“Dorothy,” he muttered into her hair and pulled her closer. “I, too, have thought of you, and wanted this to happen.” He kissed her ear then trailed his lips to hers where he hungrily kissed her. But before she had time to respond the way he wanted, he pulled back. “I cannot, Dorothy.”
Slowly, her happy expression disappeared. “Why?”
“I cannot take advantage of you because you are a lady, and I shan’t ruin you. Unless…”
She cocked her head. “Unless what?”
“Unless you say you’ll marry me as soon as I can obtain a license.”
Squealing with joy, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly. He lifted her in his arms and swung her around, laughing. Once he set her back on her feet, he stroked her hair and stared into her dreamy eyes. “I take that as a yes.”
“Yes, my dearest Calvin. Marrying you will be a dream come true. But…” Her smile dropped again. “Why do you want to marry me?”
“I want to marry you because you make me laugh. You make me feel whole, which is something I haven’t felt for quite a while. I can be myself around you without anyone ridiculing me. Plus, I love listening to you. I love watching you. I love…you.”
“I love you, Calvin Seton.” She sighed and threaded her fingers through his hair. “I suppose I can tell you know what Grandfather said about you.”
He held his breath as he dared not even blink. “What?”
“He is very impressed with you. He didn’t think you would be able to find me or even bring me back here. Because you did—and you’re still in one piece—he thinks very highly of you.”
He arched an eyebrow. “He does?”
“Indeed. Not only that, but he is in hopes that you have strong feelings for his granddaughter.” She winked.
Whooping with joy, he picked her back up in his arms, swinging her around once more. “This makes me so happy.”
“Just as long as the granddaughter you have feelings for isn’t Lady Fanny.”
Chuckling, he shook his head. “No need to fear. You are the only one in my heart.”
He kissed her again, passionately. When the kiss finally ended, she sighed and laid her head on his chest.
“Now we will have to decide where to live.”
“My dearest, Dorothy, I’ll live wherever you want. If you’re not comfortable around these stuffy noblemen, then we shall return to New York and live above the inn.”
“Really? You would do that for me?”
“Yes.”
“What if we make a compromise? Half the year we can live here, and the other half in New York?”
He stroked her cheek. “My sweet, as long as you are with me, I’ll be the happiest man alive.”
“And beside you will be the happiest woman alive.”
“Mmm…” He pulled her closer. “That sounds like the perfect life for me.”
The End
**READERS**
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Other stories from Marie Higgins
“Winning Mr. Wrong” – Romantic Comedy (LDS novel)
“Heart of a Hero” – Historical romance
“Hearts Through Time” – Time-travel / suspense romance
“Secrets After Dark” - Paranormal / suspense romance
“It Must Have Been the Mistletoe” – Christmas short story
“Dreaming of You” – Christmas Inspirational
“Crazy For You” – Romantic comedy
Christian Historical Series
“A Walk In Heaven” – (book 1)
“Reaching Heaven” (book 2)
“A Touch of Heaven” (book 3 not out yet)
Regency Romance Series
“The Sweetest Kiss” – Regency romance (book 1)
“The Sweetest Touch” – Regency romance (book 2)
“The Sweetest Love” – (book 3 not out yet)
“The Sweetest Secret” – (book 4 not out yet)
Victorian Romance Series
“Love Me Always” – book 1
“Charmed By Knight” – book 2
“True Love’s Deception” – book 3
“Belong To Me” – book 4
“Love Comes Blindly” – book 5
Colonial Romance Series
“Take My Heart” – (book 1)
“Falling In Love Again” – (book 2)
“Wonderland By Night” – (book 3)
Becoming A Lady Page 8