‘OK.’
He slanted her a musing smile. ‘Just OK?’
‘You want I should argue?’
His mouth curved, deepening the faint vertical grooves slashing each cheek. ‘Sassy, huh?’
She lifted their linked hands to her mouth and brushed his knuckles with her lips. ‘Happy,’ she declared quietly. ‘And so in love with you.’
Jared paused in reaching for the door, and drew her into his arms. His lips touched her temple, then trailed to the edge of her mouth, savoured the sensual curve and absorbed the sound of his name as it rose from her throat.
A hand slid beneath her hair, cupping her nape, angling her head as he embarked on an evocative tasting that left her weak-willed and yearning.
He released her slowly, and his eyes darkened as she ran the edge of her tongue over her lower lip.
‘If we don’t get out of here, I doubt we’ll make it at all,’ Tasha opined shakily.
Without a word Jared reached out and opened the door, and they crossed the foyer to the bank of lifts, where one took them down to the basement carpark.
Jared set the Jaguar across the bridge spanning the river, and drove through the city to suburban Ascot.
Late spring saw many gardens bursting with flowers, their colours varying from a wild, unplanned mix to sculptured colour-co-ordinated beds carefully tended by an expert’s hand. Neat mown lawns, symmetrical topiary, and clipped shrubbery.
A delightful suburb, with beautiful tree-lined avenues, spacious older homes, some of which were set in their original grounds and occupied by second-and third-generation families.
There were also the newer residences, built of brick and stone, cement-rendered, modern, with floor-to-ceiling glass the better to view the river and inner harbour.
Tasha was intrigued when Jared turned off the main road circling the river and began an ascending gradient that took them high onto the hill.
‘I’m not exactly dressed for visiting anyone,’ she began cautiously, aware of her jeans and top, and he offered a warm smile.
‘You’re fine as you are,’ he assured as he accessed an avenue, drove a hundred metres, then turned into a curved driveway.
The house stood well back in large, spacious grounds, and it was all she could do not to breathe an appreciative sigh as she admired its gracious lines, the verandas framing the east and west sides. French doors, shutters…a beautiful blend of stunning architecture.
The only thing blotting such perfection was a cavernous hole in the grounds, and a mound of builders’ supplies which indicated interior renovations together with the addition of a swimming pool.
The view was fantastic, and would hold an even wider scope from any of the upstairs windows. Although she doubted she’d have the opportunity to see it.
Jared drew the car to a halt and released his seat belt. ‘Let’s go in, shall we?’
Tasha followed suit and slid to her feet. There was a gentle breeze, the air crisp and clean, and she caught the drift of scented roses from a manicured rose-bed near by.
‘Are we expected?’ It was Saturday, mid-morning. The owners could be out, or perhaps ferrying children to a sports activity.
At that moment the double front door opened and a middle-aged couple stood framed in the aperture.
‘Mr North.’
Mr North seemed formal, unless they were clients. Which hardly made sense, when this was supposedly a social call.
‘Amy and Joe Falconer. Tasha Peterson.’ Jared performed the introduction. ‘Amy and Joe are live-in caretakers until the renovations are completed.’
Disbelief was replaced by incredulity as she searched his features. ‘This is your house?’ Pleasure lent a sparkle to her eyes. ‘You bought it?’
‘Yes. Let’s go indoors and explore.’ He placed a hand on her shoulder. ‘You can tell me if you like it.’
Large rooms, polished floors, high ceilings… She moved from room to room, loving the open fireplace, the spaciousness, the wide curved staircase leading to the upper floor.
‘What’s not to like?’
Delight was evident in her expression, and he curved an arm around her shoulders as they ascended the stairs.
Tasha listened to his plans as he led her along a wide central hallway. ‘The bedroom next to the master bedroom is being turned into a nursery,’ he outlined, indicating the partly finished structural changes. ‘And the two rooms on this side will become a study and law library.’
