The Midwife's Marriage Proposal

by Sarah Morgan

  And something far more basic.

  He gritted his teeth and shifted uncomfortably. Denying himself was becoming more difficult by the minute, and last night he’d had to get away from her before he gave in to the temptation to take whatever scraps she was offering.

  Even an affair had started to look good.

  Reminding himself firmly that the sort of affair he wanted lasted for a lifetime, he ran a hand over the back of his neck and looked at his brother. ‘Do you want to ask me about my speech?’

  Oliver yawned. ‘If you’re planning to shock the guests, I probably ought to warn you that they already know all my secrets.’

  Tom nodded. ‘Actually, I wasn’t really planning to talk about you at all.’

  An idea was beginning to form in his mind.

  ‘I am, after all, only the groom,’ Oliver muttered, his tone ironic. Then he caught the look in his brother’s eyes and squeezed his shoulder. ‘I don’t care what you say. We’ll all be drunk by then, anyway.’

  The organ sounded and Oliver straightened. ‘Here we go. And I tell you now, this is positively the last time I’m wearing this suit. When you finally get your act together and marry Sally, you take me as I am.’

  Tom glanced over his shoulder, tension rising within him as he saw Helen pause at the top of the aisle.

  Behind her was Sally, and Tom caught his breath. She was wearing a slinky green silk dress that hugged her figure and her blonde hair was caught up with delicate flowers.

  She looked young and vulnerable and Tom felt his throat close.

  How could he ever have let this woman go?

  He must have been mad.

  Watching them walk down the aisle, his eyes met Sally’s and held, refusing to let her look away.

  Had Oliver not nudged him sharply he would have totally neglected his duties as best man.

  But somehow he managed to get through the ceremony and the photographs, and finally he was in the car with Sally and Bryony on the short journey to the manor house where the reception was being held.

  ‘These shoes are killing me.’ Bryony bent down and undid the tiny buckles that fastened the shoes at the ankles. ‘How does Helen ever walk in these?’

  ‘I think she’s had special training.’ Sally laughed, lifting her dress slightly so that she could see her feet. ‘I have to confess that I love them, actually.’

  Tom swallowed, unable to drag his gaze away from her legs. She was wearing sheer stockings that shimmered temptingly and suddenly he wished that his sister wasn’t in the car with them.

  ‘You look beautiful, too, Tom,’ Bryony said teasingly. ‘Don’t you think he looks beautiful, Sal? But you’re very quiet, brother, darling. Why are you so quiet?’

  Sally looked at him, her green eyes searching. ‘Is your leg hurting?’

  The concern in her voice filled him with hope. If she was concerned then it must mean that she cared, and if she cared …

  ‘My leg isn’t hurting.’

  ‘Perhaps he’s nervous about his speech,’ Sally said huskily, and suddenly Tom knew exactly what he was going to say in his speech.

  And he wasn’t nervous at all.

  * * *

  Silence fell over the room as Tom rose to his feet, and the clink of glasses and the laughter gradually faded to nothing.

  Watching him from her seat, it occurred to Sally that while Oliver looked jolly uncomfortable in formal dress, Tom looked staggeringly sexy.

  But he was a man who would look sexy in nothing.

  And she should know.

  She looked at his handsome face, listened to the relaxed way that he opened his speech and the way that he had everyone laughing within moments.

  Last night she’d wanted so much to tell him that she loved him, but he hadn’t given her the chance.

  And that was her fault, of course.

  She’d rejected him repeatedly. What reason had she ever given him to believe that he could change her mind?

  Realizing with a lurch of horror and embarrassment that everyone in the room was suddenly staring at her, she gave a start and glanced towards Tom, wondering what he’d said to make all eyes suddenly settle on hers with speculation.

  His blue eyes gleamed with amusement. ‘As I was saying,’ he continued smoothly, ‘one of my duties as best man is to formally thank the bridesmaids and tell them that they look beautiful. So I’ll start with my sister. Bryony. You look great. Even if you can’t walk in the shoes.’

