Page 69 of His Unforgettable Bride
He smirked, suspecting no amount of etiquette lessons could thoroughly shake free all of Juliet’s unvarnished tendencies. Thank goodness, since she constantly charmed him. “Tell the truth. I expect you are pleased the pair are fond of each other.”
“Thrilled, actually. Since I deem them a sweet couple, does that make me a romantic?”
“Yes, and I am happy to hear it.” He shifted to face her and drew her long hair behind her ear before running a silky lock between his finger and thumb.
“Is that so?” She met his gaze with an unflinching stare as the moonlight’s glow captured her delicate face like a picture frame. Her blue eyes matched the African violets in the library’s window. He desperately longed to trace her perfect jawline with his finger, yet reluctantly refrained.
He paused for a heartbeat, knowing he needed to say something about their relationship. From the beginning of his amnesia, her presence had anchored him amidst all the tumult. She may not have been a part of his past, but she had been there for him when he needed someone the most. She was here with him now, and he wanted her in his future. But was it too soon to tell her such a thing?
He expelled a tense breath, rousing a round of frosty air to swirl between them. “I have had much on my mind this week.”
“I figured so.” She lifted a hand to his arm and squeezed. “I’m always here if you want to talk. I hope you know that by now.”
“I do.” He loved that about her, that she listened so well and understood him. “Now that we know I am not the sisters’ nephew, I am simply a nobody with nothing to offer anyone.”
She released a huff of protest. “You’re not anobodyandhaveplentyto offer.”
“You know what I mean.”
She grasped his arm more firmly. “All I know is that you are among the most charming and giving men I have ever met. You aided the sisters in completing the tearoom, though you had nothing to gain.”
“Even so, I do not know if I can ask any woman to be a part of my life when I have nothing but who I am here and now to give her.” He could not keep his breath from snagging in his chest as he waited for her response.
“What if a woman didn’t care about anything except who you are here and now?”
He attempted to read the emotions playing across her lovely face in the faint light. “Does such a woman exist?”
“I believe she does.”
Staring at Juliet, with her close enough to kiss, a memory jabbed into his brain—more words than images.Never kiss anyone unless your intentions are pure and honorable.Who had spoken the sage advice? A parent? A grandparent? An older sibling? A sense of yearning swelled inside him as his hand grazed her waist, igniting a current too powerful to ignore.
She softly gasped, her eyes now on his mouth.
Gray leaned forward. He met her warm, willing lips as a bonfire burned in his middle, rapidly spreading. He drew her into an embrace, her body pressed snugly against his. Merciful heavens.
Slowly, his hands roamed her back, up and over her shoulders, to finally delve into her loose hair. Soft, lush, and as irresistible as expected. The pad of her thumb caressed his neck, shooting dizzying energy through his veins. All the while, her lips teased, tantalized, and clung to his like snow on a mountaintop in spring.
He tightened his grip, his breaths short and rapid, and they kissed like it might be their last opportunity. But it was not, was it?
Even though he had no direction or compass pointing him toward a specific future, all he knew was he craved Juliet’s smiles, her excellent opinion, and their conversations. Was he falling in love with her?
The first church bell chimed for the town’s weekly musical show, a reminder to slow his ardor. Yet he clutched her a minute longer, hating to return to reality. Using all the self-control he could muster, he transferred his lips to her cheek, then trailed kisses to her temple. He held her close until she raised her head to peer at his face.
“I forgot it was time for the town’s musical show.” Her voice had become airy, and her eyes were darker than before.
“Kissing you made me forget everything but you, even my name.” He smiled. “I suppose that is a falsehood. I have not known my name for weeks.”
A grin curved her lips in the most becoming fashion. “I’m glad you can joke.”
“As am I. The more I contemplate the future, the more committed I am to change my mindset. I cannot waste my life waiting for memories to return. It may take forever.”
“A big decision, indeed. I’m proud of you.” She rose onto her tiptoes, captured his cheeks with cold hands, and softly kissed his lips much too briefly before pulling back.
Barely trusting his voice, Gray reached for her hands, cupping them between his. “Will you dance with me the rest of the night?”
“A lady never dances with the same man more than twice in a row.” Her voice sounded like Livy’s when quoting from the etiquette book. “And she must sit out every other number, or she’ll grow weary.”
He laughed, the sound echoing in the trees. “Sayeth Livy, the Queen of Etiquette.”