There were three remaining bedrooms, two of which connected to an en suite, and a larger room with its own en suite.
‘What do you think?’
‘It’s beautiful,’ she said with heartfelt sincerity.
‘The decorators are due to start the week after next. I want you to have an input in the colour scheme. Then there’s furniture and furnishings.’
He had everything in hand, and that took some planning. ‘When did you buy the house?’ She told herself it didn’t matter, that knowing was merely a curiosity factor.
‘I’ve had my eye on it for some time.’
‘That doesn’t answer the question.’
He grasped both her hands, then slid his own up her arms to close over each shoulder. ‘I clinched the deal within days of you telling me you were pregnant.’
‘You were that sure of me?’
‘I was sure of my own feelings,’ he said gently. ‘Certain I wanted to be with you for the rest of my life.’ He cupped her face, tilted it. ‘I just needed to prove it to you.’
She wasn’t capable of saying a word.
‘There are a couple more things.’ He released her and reached into the pocket of his jeans. ‘This.’ He caught hold of her left hand and slid a ring onto her finger.
This was an exquisitely cut pear-shaped diamond which tore the breath from her throat.
‘We have a date with a minister two weeks from today.’
‘Two weeks?’ She could feel her head begin to spin. ‘You’re joking…aren’t you?’ She couldn’t possibly organise a dress—
‘No,’ Jared refuted, watching the play of emotions on her expressive features. ‘And yes, you can,’ he added gently, reading her mind. ‘I’ll arrange the reception venue, caterers. Just family and close friends. All you need to do is take care of yourself.’
And he did. Calling in favours, arranging everything down to the finest detail.
Tasha enlisted Eloise as her matron of honour, and her life became a whirlwind as they did the bridal boutiques, the couture houses, added lingerie to the list, indulged in a facial, massage, and bought make-up.
‘Shop till you drop’ was Eloise’s favoured modus operandi. Add a full work schedule, and each day seemed more hectic than the last. At night Tasha fell asleep in Jared’s arms, then rose to repeat the previous day all over again.
‘You’ll stay with us the night before the wedding,’ Eloise declared, only to have Jared issue a rebuttal.
‘The hell you will.’
‘Don’t want to let me out of your sight, huh?’
‘Got it in one. Besides, Eloise will keep you up all night talking “girl-talk”.’
That was entirely possible, and she offered him a wicked smile. ‘I’ll tell her to be here at ten.’
‘The groom isn’t supposed to see the bride on her wedding day until she walks down the aisle,’ Eloise protested fiercely when Tasha relayed she’d be leaving for the church from Jared’s apartment. ‘Don’t you dare imagine you’re riding in the same car to the church.’
‘Separate times, different cars,’ Tasha vouched.
‘That’s OK, then. Now,’ Eloise continued with unquenchable enthusiasm. ‘Let’s go through our list again.’
With only one day to go, ‘the list’ had diminished to a few last-minute essentials. Thank heavens. There had been times when elopement seemed an enviable option.
It was late when she slid into bed, and she sighed as Jared drew her close.
‘Relax,’ he bade quietly. ‘And e
njoy.’
He began with her feet, massaging gently, easing out the kinks in her calves, thighs, and she closed her eyes. It was heaven, all of it. A lover’s touch. There was nothing to surpass the blissful release of emotions.
When her breathing became deep and even, he carefully pulled up the bedcovers and settled down beside her, content in the knowledge of what the next day would bring.
Saturday dawned with a sprinkle of rain which cleared by mid-morning, followed by warm sunshine and azure skies.
It was a perfect day for a wedding. Although Tasha wouldn’t have cared if the heavens opened and provided a deluge of rain. It was the occasion that held importance, not the weather.
‘Nervous?’
She stood still as Eloise fixed the coronet of miniature roses in place.
‘No.’ There were no doubts, no hidden insecurities. Just a feeling of everything being right.
