“A definite problem,” she concurred, and only then was aware that he’d taken her hands. Both of them. That he was holding both as if he was refusing to let go of a lifeline. “Well, here’s the thing, Maguire. I need you to know…that I don’t need a protector. Or a mentor. Or someone to keep me out of trouble. I did, I admit it. But not now.”
“You’re tough,” Maguire concurred.
“It’s been a journey. First to identify what really matters to me. And then to risk it all, no holds barred, to get what I want in my life. And that’s love, Maguire. That’s all I ever wanted from you.”
He pulled her into his arms…and she pulled him into hers. Probably it was impossible to tell the difference. It was right, that’s all she knew. The taste of him, the texture of his mouth, the way he turned a kiss into something thrilling and unforgettable, something more wondrous than she’d ever dreamed of. She tasted their future in that kiss.
“Maguire?” When they both broke for breath, they also instinctively aimed for the door. The sooner they were out of there and in a private place-with the dog, of course-the better.
“I was thinking that we could still get a marriage license this afternoon,” he said.
“I was thinking that you’d better have money. Because I’m very likely going to give all mine away.”
“I figured that. Right after I met you.” Another kiss, this time on her brow, fast and possessive, just before he pushed the door open and the three of them hurried outside. “Let’s go make a life, loved one. Our life. Our way.”
JENNIFER GREENE
lives near Lake Michigan with her husband and an assorted menagerie of pets. Michigan State University has honored her as an outstanding woman graduate for her work with women on campus.
Jennifer has written more than seventy love stories, for which she has won numerous awards, including four RITA® Awards from the Romance Writers of America and both their Hall of Fame and Lifetime Achievement Awards.
You’re welcome to contact Jennifer through her website at www.jennifergreene.com.