  There was a ripple of laughter around the room and then his gaze focused on Sally.

  The silence stretched on and on until gradually the people in the room started to look at each other with puzzled expressions, wondering what was happening.

  When he finally spoke, his voice was for everyone but his eyes were only for her.

  ‘And now I want to tell you something about Sally, apart from the fact that she looks great in her dress. Most of you probably know that I ended my relationship with Sally seven years ago.’ His voice was slightly hoarse and he cleared his throat, totally indifferent to the sudden rapt attention of everyone in the room. ‘What you probably don’t know is that I’ve regretted it every day since. I thought she was too young to settle down. I was wrong. I thought that she needed space. I was wrong. I thought that I knew better than she did what she needed, and I was wrong about that, too.’

  There was total silence in the room and Sally felt a few eyes turn in her direction but her own gaze was still locked on Tom’s.

  An odd smile played around his firm mouth. ‘I was wrong about a lot of things. But most of all I was wrong about how much she meant to me. By the time I discovered that she meant everything, it was too late because I’d already damaged our relationship. Perhaps beyond repair.’ He took a deep breath and finally dragged his gaze away from Sally and looked at his audience. ‘You’re probably asking yourselves why I’m admitting this in public. I’m going to tell you why. This is a small community and every time Sally and I look at each other someone decides that we should be back together. So I’m doing this in public, once and for all, so that everyone can know what the score is.’

  Sally’s heart was thumping so hard that she thought she might pass out.

  His blue eyes were warm on hers. ‘Sally—it’s traditional for the best man to give the bridesmaid a gift. Will you come here, please?’

  Her legs shaking, she somehow got to her feet and managed to walk the few paces towards him.

  He held out a tiny box.

  ‘This is my gift to you, Sally.’ He spoke clearly, so that everyone in the room could hear what he was saying. ‘I love you. I will always love you and while there is still breath in my body I will always be here for you. I want you to marry me. And I’m asking you in public whether our relationship is beyond repair. Last time I made the decision for both of us and I was wrong. Now I’m asking you to make the decision for yourself. Will you marry me?’

  Her hands were shaking so much that she couldn’t open the box. He took it gently from her and flipped open the lid with a finger.

  A gorgeous emerald, the exact colour of her dress, gleamed in a diamond setting and she gasped.

  ‘Oh, Tom!’

  He stepped closer still, lowered his voice, and this time his words were only for her. ‘I love you, angel, with all my heart. Marry me and I’ll spend the rest of my life proving that you can trust me.’

  He lifted the ring out of its box and there was an agonized silence while everyone looked at Sally expectantly.

  The hush in the room was almost deafening.

  ‘I love you, too.’ Her voice was little more than a whisper but he caught the words and a satisfied smile spread across his handsome face.

  ‘In that case, Sally soon-to-be-Hunter, you’d better wear that ring.’

  As soon as they saw him sliding the ring onto her finger, there were loud cheers and catcalls and shrieks of, ‘You may kiss the bridesmaid.’

  Tom did as he was ordered and Sally melted against h
im, feeling his mouth on hers.

  Then she remembered where she was and pulled away, glancing around self-consciously.

  ‘This is Oliver and Helen’s wedding.’

  Helen was by her side, clutching her arm in delight and excitement. ‘Oh, don’t apologize! That was the nicest wedding speech I’ve ever heard,’ she said dreamily, mopping the tears from her eyes, ‘and absolutely no one has fallen asleep.’

  ‘It suited me, too,’ Oliver muttered, reaching for his champagne. ‘Better than all those dull stories about my drunken student days.’

  Tom smiled and led Sally away from the table and out of the room, leaving the others to their champagne and gossip.

  ‘Where are we going?’

  ‘Somewhere where we can talk in peace without an audience. I don’t mind proposing in public but I draw the line at having observers for the next bit.’

  He pulled her into a small library where a log fire burned and closed the door, turning the key in the lock.

