Her eyes widened slightly before she said, “I love you, too.”
She loved him too. Knowing all she knew about him, about his childhood, about his mother and father, and about his sister, Juliette still loved him. This beautiful, intelligent, brave, spirited woman loved him. Unable to speak, he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms tightly around her slim waist and holding her against his chest. The heady scent of jasmine washed over him. He lowered his head to hers and kissed her, deeply, thoroughly. She clung to him, kissing him ravenously in return.
The weeks without her melted away as he breathed in the familiar fragrance of her hair, felt the softness of her breasts pressed against him, caressed the silky skin of her arms, and tasted the sweetness of her mouth and tongue. Juliette loved him and he loved her. Nothing else in the world mattered.
She whispered, “I was so afraid that I would never see you again.”
“I couldn’t let that happen to us, which is why I came to London to get you.”
“When I saw you walk in the room tonight I thought you were a dream.”
Again he kissed her, the inherent passion between them rising instantly. For days he had dreamed of holding her this way again. It was where she belonged.
With great reluctance Harrison slowly released her. He had to before he did something reckless with her right there in the Sinclairs’ stately garden. Besides, there was still another matter he needed to resolve with her.
“There is something else I wish to apologize for,” he said softly.
“What could that be?” she asked, brushing her lips close to his cheek.
“I apologize for not doing this properly the first time.”
Her brows drew together in puzzlement as she looked up at him.
His voiced choked a little. “Will you marry me, Juliette?”
Suddenly she stiffened in his arms and attempted to break free from his embrace.
“What is it now?” he asked, releasing her as if scalded.
“I don’t know…” She became rather flustered and reached for his hand, but he pulled away. “It’s just that…”
“It’s just that what?” he demanded, growing impatient with her. Honestly, how many times could a gentleman’s offer of marriage be refused before he got the message? “It’s just that you don’t want to marry me?”
She grabbed his hand quickly. “No, it’s just that…It’s just that the very idea of marriage scares me.” Her voice faltered.
“What do you mean?” He held her hand tightly in his, feeling the smoothness of her skin. He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to it. “You are not afraid of anything.”
“Yes, I am,” she confessed in a very serious tone. “I am afraid that you will control my life and make my decisions for me.”
Harrison said, “I would expect us to make decisions about our life together.”
“You are too used to being a captain and giving orders.”
“I can promise to try not to order you about.” For Juliette he would try anything.
She eyed him with suspicion. “I’m still afraid.”
“Of what?” he asked.
“I am afraid that I won’t be the kind of wife that you expect me to be, and I will disappoint you and we will both end up regretting it.”
Harrison looked deeply into her eyes. “And just what kind of wife do you think I expect you to be?”
“A respectable, traditional wife. I think you want one who will obey you and would not argue with you about anything, and one who can properly manage your house. You want a wife who waits for you at home while you sail around the world.”
Her tender confession touched him and he suddenly understood. “What kind of wife do you think you would be, Juliette?”
“One who would most likely not obey you, nor even always listen to you. One who would argue with you and probably infuriate you.” She continued in a hesitant voice, “But I would also be one who would be honest and loyal. One who would want to travel with you and sail away with you. One who would love you and make you laugh, and hopefully make you proud.”
Harrison’s heart flipped over in his chest. He leaned down and kissed her lips tenderly, the taste of her leaving him wanting more. He then whispered in her ear, “That sounds like the only wife I could ever want, Juliette.”
She gazed up at him in wonder. “Are you quite positive about that?”
He could not imagine sharing his life with anyone else but Juliette. She was the only woman for him. “You are perfect for me just as you are.”
“Harrison,” she whispered as she rose on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her soft lips to his.
Her sweet kiss almost undid him. “So is it yes?”
“I suppose so,” she answered slowly.
“You suppose so?” he echoed in disbelief. “I’ve asked you so many times now that I deserve a definite yes at this point.”
“You have only asked me once,” she argued. “The other times you told me that you had to marry me because it was your responsibility. Consequently, I did not think you truly wanted to marry me. So, I actually have not refused your offer at all. I only disobeyed your orders. Does that surprise you?”
“Not at all,” he admitted. He laughed and pressed her closer to him. Life with Juliette would be exactly the way she described it. She would infuriate him and delight him. She would love him and gamely follow him wherever he sailed. And he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Where would we live if we were to be married?” she asked him. “Here or in America?”
“Anywhere you want.” The answer came so easily he surprised himself with his response. He honestly did not care where he lived, as long as Juliette was in his arms each and every night.
“Could we sail around the world together?”
He reached out to brush a stray tendril of hair from her face. Traveling with Juliette had already proven to be an experience like none other. Showing her the world would be a dream come true. “Of course. China. India. Africa. Fiji.”
“What about children?” she questioned, her eyes narrowing.
His heart almost stopped at the prospect of having children with Juliette. What beautiful, spirited offspring they would have. “If we are fortunate enough to be blessed with children, we shall bring them with us.”
“What about Melissa and my sisters? When would we be able see them?”
