Landi playfully swatted his chest.
"Yes, show me where the frying pan is. I've got multiple uses for one of those," she joked, her tone revealing a mischievous threat.
He led her back inside, knowing he still needed to reveal everything he knew about her. He didn't want any more secrets to come between them.
"Darling," he said, sitting in a leather club chair and pulling her onto his lap in front of the stone fireplace. "I found out some things about your birth parents I think you'd like to know."
"Really?"
He saw something akin to worry pass over her face.
"Yes, Minx. I don't want any secrets coming between us again. Understand?"
Ireland nodded.
"Your father and mother were geologists. They moved your family to Nevada so your dad could fill a professorship at UNLV. The accident happened before the start of his first semester. You come by your love of rocks and fossils honestly."
Landi's eyes began to fill with tears. He caught each drop with his lips as they spilled down her cheeks, smothering her in kisses as small sobs wracked her frame.
"Shhh, Precious, don't cry. I love you so. I can't bear it."
She wiped her eyes and sniffled. James focused on the small twitch her nose gave. Her delicate features truly resembled that of a fairy.
"What else?" she asked.
"I think I've put together how Hatti and Bill came to raise you."
"Oh, that. Let's not go over it, James. I recently confronted Hatti and got the truth from her, at least most of it. I threatened to go to the police and relay the facts about her and the part she played in Rick's attack. I let her know she'd be considered an accomplice, since she told him where to find me. That scared her enough to force everything into the open. What it boils down to is that my parents hired her as a babysitter, and she allowed her husband, Bill, to take me across the state line to California for some reason. They kept me, illegally, after my parents died. Lucky for Greg, they didn't get their claws into him. Hatti tried to explain it by saying she couldn’t have children of her own and had grown attached to me. I've been wondering if they planned to kidnap me all along and just took advantage of the situation when my parents died."
"I'm sorry, Landi. One good piece of news is that Rick won't see the light of day for decades, if ever. He's got charges pending in three states and has pled guilty in another. He'll be up the river until he's an old man."
Ireland shook her head, regret showing on her face.
"Let's not talk about unpleasant things any—"
James captured her lips in another kiss. As she ran her fingers through his hair, he tightened his grasp on her waist and stood, hoisting her in his arms. He walked to the kitchen and sat her on the counter, where he could see her, eye to eye.
"One more thing. Remember when I reacted so violently at my sister's wedding to seeing you dance with Douglas?"
She nodded.
"It was only because of the investigation. The thought that you were lying to me—about anything—made me think that you might be mixed up in something nefarious. It drove me crazy. Greg's story wasn't adding up, and I so wanted to believe him and you. I was out of my mind, thinking my best friend had been lying to me. I realize now that I was already falling for you, and I didn't handle things well. Can you forgive me?"
She nodded again.
"Are you going to marry me then, Landi?" he demanded, his gaze fixed on her mesmerizing deep green eyes.
"Hmm," she purred, grazing the scar above his right eye with her thumb. "Did you get this in Afghanistan?" she asked.
"No. A cat scratched me in the fifth grade. Now stop avoiding my question," he commanded.
James ran his hands slowly up her arms and cupped her chin in one, tilting her small face from side to side. The other, he used to wrap a loose tendril around his fingers.
"You are so lovely," he growled.
He gave her a devilish grin before shifting a hand to her back and pulling her against his chest. She felt his hard muscles ripple against her soft parts as he tugged on her hair, forcing her mouth to his. James pressed his lips to hers passionately, leaving her breathless. Her heart pounded in rhythm with his.
"Your answer?" James held his breath.
"Yes," she whispered, nodding.
Relief and joy flooded his brain, sweeping away the guilt and regret he'd been burdened with for months. He stood silent, savoring the moment and the idea that she would be his, and his alone. He let a huge smile engulf his features until the muscles in his face began to ache.
"Do you want a big wedding? I'll give you whatever you want, Landi," he said, leaning forward. His deep voice rumbled in her ear.
"Who would come?"
"Lots of people. Your brother and his nurse friend, Katrina and Robert, of course, my dad, Kiki and that cowboy of hers, your accomplices and friends at the Gemology Institute, your museum friends—the list goes on and on, Kumquat."
Ireland beamed more with each person he mentioned. He loved to see her smile.
"There are a lot of people who care about you, Landi," he added, drawing her into another kiss.
He took his time, gradually increasing his intensity. Like months before, Ireland felt they were almost one person. Her small form molded against his large frame, and they moved in unison. Her diaphragm heaved with ragged breaths as sparks of passion coursed through her.
"What say you?" he murmured.
She tried to calm herself before she lost all control.
"I say, this thin air is getting the better of my senses. Let's elope."
James broke away from her and laughed out loud. He ran his fingers through her hair and allowed his eyes to roam over her features, admiring each one.
"You really are a little Minx."
Thank you so much for reading A Calculated Romance. If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving a short review. Also, if you'd like to join my exclusive readers list and receive updates on future books and free offers, head over to my website at https://www.violetsparksauthor.com and click on the big purple subscriber's button near the top. I look forward to hearing from you!
Other books by Violet Sparks
A Solitary Romance: Katrina Crimshaw leads a double life as an auditor by day and jewelry blogger at night. When she meets the man of her dreams, again, her life becomes even more complicated. Juggling success under a pen name with her day job and continued encounters with Robert, the man from her past that she adored from afar, proves complicated for the shy bean counter. When an attractive museum director enters her life, all bets are off as the day dreaming Katrina tries to make sense of her predicament. When passion flares in this second chance romance, will she let love slip through her fingers again? A Solitary Romance is a clean romance that will set readers’ pulses racing and book one of the Only Love Series.
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A Lone Star Romance: She's an expert in Asian art and antiques from Los Angeles sent to an isolated ranch to catalog an important collection. He's a Texas cowboy. Sparks were bound to fly. On the eve of Kiki Tam's professional big break, circumstances collide to throw her in the path of an irritable cowboy, unlike anyone she's ever met. The exotic beauty easily makes friends with the staff and ranch hands of the Bar H, despite feeling like a fish out of water in the wilds of Texas where she's been sent to evaluate her client's trove of Asian art. One particular man seems to relish getting under her skin. Do they have more in common than what surface details suggest? A Lone Star Romance is book 2 in the Only Love Series, sweet romances that will set the reader's pulse racing.
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