  ‘There are still things that haven’t been said. Let’s start with why you waited up half the night at the rescue centre and then cycled to the hospital.’

  She couldn’t stop looking at the ring that glittered on her finger. She twisted it, staring down at her finger in awe.

  A feeling of perfect happiness spread through her and she lifted her eyes to his, unable to resist teasing him just a little. ‘I waited at the rescue centre because I wanted to keep Sean company.’

  His blue eyes gleamed. ‘That’s what I thought. And you cycled to the hospital because you thought Ben wouldn’t be able to stitch me up without your help.’

  She fiddled with the ring again. ‘Sounds about right. And I also thought that, given you were injured, I might be able to have my evil way with your body.’

  He laughed. ‘So now the truth is out. Even though I was injured, all you could think about was seducing me.’

  ‘I’m afraid so.’

  ‘You had designs on my body.’

  ‘I’ve had designs on your body since I found out what a boy’s body is for,’ she murmured softly, her smile all woman as she finally looked at him. ‘Is it my fault if you’re a bit slow?’

  His eyes narrowed. ‘Last night in the hospital …’

  ‘I wanted to tell you that I loved you.’ Her voice was soft. ‘But we were surrounded by people and then you seemed so desperate to get away from me.’

  He gave a wry smile. ‘I’d reached the point where I could no longer be in the same room as you and not commit an indecent act.’

  She gave a chuckle. ‘In that case, I’m glad you just locked that door.’

  He slid his hands round her face. ‘I love you, Sally Jenner.’ His voice rang with sincerity. ‘Do you believe me?’

  ‘Yes.’ She nodded. ‘And I love you, too.’

  He closed his eyes and breathed out heavily. ‘I never thought I’d get you to admit that again. You used to say it to me all the time, and you have no idea how much I missed hearing those words from you.’

  ‘And I missed saying them.’

  His mouth came down on hers and he kissed her gently. ‘Am I allowed to know what changed your mind, or was it just an intolerable increase in your levels of sexual frustration?’

  She smiled, stroking a finger over his rough jaw. ‘I suppose you should thank Sean.’

  He frowned. ‘Sean?’

  ‘I never doubted that I loved you, Tom,’ she said softly, ‘I just doubted that I could give all of myself to you again. I was afraid to risk rejection for a second time.’

  ‘And what did Sean have to do with that?’

  ‘He pointed out that risk plays a part in so much of life, especially the parts that we especially value.’ She slipped her fingers inside the buttons of his shirt and heard his sharp intake of breath. ‘And right now we’re standing in a library with one hundred and fifty guests less than a shout away. Just how much of a risk taker are you, Tom Hunter?’

  He gave a slow smile and brought his mouth down on hers, unzipping her dress with a skill that would have earned admiration from James Bond.

  ‘I’ve always been a risk taker, as you know.’ His voice was husky as he backed her towards the sofa. ‘And I don’t intend to stop now.’

  * * * * *

  USA TODAY Bestselling Author

  SARAH MORGAN

  welcomes you to the Big Apple in her new fresh and sexy Made in New York series!

  Follow three best friends as they maneuver their way through love, careers and life in the bustling and exciting city of Manhattan.

  Made in New York series:

  MIDNIGHT AT TIFFANY’S (e-novella)

  SLEEPLESS IN MANHATTAN

  SUNSET ON CENTRAL PARK

  MIRACLE ON 5TH AVENUE

  “Morgan’s brilliant talent never ceases to amaze.”

  —RT Book Reviews

  For more irresistible romance, don’t miss these great titles in Sarah Morgan’s charming Puffin Island series!

  The windswept, isolated and ruggedly beautiful Puffin Island has a way of bringing people together in the most unexpected ways… find out how in:

  First Time in Forever

  Some Kind of Wonderful

  One Enchanted Moment

  These brothers are more tempting than dessert and twice as sinful!

  Be sure to also catch the O’Neil Brothers trilogy available now!

