Page 207 of Devil's Bargain

“I’m not leaving!”

He presses a kiss to my wet cheek, then leans back, flicking his worried eyes between mine. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying? Did I hurt you?”

He’s still inside me.

More tears fall. I shake my head. “No!”

“Then what’s wrong?” He wipes my tears away and kisses my cheeks. My lips.

“Nothing is wrong. It was perfect!”

“Talk to me, baby.” He shifts us so we lie facing each other on the small couch.

“I don’t know...” I whisper, searching his face. “I worry that this is a dream. That I’ll wake up any minute and realize that none of it was real.”

He strokes his fingers through my hair. “It’s real!”

“What happens now?”

He sweeps his hazel eyes over my face. “What do you want to happen?”

“What doyouwant to happen?” I counter, making him smile.

“I want you to marry me!”

I blink. “Wha—?”

“You heard me!” he interrupts, tucking my hair behind my ear.

I burst out laughing. Oh, how I laugh! Wiping tears from my eyes, I choke out, “You sure come on strong!”

He shrugs, a smile playing over his lips. “I’ll ask you every day until you say yes.”

“I don’t know if that’s romantic or creepy!”

His eyes sparkle. “The word I would use is persistent!” He steals a kiss. “Will you marry me?”

I laugh, moving away from his insistent lips. “No!”

“Marry me!”

I giggle as he nips at my neck with his teeth. “No!”

“Be my wife!”

“No!”

“Marryeth me, quite quaint mistress”

I wiggle my upper body. “Ooh, Shakespearean. You’re bringing out the big guns now!”

“Is it working?”

I laugh, shaking my head. “No!”

“Beest mine own jointress?”

“Jointress?” I giggle.

He pecks my lips and stands up. “I thought you were the expert on Shakespeare. Jointress means wife.” He scoops me up and carries me to my bedroom.

“What are you doing?” I laugh as he makes a show of stepping through the doorway.

“I’m practicing carrying you over the threshold! I need to know what I’m doing when the day comes.”

“And what if it never does?” I tease as he lowers me down onto the bed.

“Oh, it will!” He settles between my legs. “I’ll wear down your defenses!”

I pull him to me and shut him up with a kiss.

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