Eloise pressed the last hairclip in place, then stepped back to admire her handiwork. ‘Beautiful,’ she complimented gently and met Tasha’s smile via mirrored reflection.
‘Thanks.’
She’d chosen simplicity over froth and frills for her gown, and the fitted bodice with its scooped neckline, capped sleeves and gently billowing skirt complimented her slender figure.
A single pearl on a delicate gold chain and matching ear-studs completed the image, and her make-up was skilfully minimal.
‘OK, sweetheart,’ Eloise declared with impish affection. ‘Let’s get this show on the road.’
Family and close friends were already gathered inside the small stone church when the hired limousine deposited Tasha and Eloise immediately adjacent to the main doors.
Monica stood inside the vestibule, and she stepped forward to give Tasha a reassuring hug. ‘I love you.’
Tears shimmered in the woman’s eyes, and Tasha felt her own fill with moisture. ‘Ditto,’ she responded quietly.
‘Cool it,’ Eloise admonished succinctly. ‘Smile now, cry later. Think happy.’
‘We are,’ Tasha and her prospective mother-in-law assured in unison.
‘Jared’s waiting.’
And he was, standing tall with his back to the altar as he watched his bride step down the aisle.
Tasha saw only him, and her gaze became trapped in his as the congregation faded from her vision. It was as if they were the only two people in the world, and her mouth trembled at the depth of emotion evident in those dark eyes. For her.
Her breath caught in her throat, and she was prepared to swear her heart stopped beating for a few seconds as sheer joy became an overwhelming entity.
She reached him as no other woman ever had, or ever would. Truly beautiful where beauty really mattered…in the heart and soul. It was something he’d never hold back from telling her.
Just as he had no intention of holding back now. To hell with convention and protocol.
Jared lifted his hands and captured her face, then he lowered his head and kissed her…with such lingering thoroughness it almost melted her bones.
‘If the bride and groom are ready, perhaps we can begin?’
There was a ripple of amused laughter from the guests, and Tasha whispered, ‘This is a serious occasion.’
‘I’ve never been more serious in my life,’ Jared reiterated, and brushed his lips to hers for good measure.
The ceremony held a special significance, as did the solemn words binding them together, and afterwards their shared happiness was something to behold, bringing a catch to many a female throat as the evening progressed.
It was almost ten when they took their leave, and used a chauffeured limousine to drive them to Jared’s apartment, where they changed into casual clothes, collected overnight bags and took the limousine down to the Gold Coast.
Constraints of work and his appearance in court meant they only had the weekend, and they’d opted for the Main Beach apartment rather than a hotel.
Jared switched on the lights and locked the door as Tasha crossed the lounge and stood looking out at the view through floor-to-ceiling glass.
Tall apartment buildings with various lit windows outlined against an indigo sky. A steady stream of cars traversing the highway with their twin beams of light. The inky blackness of the river flowing out into the open sea.
‘Looking at something in particular?’ Jared drawled from behind.
She’d sensed rather than heard him cross the room, and she leaned back against him as his arms circled her waist.
‘It’s beautiful,’ she said simply, indicating the night-scape. ‘I don’t think you could ever get tired of looking at it.’
He rested his chin on top of her head. ‘Did I tell you how much I love you?’
She smiled, a warm, generous curve widening her mouth. ‘Not in the last few hours.’
‘Or how beautiful you are?’
‘A girl could get a swelled head,’ she teased lightly, and felt his lips shift to nuzzle at the edge of her neck. Sensation shimmered through her body, heating her blood with need.
‘I want to hold you, touch you,’ he said gently as he swept an arm beneath her knees and lifted her against his chest. ‘And never let you go.’
Heaven, she breathed with a sigh, was right here with him. Deep in her heart she knew it always would be.
‘Sweet-talking me into bed, huh?’ She linked her hands at his nape and pressed a string of kisses to the edge of his jaw.
‘Do I need to?’
He reached the bedroom and gently released her to her feet.
‘I’m yours,’ Tasha vowed softly, pulling his head down to hers. ‘Always.’
