Page 84 of Dark Side of the River

His heart raced as he looked into her green eyes. “I love you, Tilly.”

SHETOOKHIShand and drew him closer. She was amazed at the trouble he’d gone to setting this all up so they could be together, away from prying eyes, alone at last—and not in his pickup.

“I can’t believe this,” she said, looking around the tent. “You’ve thought of everything.”

“I’m sorry I spent so much time pushing you away. It was the last thing I wanted.”

She touched his handsome face, gazing into his blue eyes. “Didn’t your stepmother believe in destiny?”

“Lulabelle? You are not going to bring her up at a moment like this.” They both laughed. He brushed a lot of her hair back from her face. “You think we were destined to be together?”

She nodded. “I do.”

“I do too.” She felt a shiver of desire as he ran his thumb pad over her lower lip. The tip of her tongue grazed his thumb; her need for him was almost painful as his fingers trailed down her throat to the opening of her Western shirt.

She leaned back, arching against his touch as his fingers dipped farther to caress the tender flesh above her breasts. Her heart began to beat more wildly as he slowly unsnapped her shirt. He bent down to push aside her bra, baring her breast as he sucked her already pulsing hard nipple into his mouth.

Groaning with pleasure, she reached to touch him, but he pulled back her hand and shook his head. He suckled at that aching nipple as his fingers brushed over her stomach down to her jeans. She felt him unbutton them, and then his fingers slipped under her panties where she was already wet.

She writhed under his touch as he gently stroked her. His fingers pressed harder. Pleasure was a spiral that spun higher and higher until she cried out with the release. Unable to stand it any longer, she tore open his Western shirt, desperately wanting to feel her skin pressed to his. It was awkward with her arm in a cast.

He eased her clothes off, working around the cast, then rolled her over onto him. Their kisses grew more demanding. She reached again for his jeans. This time, he let her unbutton them. He wriggled out of them, and she did the same, stripping off her panties as she watched him remove his briefs.

They stared at each other, now completely naked—except for her cast. “Tilly, you are so beautiful.”

“I was just thinking,” she said on a sigh, “how gorgeous you are.”

He laughed and carefully leaned over her as he said, “No going back, Tilly.”

She knew exactly what he was saying. She felt the same way as she pulled him to her with her free hand. Below them on the mountain, music played as they moved together in an age-old primal dance that left them both sated and smiling.

Later, they made love yet again. This time fireworks began to go off, casting flashes of brilliant light that seemed to fall like stars over their tent. They lay wrapped together, the tent door open, and watched the Fourth of July celebration going on below them on the mountain.

Tilly noticed that Cooper had gone silent. She pulled back to look at him. “Having second thoughts?”

He rose from the bed and pulled on his jeans. For a moment, she thought—

But then he knelt down beside the air mattress and said, “If we’re doing this, then let there be no mistake about my intentions.” He met her gaze. “Or yours. Tilly Stafford, will you marry me?”

She blinked in surprise. He’d said that once they made love there would be no going back for him. But she’d never imagined this was what he had in mind.

For a moment, she couldn’t speak as he pulled out a little velvet box from beside the bed.

“It was my mother’s. I asked my dad if I could have it. He was delighted, though concerned, of course. But if we are going to do this, then I want to make it official. Will you marry me?”

“Oh, Coop, yes,” she cried as he took out the ring and she held out her hand as he climbed back up on the mattress with her. He slid the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly, and she realized he’d probably asked Oakley and had the ring sized.

She looked from the ring to him. “I don’t care who likes it—I want to marry you. I’mgoingto marry you.” She tried to throw herself into his arms, but only managed to hit him with her cast, nearly knocking him to the tent floor. He pulled her close, laughing as the night exploded in fireworks around them.

STUARTHADALREADYheard about the engagement. News traveled at the speed of light in this county. But Cooper had stopped by before the Fourth of July to tell him in person.

“If she’ll have me, I’m going to ask her to marry me this weekend.”

“That’s kind of quick, isn’t it?” he’d said.

“We’ve known each other our whole lives. I think we’ve been dating most of that time. I know it looked like we were fighting and hated each other, but you know what they say about love and hate.”

Stuart had laughed. “You two are made for each other. Good thing you’re both fighters, because I think you’re going to have a battle ahead of you. Sounds like your father will be fine.”

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