Page 30 of Pirate's Intent
“Pretend to marry?” he had replied, amused. “Me and you then?”
“Yes.” She blushed and didn’t quite meet his eyes. “Why not?”
He responded, but she could no longer hear him as he faded. So she called out again and again for him to come back. More than that, she called out what she would have said then had he only asked. “Yes, I will marry you, Thomas.” She shook her head and repeated the silly saying that had become theirs. “From the moment we met until the day we die.”
“No need for all that, darling,” his deep voice murmured from far off until it was right there.
Until she opened her eyes to his.
She blinked, unsure what had happened at first until everything came rushing back. Thomas gave up piracy. A navy ship sailed alongside. What he had done to her on his desk despite all that.
Then things got a little hazy.
“When did we move to the bed?” she murmured.
“Quite a while ago.” A rather arrogant smile curled his mouth. “You were very drowsy in your satisfaction.”
How could she not be when he made her feel like that?
“I had another question,” she said softly.
“Of course you did.” He traced the pad of his thumb along her jawline. “You would not be my Rose otherwise.”
She momentarily drifted, caught by the tenderness in his gaze before she recalled what she wanted to ask. “What happens if and when Big Devil discovers you deceived him with that brooch?”
“He will not.”
“He might.”
“If he does, we will never catch wind of it,” he assured. “Nobody will.”
It took a moment for her to understand before it finally dawned. “Pride, then?”
“Very much so.” He chuckled. “Pirates take their reputations very seriously. To have others discover he was duped would be most criminal. Besides, our ample holdings and very real treasure should keep him well satisfied.”
“You are quite sure, then?”
“Quite sure.”
Relaxing, she slipped back under the soothing lull of his touch, drifted into a near dream state, dwelling once more on his murmured words. What he had asked her. Had that been a dream, though? It seemed so real.
She had to know.
“Did you...just ask me to marry you?”
His brows perked. “Marry you?”
“Yes, marry me.”
“When?
She was fully aware now. “Was that a proposal then?”
“I meantwhendid you think I asked you to marry me.”
“Just now. When I was waking.”
“Then, no.” A twinkle lit his eyes. “Had you hoped I did?”
