"You're so cute when you blush." He kissed her fingers and then pulled her inside.
All of the tables inside of the shop were full, but luckily the line to buy food was short. Still she wasn't concentrating much on sandwiches. Gideon was gazing at her with a look of utmost adoration and it was hard to think about anything but his magnetic eyes.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"Huh?" She glanced at his lips, misjudging his question.
"To eat, Nora." He snorted, following her gaze. "We'll get to kissing later."
"That wasn't what I was thinking about at all," she said.
"Uh-huh." He sounded like he didn't believe a word of it.
"Just order me whatever you're having," she said, embarrassed and wanting to shoo him away as quickly as possible.
"Gotcha." He was still smirking even as he went to order dinner.
While Nora hung back—she needed time to recover from her embarrassment—a beautiful brunette woman walked up to her.
"Your boyfriend is attractive," the woman said, sounding like she was testing to see if they were really together.
Nora's kneejerk reaction was to say that he wasn't her boyfriend, even though he was. After all, the two of them couldn't stay away from each other. Even as Gideon ordered sandwiches and proceeded to the cashier, he constantly glanced back at her, seeking her out time and time again. Suddenly, she didn't feel embarrassed for wanting to kiss him anymore.
She felt proud because she was the only woman who could.
"He's gorgeous and he's all mine." Nora shot a possessive look at Gideon that couldn't be misconstrued even by the biggest idiot in the world.
The brunette looked startled by her announcement and scampered away. When Gideon returned with their meal a moment later, he was practically skipping as he escorted her out of the restaurant and over to the park. It was only when the two of them took a seat at a picnic table that she wanted to learn the cause of his smugness.
"Why are you smirking like that?" she asked.
"I just heard something pleasant." He whistled.
"What was it?" She raised an eyebrow.
"'He's gorgeous and he's all mine,'" Gideon mimicked her. "I believe that's what you said just a few moments ago, wasn't it?"
Oh no. He'd somehow heard her conversation with the woman.
"How did you hear that?" She leapt to her feet.
"I'm an angel." Gideon tapped his ear. "I have superior senses."
"Heaven help me." She groaned in her hands.
"I like being all yours." Gideon seized her arm. "It's rather nice that you were jealous, but you don't have to worry. I'll never touch another woman except you."
The words pleased her, but she tried to hide it.
"I wasn't jealous," she said.
"Sure you were." Gideon pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her waist. "And I loved that. It means that you care about me. If you weren't jealous, then we'd have a problem."
For a moment she tried to come up with an argument, but it was hard to think when she was in Gideon's warm arms.
"Fine," she admitted. "I was jealous."
Gideon chuckled, making her whole body vibrate. As his warm hands tightened around her waist, he buried his face in her neck, laying warm, gentle pecks along her skin. She went limp, completely unable to fend off his advances. And she didn't want to either. As she whimpered, she realized that Gideon had been right when he'd said that his kisses could instantly silence her. If there was one thing that could put a stop to her temper, it was being embraced by Gideon. The man's touch was her kryptonite, the one thing that brought her to her knees.
I'm so doomed, Nora thought, squeezing her eyes shut as he sucked on her skin. Though he pulled away from her neck a moment later, he turned his attention to her ear instead, kissing the fragile flesh of the lobe. She was in such a state of bliss she couldn't help but wonder if maybe she'd died after all and this was her version of heaven.
As she gave a euphoric sigh, Gideon nuzzled her hair.
"You know, I meant it when I said I want to marry you," Gideon said.
Her brain started functioning again at once.
"Are you serious?" she asked.
"Yeah. I love you and I want to be your husband." Gideon nodded. "I know that I have my shortcomings, but I promise I'll support you and take care of you."
Though her mind had started working again, her thoughts were rocketing around so fast it was hard to form a coherent sentence.
"Are you sure?" she finally said.
"I've never been surer of anything in my entire life," Gideon said. "Will you marry me?"
Her breath caught in her chest. She knew that she and Gideon hadn't been together long, but he was the one she pictured in her head when imagining the family she longed for. Gideon could rile her up, but he could calm her down too. And most importantly, he made her feel loved. She knew that as long as she was by his side, he'd always be there for her.
At that moment, she realized she wanted to marry him.
"Yes," she said.
"Really?" Gideon pulled back enough to have a clear view of her face.
She nodded.
"I'm sorry I don't have a ring," Gideon said quickly. "I really should have bought one before I proposed, but I just wanted to—"
"Gideon," Nora said, interrupting his whirling chatter.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"I don't mind that you don't have a ring," she said. "The only thing I care about is you."
"Oh." The words made Gideon pause.
Before she had time to blink, Gideon flipped her around so she was facing him. Though straddling Gideon's lap at a picnic table wasn't exactly appropriate public behavior, she thought she deserved a little leeway after a marriage proposal. Besides, it didn't matter who saw them anyway. They were in love. She snaked her legs around Gideon's waist, drawing the man closer. As she rested her splayed hands against his chest, he smiled at her in a way that was sheer magic. Suddenly, it was difficult to remember how to breathe, a problem that had never occurred before.
She spent a few seconds studying Gideon's face, taking in all of his glorious features—the high arch of his brows, his strong chin, the dark day-old growth on his jaw. Even his breath, which tickled her face, smelled heavenly. As she simpered, Gideon's hands glided around her neck, his long fingers tangling in her dark hair. She stared deep into his eyes, loving the way she could see every last fleck of caramel. During that one suspended moment of time, she felt as though she was swimming inside of him. Their hearts were mingling, combining, loving.
