The River Nymph
Page 34
Over labored pants, she thought she heard him murmur, “I love you, too.”
But she could not be certain. Perhaps he had not heard her declaration of love. But she would have to work up courage enough to finish tonight what had begun between them so many months ago. A soft, sad smile curved her lips as she held him closely and said, “This all began with a poker game…and now it’s come full cycle.”
“Mmm,” he murmured, nuzzling her neck, planting a kiss on her shoulder, ready to resume making love again.
“No, Clint,” she said softly, firmly, sliding from beneath him and sitting up. “There’s something we have to discuss.” He watched as she raised the dripping bottle of champagne from the bedside ice bucket. “Will you do the honors?” she asked, offering him the bottle and a linen napkin.
He took the bottle and opened it quite expertly, pouring into two glasses, which she provided from the small table beside the bed. He leaned back against the pillows and pulled her to his side, raising his glass for a toast. “Shall we drink to next spring’s run up the Missourah?”
She clinked her glass against his and took a sip. “It’s Missouri,” she corrected, watching him swallow. “But that isn’t exactly what I wanted to discuss.”
He looked at her over the rim of his glass. “No?” he prompted, taking another swallow.
“You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?”
“Only seems fair, Deelie, considerin’ you haven’t exactlybeen easy on me since the day we met,” he said with a glint of amusement in his eyes.
“All right,” she said, tossing back the rest of her glass and placing it forcefully on the table. “Will you marry me, Clint Daniels?”
He could see she was holding her breath. Ever so slowly, he drained his glass, then tossed it on the thick carpet beside the bed. “Yes, I do believe I will, Mrs. Raymond…even though you did cheat.”
Delilah was flummoxed. Should she yelp with joy or pummel him? Instead, she squeaked, “Cheat? What do you mean, cheat! I never cheat. I’m too good—I don’t have to.”
“How could a man concentrate on the cards with these beauties dancin’ in front of him?” he asked, cupping one breast, then the other. “I love you, Deelie. I reckon it took some grit for you to make me understand that. I’m sorry I’ve been too wrapped up in my own guilt to see the plain truth. We’re too damn good together ever to let this go…and I don’t just mean in bed. You’re strong and smart, the best partner I could ever have. ’Course, you’re also a mite stubborn and devious—”
She placed her fingers over his mouth, grinning and giggling like a schoolgirl. “Yes, I am devious. I wanted you to be watching my breasts when I dealt that final hand. You see, darling, I did cheat. I palmed a six of clubs and dealt myself that three of hearts so I’d lose. I wanted the choice about us to be up to you. It still is. Just because you won the game…and tonight…well, it doesn’t mean you have to accept my proposal of marriage.”
“I call that proposal and raise you a couple of babies,” he said, pulling her into his arms.
“Only two? I call those two and raise you another two,” she said as he enfolded her in his arms, and they sank back against the pillows once more.
Late that night they sat in their undergarments, feeding each other bits of chicken, deviled eggs and other delicacies fromLuellen’s kitchen as they talked about the shadows in their pasts before moving on to the bright promise of the future.
“Jacques Dubois told me about your aunt. It must have been horrible losing every woman you loved,” she said softly.
“I’ve never loved any woman the way I love you, Deelie. I’ve finished my mourning for Teal. She was a fine woman and I loved her, but we were young and that way of life was endin’ for the Ehanktonwon even then. I’ll always regret what I did after that, but you’ve put the ghosts to rest. Just promise you’ll never leave me.”
“Never.” She placed her finger in the cleft of his chin and felt the abrasion of whiskers. “I never imagined there could be a man like you for me. Poor Lawrence was a boy who would never have let me be anything but a child if he’d lived. At first it made me horribly guilty, but now I realize that I would’ve outgrown him even if life hadn’t pushed me in the direction it did. I hated being outside ‘respectable society,’ being a gambler, but gambling brought me to you.”
“And got you the Nymph,” he reminded her with a grin. “You told me you wanted to take on high-falutin’ passengers. Have you finished fixing up the cabins so we can charge more for fancy accommodations?”
She returned his grin and popped a bite of chicken in his mouth. “I wanted us to have the fancy accommodations. The hell with the passengers. Let them travel steerage!”
CRITICS PRAISE SHIRL HENKE!
“Sensational Shirl Henke is one of the top ten authors of American romance.”
—Affaire de Coeur
“A true shining star of the genre. Shirl Henke mesmerizes readers with the most powerful, sensual and memorable historical romances yet!”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
“Henke incorporates witty dialogue and plenty of sexual tension into a suspenseful plot.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews on Texas Viscount
“Another sensual treat for readers who like their romances liberally laced with both danger and desire.”
—Book list on Rebel Baron
“An explosive and passionate love story…. Henke cleverly takes the May-December romance to new heights in a wonderful tale.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews on Rebel Baron
“The lively dialogue, biting repartee and sizzling sensuality crackle through the pages of this delicious and fast-paced read. Henke captures you from page one…. A quick charmer of a read!”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews on Yankee Earl
“Readers will need oxygen to keep up…Shirl Henke knows how to spin a heated tale that never slows until the final safe kiss.”
—Midwest Book Review on Wanton Angel
Shirl Henke creates “passionate love scenes, engaging characters and a well-researched, fast-paced plot.”
—Publishers Weekly on Bride of Fortune
BESTSELLING AUTHORS PRAISE
AWARD-WINNER SHIRL HENKE!
“Shirl Henke is one of the brightest stars in romance. Her engaging characters and talent for storytelling grip readers from first page to last!”
—Katherine Sutcliffe
“A riveting story about a fascinating period. I highly recommend Paradise & More.”
—Karen Robards
“A grand and glorious novel…. I couldn’t stop reading.”
—Bertrice Small on Paradise & More
“Return to Paradise swept me away!”
—Virginia Henley
“A romantic romp of a Western. I loved it!”
—Georgina Gentry on Terms of Surrender
“White Apache’s Woman is a fascinating book…an absolute must read for anyone who loves American history.”
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“Fast paced, sizzling, adventurous…with a hot-blooded hero who will set your heart on fire.”
—Rosanne Bittner on A Fire in the Blood
“A fascinating slice of history…with equally fascinating characters. Enjoy Love a Rebel…Love a Rogue!”
—Catherine Coulter
Other Leisure books by Shirl Henke:
TEXAS VISCOUNT
REBEL BARON
YANKEE EARL
WANTON ANGEL
WICKED ANGEL
WHITE APACHE’S WOMAN
RETURN TO PARADISE
LOVE A REBEL…LOVE A ROGUE
BROKEN VOWS
PARADISE & MORE
TERMS OF LOVE
McCRORY’S LADY
A FIRE IN THE BLOOD
TERMS OF SURRENDER
NIGHT WIND’S WOMAN
Copyright
A LEISURE BOOK ®
February 2008
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Copyright © 2008 by Shirl Henke
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