from her hand. He placed the delicate flute on the mantel before sweeping her into his arms and turning toward the stairs.
“Hold on to me, Elissa.”
For the rest of her life. “Always.” She grabbed his shirt for stability. “This is getting to be a habit I like.”
“I’ve got a few more habits I’d like to establish with you, Ms. Conroy.”
“Do you indeed, Mr. Walker?” She snuggled against the strength of his chest. “Would you like to talk about them?”
“I do believe I’d rather show you.”
“In that case, Sir…” She gave him her cheekiest grin. “What are you waiting for?”
When they reached the master bedroom, he carried her inside, kicked the door closed, then proceeded to show her exactly how he intended to keep her happy for the rest of her life.
For the first time since they’d been together, Elissa was up before Jacob. She turned over in the bed of their borrowed home and watched him sleep.
Yesterday, when he’d stormed into the garage apartment, tension and fury had channeled deep lines beside his eyes. Afterward, when he sat next to her on the floor, he’d offered a reassuring smile, but concern for her had darkened his green eyes.
Last night, their lovemaking had been incredible, but he’d been gentler than she wanted. When she asked for a scene, he said she’d gone through an ordeal and he wanted her wound to heal first.
The only thing she’d wanted was to forget the horrible fear when that man, Rollins, crashed through the door and the terror that rocked when she was afraid she might never see Jacob again.
If she’d had any doubts about her love and devotion to him, they’d vanished in that moment. She was committed to spending forever with him, no matter the sacrifices.
Sometime around two, Jacob had dragged her against him and muttered soothing words until she responded by turning over and blinking her eyes open. Screams from her nightmare had awakened him.
For an hour they’d sat up, and he listened while she talked about the experience she’d been through. He hadn’t dismissed anything she said, and instead reassured her that processing it would help her move beyond it faster.
Comforted, she’d drifted off in the security of his arms.
This morning, in the soft, filtered light of dawn, he looked a decade younger. Gently she smoothed back a lock of his dark hair before sliding from beneath the covers and silently walking to the closet to find a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Then she slipped into the plaid shirt he’d lent her when they took a moonlit stroll after dinner.
In the kitchen, she found a jar containing an assortment of teas, and she selected a calming one. Today, she didn’t need caffeine.
And since he always took such good care of her, she made a pot of coffee for him before going out onto the deck to enjoy the new day, and the first one of their future together.
She’d just taken the first sip from her cup when he joined her, the waistband of his jeans seductively hanging open, his denim shirt unbuttoned to reveal the lean lines of his abs and the sleeves turned back to show off his biceps. “I don’t think there’s a better-looking man on the planet.”
“No?” Holding an oversize mug, he took a seat across from her. “Then we have something in common. I don’t think there’s a more beautiful woman in the universe.”
Elissa angled her head. “It seems we’re charter members of our very own fan club.”
“Membership does have its advantages.”
“Such as.”
His grin was wolfish. “Exclusive access to other members.”
“I’m interested in hearing more about that.”
“Oh. You will. Without a doubt.” He took a drink, then skimmed his gaze down her body. “How are you feeling today?”
“A million times better. Physically as well as emotionally.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“Thank you for letting me sort through it last night.”
“In every way, Liss, I will be here for you.”
The nickname was new, intimate. No one else had ever called her that, and she smiled at him, liking it.
“After your bath, I’ll change your bandage. And we can go into town for brunch, maybe do some shopping.”
“If it looks as if it’s healing, can we do something else with our day?”
“Hmm.” He stared into his mug, pretending to ponder her meaning. “Like what?”
His perplexed expression was so comical she had to laugh. “I want to have my wicked way with you. Reverse cowgirl so you can spank my ass while we have sex.”
He arched his eyebrows. “That was specific.”
“And even if my arm is hurting, we can still manage that.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
“Come on, it has to be better than lugging shopping bags around for me. Right?”
“Woman, at what point will you realize I won’t compromise your health? I’ll carry a thousand bags before I let that wound get infected.” He placed his cup down, clanging it onto the metal table. “The reverse cowgirl while I slap your sexy little butt will definitely happen. When I say.”
She scowled.
“Give up the fight. I’m the Dominant.”
“And you have my permission to say so.” Her words were carefully selected, provocative and cheeky.
He grinned then, something more feral than playful, and her stomach took a nosedive. “Okay, subbie. Off your ass and up the stairs. I’ll have a look at your injury and then decide what kind of punishment is in order.”
His words thrilled her too much to even pretend to apologize.