After Gideon consumed her mouth so urgently it made her gasp, their mouths began mingling and combining too.
She could feel every inch of him and only wanted more. Her hands traveled everywhere from his muscular shoulders to the hard plains of his chest. The man was as solid as a statue, but he was ten times as warm. That overpowering heat was one of the many things she loved about him. In order to feel that warmth, she pressed herself harder against him. The action made Gideon so frantic that his fingernails bit into her scalp, driving their lips closer still.
During their kiss, it was a battle of passions. As he nibbled on her bottom lip, she responded by deepening their kiss. As she did so, she couldn't help but think, I'm going to marry this man. The thought only spurred on her desires. Not long ago she'd thought she would never find love, but her perfect match had been waiting for her just around the corner. Life could be so unexpectedly beautiful. This moment was a testament to that.
Unfortunately, the kiss could not continue forever and Gideon pulled back. The man rested his sweaty forehead against her own, his breathing ragged. She was in a similar disheveled state as he held her.
"Who would have guessed that trying to tempt you to sin would be the best decision of my life?" Gideon said.
"Not me." She smiled at him.
"Not me either," Gideon said. "But I love you."
"I love you too," she said.
Just when she managed to catch her breath, Gideon kissed her again. At that moment, she realized her future would contain billions of kisses just like this one.
Nothing could have pleased her more.
Epilogue
Thirty-eight-year-old Nora Greyson lingered in front of an orphanage. Her eight-year-old daughter, Daphne, stood beside her, squirming. The girl was the spitting image of her dad, Gideon. She had his luxurious dark hair, caramel eyes, and golden skin. Daphne was a true beauty. Nora knew that her little girl would grow up to be ten times more beautiful than her.
And possibly louder too.
"Mom, I don't want to go to the orphanage," Daphne whined. "I want to go home."
Okay, not possibly louder. Definitely louder.
"Daphne." Nora sighed.
"Is there trouble brewing in paradise?" she heard Gideon say from behind her.
Thank heavens Gideon finally caught up with us, Nora thought, turning around. He'd had to pull Lucas and Aria from the car, so he was trailing behind. Between being eight months pregnant with her fourth child, Eli, and trying to keep hold of Daphne's hand, she was about ready to have heart palpations without him beside her. Gideon was always a helpful father…even when he was pulling two children behind him.
"I want to go home." Daphne trotted over to her dad, holding out her hand even though it was pretty obvious he was occupied by six-year-old Lucas and four-year-old Aria. "Please, Dad."
"You know we've been talking about this for months," Gideon said patiently. "We're about to adopt a new baby, so we can't go home. Aren't you excited to have a sister?"
"Do I have to share my toys?" Daphne asked.
"I'm afraid so, sweetheart," Gideon said, never one to forgo using a nickname.
"Then I'm not excited." Daphne's bottom lip trembled.
"If you behave, you'll get ice cream," Nora said, knowing full well how to placate her daughter.
If she and Daphne shared one thing, it was a love of sweets.
"Ice cream?" Daphne stopped pouting at once. "Chocolate ice cream?"
"Chocolate ice cream." Nora held out her hand to her oldest child.
"Well, I guess having another baby sister won't be so bad." Daphne skipped over to Nora and grabbed her hand.
"Mommy saves the day again." Gideon kissed Aria's head. "Yay for mommy, right guys?"
"Yay for mommy," Lucas echoed, mostly because he was always trying to copy his dad.
As Nora waited, Gideon finally caught up to her.
"Speaking of mommies, are you feeling okay, Nora?" Gideon asked.
Gideon was always careful with her when she was pregnant, even though she'd given birth to Daphne, Lucas, and Aria without a problem.
"I'm fine." Nora placed her hand on her pregnant stomach. "Though Eli is kicking up a storm."
"I can imagine," Gideon said. "But are you sure you can handle having Eli and an adopted baby?"
"I'm sure I can handle it. Besides, you know how badly I want to adopt a child," she said. "I have to at least help one underprivileged kid have a happy life."
"I know," Gideon said. "I love you more for that. And if there's anyone who can handle five kids, it's us."
"Let's just be sure not to make it six kids, shall we?" Nora said. "Eli was an accident because a certain someone couldn't keep his hands to himself."
"What can I say, I have a really sexy wife." Gideon smirked at her.
"I'm almost forty," she said. "I don't feel sexy at all."
"You could be a hundred and forty and still be sexy," Gideon said.
"Oh, Gideon." She rolled her eyes, but it was hard not to be pleased when her husband said things like that.
"You still blush after all these years." Gideon gazed at her with his eyes brimming with affection.
"Hmph," she said.
As he chuckled, Gideon held the kids and kissed her at the same time. The man was a pro at stealing kisses.
"Gross," Daphne and Lucas chorused together.
Aria just laughed. She was the giggly sort.
"I think we'd better go inside before the children faint from disgust," Nora said.
"Yeah, we can continue this in private later," Gideon whispered, winking at her.
As she blushed—darn it all, she should really learn to stop that—she pulled Daphne through the front door of the orphanage. At that moment, Nora knew her life was going to change forever.
THE END
About the Author
Amy Malone Evanston grew up on a farm in Afton, Wyoming. An avid animal lover, she has a houseful of cats and dogs. Her goal, along with expressing herself through writing, is to open an animal rescue. Along with reading and playing with her pets, Amy loves cake, good friends, and sweet tea. You can reach Amy at [email protected].
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