“We can visit them or they can visit us as often as you like. They can even travel around the world with us, if that is what you wish.”
She finally paused in her questioning and gave him an assessing glance. “You are making this very difficult for me to say no.”
“Then say yes.”
The silent pause lengthened as he waited anxiously for her response.
“Yes.” She smiled at him, a smile that lit her beautiful face from within. Her eyes never left his. “Yes, Harrison Fleming, I will marry you.”
Overwhelmed with happiness at her words, he leaned down and kissed her soft lips, sinking into the warmth of her. He held her in the circle of his arms, this amazing woman he loved more than he ever could have imagined.
This woman who would be his wife.
A young female voice called from the house. “Are you two ever coming back inside? We are holding dessert for you, and it is ice cream so you had better hurry!”
Harrison and Juliette looked at each other helplessly, both wishing they could be alone for a while longer.
“That would be Yvette,” she murmured with regret in her tone.
“I suppose we should go back in and face your family,” he suggested.
Juliette nodded. He took her hand in his and led her through the garden and into Devon House.
Yvette waited for them just inside the doorway, eyeing them curiously. “I was supposed to find out if you wanted to have dessert with us.”
“Thank you, Yvette,” Harrison said with an amused grin. He was sure the young girl was sent
as a not so subtle hint to let the two of them know that they had been outside alone for long enough. “We would love to have dessert.”
They followed her back to the dining room, where everyone was still seated at the table chatting amiably. Surprised to see that Juliette was blushing, he squeezed her hand in silent encouragement. His love for her flooded him with happiness. They remained standing near the table as Harrison declared, “We have an announcement to make.”
A dramatic hush fell over the dining room and all eyes focused expectantly on them.
Harrison could not help but smile as he said, “I have asked Juliette to be my wife and she has agreed.”
The room came alive with a chorus of excited shouts and cries.
“That’s wonderful news!” Colette exclaimed, jumping up from her chair.
Suddenly Juliette was surrounded by Yvette, Paulette, Lisette, and Colette, who excitedly hugged her. A bit of pandemonium ensued for a moment or two while they hugged him as well. It occurred to Harrison that he had just gained four more sisters, and oddly enough that thought pleased him. He now had an even larger family.
Lucien’s parents offered their good wishes, as Lucien shook his hand.
“Congratulations, my friend,” Lucien offered affably. “Welcome to the family.”
“I knew she would eventually come around and see the wisdom in marrying you,” Jeffrey said to him in a low tone, after shaking his hand as well. “You are a lucky man, Harrison Fleming.”
“Don’t I know it!” Harrison winked.
Then Jeffrey said to the room in general, “What we need now is to celebrate with some champagne! I think even Yvette should be allowed to have some!”
As footmen hurried to fill crystal flutes with champagne, congratulatory toasts were made in their honor. Harrison took Juliette’s hand in his once again, happier than he had ever been in his life.
30
Smooth Sailing
Harrison and Juliette were married within the week. Juliette had not wanted a grand and traditional wedding and saw no reason to wait, for they both wanted to return to Fleming Farm and see Melissa again as soon as possible. Lucien managed to quickly procure a special license for them and they were legally wed in a brief and intimate ceremony in a small chapel.
They day they were to sail to America, Juliette bid a tearful good-bye to her sisters, with heartfelt promises of plans to visit as frequently as possible.
“You must come visit at Christmas,” Colette pleaded, her eyes red from crying.
“Oh, Juliette will probably be in China by then!” Paulette quipped while sniffling.
Juliette nodded, her heart filled with emotion, giving each of them one last hug good-bye. Leaving them this time had a finality about it that she had not felt before. She would never come home to live with her sisters again in the way that they had always done. She was highly aware of that fact. And so were they. “But you will have to come and visit us too,” Juliette said. “There is so much I want to share with you and show you there.”
Jeffrey saved a special hug for her, holding her tight before whispering, “You found your highwayman, Juliette, and I am happier than anyone for you.”
She smiled inwardly as he referred to her ideal man. Leave it to Jeffrey to say something unexpectedly sentimental that completely melted her. She would miss her friendship with him, and again she knew instinctively, that it would never be quite the same between them now that she was married. “You will find someone perfect for you. I know you will. And no one will be happier for you than I will,” she whispered back before he released her.
As the biggest adventure of her life was about to begin, Juliette waved good-bye to her family. Once again aboard the Sea Minx, this time as Harrison’s wife, Juliette greeted the crew with a delighted smile. The sailors applauded the newly wed couple with whoops and hollers.
Robbie shyly congratulated her. “It is good to see you again, Mrs. Fleming.”
Yes, she was now Mrs. Harrison Fleming. She had resisted becoming his wife, anybody’s wife for that matter, for so long. Now that she was married to Harrison she could not imagine her life any other way.
“It’s good to see you too, Robbie,” she said.
Being on the Sea Minx again, she felt a sense of homecoming. She loved the ship that had given her her very first taste of freedom and independence and adventure. Or had that more to do with Harrison? It was difficult to say because the two were forever linked in her heart.
