“I know.” He grabbed her by the wrists and dragged her back down into the sand. “But isn’t it worth it?”
“I—”
He put his hand around the back of her neck and held her against him as he kissed her, long and deep. When he finally lifted his mouth away from hers, she was breathless and her heart was pounding, and even the starlight seemed to dance with joy.
He looked down at her, and his sculpted mouth curved upward. “Well?” he said, his voice husky. “Is it worth it?”
“Yes,” she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Oh, yes.”
He gave a low laugh. “Good.”
They lay there without speaking for what seemed like forever. Lay in each other’s arms, in a world of perfect bliss. The soothing roar of the ocean, the smell of salt in the air, the soft wind that whipped across their skin—Helen couldn’t even imagine a more perfect night.
Only it wasn’t really night any longer. All around them, the starlit darkness was fading into dawn. On the horizon she could just see the first pale light streaking across the clear blue sky.
Helen took Patrick’s hand and pointed toward the dawn. “Look,” she said softly. “Isn’t it perfect?”
“Perfect.” He kissed her neck, his unshaven cheek rasping faintly against her skin. “Our first sunrise together.”
She turned her head and smiled at him. “The first of many.”
“The first of many,” he said, his silver eyes filled with the dawn’s reflected light. “And then many more after that.”
She caught her breath. “Patrick....”
He tightened his arms around her. “I love you, Helen Stewart. I love you and I want to marry you more than anything else in the world.”
Tears of joy sprang to her eyes. “And I love you, Patrick Monaghan. I want to marry you and have your children and—”
“Ah, sweetheart.” He buried his face in her hair, his breath warm and sweet against her skin. “You couldn’t say anything that would make me happier. But you don’t have to say that for me. I know how much your career means to you.”
“It is important to me,” she said slowly. “But it’s not the only important thing. Not anymore. Patrick, I want to have your children. I want to have a family. Here in Evergreen. With you.”
“Here?” He pulled back just a little and looked into her eyes. “What about that job in Olympia? The one the attorney general offered you? Don’t turn it down for me—I’ll move there with you. Gladly.”
She shook her head. “I want to stay here, where our children can grow up surrounded by family.” She smiled suddenly. “And do you know, I’ve been asked to run as the new Evergreen County Prosecutor?”
An answering smile spread across his face. “You have?”
“Yes, and I think I’m going to do it. If I win the election, I’m sure I can run a good clean office where justice is more important than politics. Running is a gamble, but I think it’s worth the risk.” She looked into his eyes. “You taught me that, Patrick. You taught me that nobody can live their whole life in control of everything. Sometimes...sometimes you have to risk something—even everything—to get what you really want.”
He curled his callused hand around her cheek. “But once you’ve got it,” he said, his voice and his eyes filled with love, “you know you’re the luckiest person alive.”
“Yes,” she whispered against his mouth. “Oh, yes.”
ISBN : 978-1-4592-6585-1
MOTIVE, MEANS...AND MARRIAGE?
Copyright © 1998 by Hilary Schmidt
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Silhouette Books, 300 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017 U.S.A.
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
“You wanted to rip his bead off?”
Letter to Reader
Dedication
About the Author
The Silhouette Spotlight - “Where Passion Lives”
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Copyright
Motive, Means... And Marriage? Page 26