An Unconditional Surrender (In Love and War Anthology)
Page 11
“One word.” His heart swelled as her gaze softened and slid to the square of paper. His hope swelled.
“Which word would that be?”
“The right one.”
He stood there, his bare feet fused to the carpet as she slowly smoothed the bills and folded them before tucking the wad back into her pocket. His pounding heart timed the silent, excruciating seconds as she leaned down and picked up the note, unfolded it, then carefully smoothed that out, too. She took her sweet time reading the short statement and burning question he’d scrawled after. She took so long, he not only knew what her answer would be, he was certain she was enjoying every raw, bloody second of his torture. Christ, could this woman be cruel! He didn’t care. Especially when he knew what was behind it. She might understand his silence at Rurik’s, but she also intended to make him earn his forgiveness. Fine with him. He wasn’t about to give up now. But he would have to make her pay, too.
“Yes, I’ll marry you.”
His heart exploded with joy. He had no idea how he managed to stand there and calmly nod as he absorbed the sheer ecstasy that showered back down, but he did. Nor did he have any idea where he found the strength to slowly shake his head. But again, it was there. He used it. “Sorry, that’s four words.”
When her gaze widened slightly, he knew she knew he was on to her. “Oh.” She blinked. “Well, I guess the deal is off then.”
She spun around—and got precisely nowhere. His hands whipped out before he could stop them. He hauled her in close, locking her wrists together with one of his hands as he swung her around with the other. He leaned in closer, staring directly into her eyes. “As long as you’ve overpaid, give me the rest.”
“You’re cheating.”
“This isn’t a game anymore, Danielle.”
She nodded solemnly. “I know. I also know I shouldn’t have walked out eleven months ago. I should have decked you and maybe given you a chance to explain. But I shouldn’t have left.”
“No, you shouldn’t have. But I shouldn’t have waited so long to tell the old man off, either.”
“Why’d you finally do it?”
“Because once I got you alone, in my house and in my bed, I knew I’d never be able to let you go again. I should have said then, before we left for work, what I wrote in that note.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“’Cause I was scared, honey. We’ve known each other for so long. Hell, I’ve always known you were attracted to me. But what if that was it? What if you didn’t feel the same way deep inside your heart? What if it was just adrenaline?”
“You really think adrenaline can cause what happened on your bed and in your shower? Beside my car? What happened against that wall tonight? What happens between us whenever we’re this close?” She dragged her gaze down to his mouth and dragged her husky whisper even lower. “What’s happening between us right now?”
“Hell, no. But I need to know what you think. What you feel. Dammit, Danielle, I need to hear the words.”
“Come closer.”
He leaned in until the tips of their lashes meshed. He was so close her very breath was turning him on. He could feel the soft, cool suction against his lips as hers parted, inhaled, and then the warm, slow wash as she exhaled. He felt each and every excruciatingly slow breath that followed, every single sensation as she shifted to scrape her lips across the individual hairs that formed the scruff on his cheek—until she stopped, and then finally, mercifully, filled his ear with her throaty whisper.
“I love you too, Jack.”
The burn returned. This time, not just to his heart. The ache spread out, searing through every single inch of his body as he turned his head and leaned down to sweep her up in his arms. He carried her into the bedroom, right up to the bed he’d turned down almost an hour before, claiming her lips as he laid her out and sank into her curves. He delved deep inside her mouth, capturing the sigh from her heart and dragging it into his own, savoring it for so long that when he finally poured it back into her, it had turned into a hoarse, needy groan.
He didn’t care.
It might have taken him eleven years and he might have had to cheat a bit along the way, but every blessed moment had been worth it. Because he’d finally won the most precious prize of all. The complete, unconditional surrender of Danielle Stanton’s heart. He intended on treasuring it and her for the rest of his life.
IN LOVE AND WAR
Copyright © 2003 by Harlequin Books S.A.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-6271-7
The publisher acknowledges the copyright holders of the individual works as follows:
A MILITARY AFFAIR
Copyright © 2003 by Merline Lovelace
COMRADES IN ARMS
Copyright © 2003 by Eileen Nauman
AN UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER
Copyright © 2003 by Candace Phillips Irvin
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