Gazing at her handsome husband who stood behind the wheel of his beautiful ship, his blond hair glinting in the sunlight and his powerful arms turning the wheel, Juliette knew she would never be bored being married to this amazing man. She loved him more than she realized.
As the great ship made its way forward, Juliette stood beside Harrison behind the wheel.
“Anywhere in particular you would like to visit first, Mrs. Fleming?” he asked her playfully, his eyes dancing.
“After we go home,” and how good it felt to refer to Fleming Farm as home, “it does not matter where we go as long as I go with you, Mr. Fleming,” Juliette replied, her heart brimming with happiness. Harrison had come for her and she never wanted to be without him again.
“That can easily be arranged,” he whispered.
“I love you, Harrison.”
“I love you, Juliette.”
The sadness she felt at leaving her sisters began to fade as she looked out to sea and looked forward to her new life of adventure. With Harrison by her side.
Dear Readers,
I hope you enjoyed reading Desire in His Eyes and following Juliette’s little adventure into the world outside Hamilton’s Book Shoppe.
I think the best part about reading a series is that the stories don’t end, and I can continue following the characters I’ve grown to love. It’s great knowing I can read more about their lives and don’t have to say good-bye just yet. Writing my own series is special in that same way. I can keep writing characters that I love, while still introducing new ones.
So if you are interested in knowing how the lives of the other Hamilton sisters turn out, read on to get a little preview of my next book, which, of course, is about the third sister. Sweet, unassuming, and dependable, Lisette Hamilton is so busy caring for others, she rarely thinks of herself. But what happens when Lisette’s neat and orderly plans for her life are thrown into turmoil when she accidentally meets a very handsome stranger?
Thanks for reading!
Kaitlin O’Riley
www.KaitlinORiley.com
Lisette Hamilton never saw him coming.
Later on she supposed that because she was rushing it was her own fault. But still he was just as much to blame. A man should always be mindful of where he is going and should take more care when rounding a corner and not throw himself about like a cannon out of a barrel. None of it would have happened at all if she had simply stayed in the carriage. But no, she had stopped for a moment to visit with Mrs. Brooks. Since Lisette was planning to marry the woman’s son, of course she had to stop and speak with her. It was Henry’s mother, after all. Yvette had already been complaining of a headache, so Lisette had instructed their carriage driver to take her younger sister home while she remained. She chatted with Mrs. Brooks longer than she intended before realizing how late she was. Lisette detested being late. Hated to think that anyone was waiting for her or inconvenienced in any way by her tardiness. It was the height of rudeness.
Consequently she was walking as fast as she could, her little black boots clicking along the cobblestones of the neat alley behind Devon House. The alleyway was empty of people except for Lisette that chilly November afternoon, and the sky was heavy with dark clouds. She pulled her muff closer to her for warmth. Just as she reached the corner, bordered by a high brick wall covered in a thick blanket of ivy—BAM—she ran smack into a wall of another kind.
Knocked flat on her back with an impossibly tall man on top of her, she could not breathe.
When Lisette opened her eyes, she found herself drowning. Drowning in a pair of the bluest eyes she had ever seen. Not just a regular, ordinary blue, but the clearest, purest sky blue. The word cerulean came to mind. The color of the sky on a clear spring morning. At first they were wide with surprise but then they narrowed their focus on her. Her heart seemed to stop and the world faded around her. Neither she nor the man spoke or moved for a full minute.
They simply stared in mute fascination of each other.
Oh, but the rest of him was fine also. His face was arresting in its perfection. A strong jaw. An aquiline nose with just the slightest tilt at the end. A mouth that looked as if it smiled easily. He was not smiling now though. No, but his lips were close enough for her to feel his breath on her cheek. A lock of his light blond hair fell across his forehead in a boyish way.
She wondered if she knew this gentleman. The familiarity of him called to her, but she could not place him. Had she met him recently? At the book shop perhaps? No. No, Lisette had never met this man. She certainly would have remembered him. And how wonderful he smelled, like spices and bayberry.
As she lay with this handsome stranger, Lisette completely forgot where she was going and why she was in such a hurry to get there. She lost herself in the feel and the weight of the length of his muscular body pressed against hers, barely noticing the cold cobblestones beneath her. His long legs nestled intimately between hers. The heat and strength emanating from him kept her quite warm. A strange lethargy crept over her as her body melted with his.
The gentleman gently touched his gloved hand to her face in a soft caress.
“Are you all right?” His voice fell in a silky whisper around her, as he traced the side of her cheek.
Even speaking could not break the strange spell she was suddenly under. Lisette only nodded her head in response to him. Her heart pounded wildly.
He leaned even closer to her, placing the lightest of kisses on her cheek. The brush of his warm lips on her skin sent a shaft of pleasure coursing through her entire being. Lisette thought she would faint. This was mad! She did not even know this man, yet here he was…. His lips moved closer to her own, and she held her breath, hoping against hope that he would kiss her. Heaven help her, she desperately wanted this man to kiss her. Wanted to feel his lips pressed against hers. She yearned to kiss him.
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