  Sleigh Bells in the Snow

  Suddenly Last Summer

  Maybe This Christmas

  “Uplifting, sexy and warm, Sarah Morgan’s O’Neil Brothers series is perfection.”

  —Jill Shalvis, New York Times bestselling author

  All available now in ebook format.

  Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers,

  free online reads and much more!

  Other ways to keep in touch:

  Harlequin.com/Newsletters

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  HarlequinBlog.com

  HQN Books is proud to present Made in New York, the fabulous new trilogy by USA TODAY bestselling author Sarah Morgan!

  Read on for an exclusive extract from MIDNIGHT AT TIFFANY’S, the enchanting novella that introduces the trilogy…

  She paused outside the glittering windows of Tiffany’s and he raised his eyebrows.

  “You like jewelry?”

  “Yes,” she murmured, “but that isn’t why I stop here. It’s a romantic place.”

  “It’s a store.”

  “It’s a store that sells dreams. I often come here late at night. There’s something sparkly and perfect about it.” She shook her head and gestured with her head toward a couple standing to the left of them, hand in hand. “See that woman’s face?” she whispered. “She looks ecstatic.”

  “Of course she’s ecstatic. He’s about to open his wallet and spend a fortune on her.”

  The couple wandered off hand in hand and Matilda sighed.

  “That isn’t why she’s ecstatic. She’s happy because she’s with him. It was in her eyes and in her smile. He makes her happy and they were choosing something that would tell the world they love each other. I’ve always thought working here must be fun. You see people at their best.”

  “And at their most terrified. I thought he looked pale. People working here probably need advanced emergency response skills.”

  It made her laugh. “You’re not a romantic.”

  “I’m a realist. A pragmatist. So far, all I know about you is that you spend a lot of time observing other people’s lives, have a secret life as a writer and have another job that you won’t share. You’re a secretive person?”

  “Not secretive.” She paused, realizing that was going to sound ridiculous given everything she’d told him. “I’m not always that great in big crowds of people. I’m more of a one-on-one person.”

  “One-on-one?”

  The atmosphere cracked with sexual tensi
on, intense and deliciously unfamiliar. She paused, uncertain what to do with it.

  This wasn’t love, was it? This was fun. And there was nothing wrong with having fun.

  So why did it feel as if she were standing on the top of a very high cliff, about to plunge into deep water?

  She wasn’t a brave person. She’d never been a brave person.

  She lived a small life in this big city, a tiny flickering candle eclipsed by bigger, brighter lights.

  They walked past the Plaza, to the edge of Central Park.

  The first spots of rain started to fall, scenting the air and dampening her emergency dress for the second time in one night.

  If she was going to make a move, it had to be now. Right now.

  But she wasn’t. She couldn’t.

  “So here we are.” She kept her voice light, trying to mask her disappointment and frustration with herself. “Central Park. Your final destination. Where do you live?”

  “I’m staying in an apartment a couple of blocks from here.”

  It was impossible not to be impressed. “Well, if you can afford to rent around here, then whatever it is you do with your life, you must be doing it very well.”

  The rain was falling more heavily now, huge cooling drops that landed on the trees with a hollow patter, drenching leaves and saturating paths.

  “Where do you live?”

  She thought of her cramped apartment and then took a deep breath. “I live in New York City, and that’s all that matters to me. I’d rather live in a small room here than a big apartment anywhere else in the world.” Not that she’d be able to afford a big apartment anywhere, but the principle was true. She tipped her head back, looking at the buildings rising above the shadows that were Central Park. The rain trickled through her hair and she smiled. “There is something magical about this city. I always have the sense that something unexpected could happen.”

  “Unexpected?” His voice was soft and he drew her against him with purpose. “You mean like this?”

  And without giving her a chance to ask what “this” was, he took her face in his hands, lowered his head and kissed her.

  What happens when Matilda decides to follow her heart and take a risk on the delicious man she’s just met?