The kiss became an erotic, evocative imitation of the sexual act itself, satisfying to a degree, but not enough.
Her hands tugged the shirt free from his trousers as he reached for the hem of her top, and seconds later they caressed warm, silk-smooth skin, the touch of lips, hands brought forth a telling sigh, a husky groan in the prelude to a long, sweet loving lasting far into the night.
They rarely made it out of the apartment during their stay, and only left the bed to shower and eat.
Monday morning they rose soon after the dawn, showered, dressed, drove to Tedder Avenue, where they ate breakfast at one of several pavement cafés, then they joined the stream of traffic traversing the highway to Brisbane.
Jared drew the car into the pavement outside her office building and pressed a brief, hard kiss to her mouth.
‘Have a good day.’ His smile was something else, and she could have drowned in the wealth of emotion in his dark eyes. ‘Take care.’
She trailed gentle fingers down his cheek. ‘You too.’
His hand closed round her wrist and brought her fingers to his lips, touching them to the ring he’d placed there only two days ago. ‘Until tonight.’
She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. ‘Count on it.’ Then she slid from the seat, closed the door, and stood watching as he eased the car into the traffic.
Life, she accorded in silent bemusement, didn’t get any better than this.
EPILOGUE
SIOBHAN MARIE NORTH made her appearance into the world three days early via an emergency Caesarean section, and proved with ear-splitting velocity there was nothing wrong with her lungs…or anything else, thank you very much.
Her father was utterly captivated at first sight, treating her as something so infinitely precious he intended to fiercely defend with his dying breath.
Dark hair, delicate features, she resembled her mother in miniature, with an impatience to feed that hinted at a strong mind.
‘Stubborn,’ Jared teased gently.
‘Determined,’ Tasha corrected, and felt her heart melt at the depth of love evident as he watched mother and child.
His gaze lifted to meet hers, and the heat in it seared right through to her soul. ‘How soon before you can come home?’
Her smile held a mischievous sparkle. ‘Five or six days.’
They took Siobhan home on t
he sixth day to be greeted by a doting grandmother. Monica revelled in the role, and organised meals, household chores for a few weeks, and returned for the christening.
A year to the day when Tasha had first discovered her pregnancy. The date had been a coincidental choice, and she wondered if Jared realised its significance.
Their daughter had been changed and fed, and was on the verge of sleep as her parents stood close by, arms entwined round each other’s waist.
The nursery light had been dimmed, the baby intercom system switched on, and a sense of peace reigned.
‘No regrets?’ Tasha queried quietly.
‘Not one.’
His incredulity meant more than the words.
‘I’m glad.’
‘Independence is a fine thing in a woman,’ Jared said gently, lowering his head to brush his lips to hers. ‘But you didn’t stand a chance of it being anything other than temporary.’
A matter of weeks, she mused in retrospect, her flight from his apartment and their separation a vivid memory.
‘She’s asleep,’ he confirmed softly, easing his wife from the room.
The christening had gone well, Siobhan was a model babe, and the small celebration for family and close friends had been a success.
Now Jared had a few plans of his own.
‘I should go downstairs and—’
‘No.’
‘No?’
‘I have something else in mind.’
‘Such as?’
‘The way I figure it, we have three hours before our daughter is due to wake.’
An impish bubble of laughter escaped her throat. ‘And in those three hours you hope to achieve…?’
His hand slid down to cup her bottom, then traced her spine to settle at her nape. ‘A leisurely lovemaking with my wife.’
‘I think that could be arranged.’
‘A little persuasion might help?’
Tasha turned in to him and pulled his head down to hers. ‘Try me.’
He did. With such care, his degree of tendresse made her want to cry.
‘I love you.’ Words eloquently spoken in the aftermath of passion.
Words they both knew they’d repeat again and again in the years to follow as they travelled life’s journey together. And beyond.
The Pregnancy Proposal Page 13