"Thanks, babe." Jake took the shovel and laid it on the ground next to him while he transplanted the rose bush. "Get the hose, would ya?"
"Jake—"
"It's next to the back porch."
Emily huffed, then stomped off to get the durn hose. The back door opened and her mother stepped out as Emily jerked the hose off its rack. "Go get the hose. What do I look like? His personal servant? The nerve of—"
"Emmie, what in the world are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing," Emily snapped. "I'm getting the hose for the master."
"Well, at least you're talking."
Emily harumphed and finally managed to untangle the stupid hose.
"Oh, I almost forgot." Amé jogged down the steps and handed Emily a glass of what looked to be iced tea. "Don't worry. It's caffeine free. I asked."
"Thanks." Emily took a long sip.
Her mother tucked a strand behind Emily's ear and said, "Now, get out there and make him understand. You can do it. I know you can. I have every faith in you."
"I'll either make him understand or kill him," Emily mumbled under her breath, then trudged back across the yard. She dropped the nozzle of the hose at Jake's feet. "Here."
Jake picked up the hose and squeezed the nozzle's trigger.
Emily took another swallow of tea and gazed thoughtfully at his backside. He was in the perfect position for a swift kick to the rear. Emily sighed. She might have done it, if she were wearing a pair of pointy toed boots instead of open toed sandals.
"It's not on."
"Excuse me?"
Jake slowly stood up and looked at her. "You didn't turn the water on."
"You didn't tell me you wanted the water turned on."
"I can't save your sick plant if the water isn't turned on."
Emily glared at him. He was really grating on her nerves. "Fine. I'll go turn on the—"
"Wait."
"What?"
Jake took the glass from her hand. "Now, you can go."
"Now, I can…," Emily muttered under her breath as she marched back towards the house.
This time it was Lily who slipped out the backdoor. "Emily, is everything all right?"
"Everything's just peachy." Emily had to put all her strength into turning the blasted water on. "Just turning on the… freakin' water."
"Oh. Okay. Just as long as you and Jake are getting along. He's really missed you."
"He sure has a funny way of showing it," Emily replied.
Lily gave her a wise smile. "You know how men are, dear. Even the good ones can be as dense as a brick."
Emily grunted and marched back to where Jake was watering the bush. She opened her mouth and had every intention of demanding what he'd meant by all or nothing, but he cut her off by handing her the hose.
"Thanks, babe. You can take it back now." Jake bent down to pick up the shovel. "Make sure you put it back on the rack. Colonel Jed's picky about his—"
Emily had heard enough. She wrapped her fingers around the nozzle's trigger and squeezed, drenching his backside.
Jake emitted a colorful curse and abruptly straightened.
Emily smiled.
Gracious, that felt good
. She sighed and released the trigger.
Jake slowly turned around. "Emily, sweetheart, put the—"
Emily pulled the trigger and doused his front. Once she had his undivided attention, Emily turned off the water. "Hello, Jake. How ya been? That's nice. Me? Oh, I've been just peachy."
Jake made a grabbed for her and Emily squeaked, dodging his hands. "Emily, give me—"
She hit him in the face with a spray of water. "Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to swallow my pride and drive out here? Hmm? Do you?" She hit him in the chest with another shot of water just because she felt like it. "I didn't tell you about the dancing, because it was humiliating. Night after night, men looking at me like I was a piece of meat, throwing money at me, begging to touch me." Emily shuddered. "They made me feel cheap and downright dirty. But I never, ever touched them and I never, ever, ever, ever let them touch me. Never!"
"Emily—"
"Do you want to know why I was twenty-eight years old and still a virgin?"
Jake took a step towards her. "Sweetheart, put down the hose."
"Because, you were the first man who ever made me feel like I was your sweet, innocent Emily. Jake, I didn't like dancing. I didn't want to do it, but I had to. Don't you understand? It was the only way I could earn enough money to start up my company." She forgot all about warding him off with the hose and let it drop to her side. "Jake, I wouldn't be here, if I hadn't been there. We wouldn't have met. And I never would have…," she trailed off, unable to get the words that she hadn't spoken and meant in so long out of her mouth.
"What?" Jake's gray eyes gleamed with a fierce light. "You never would have
what
?"
Her tongue was rooted to the roof of her mouth.
Jake covered the distance between them and towered over her. "You never would have what, Emily?
Say it
."
Her heart pounded in her chest and her palms grew sweaty. "Jake, I…." She couldn't. She wouldn't be able to handle it if he rejected her after she opened up her heart to him.
"Either say it… or leave."
Emily flinched under the impact of his words and she felt an anguish so deep it sliced through her reluctance. She didn't think, but exploded with, "I never would have fallen in love with you!"
Jake pried the hose from her hand. "All or nothing, sweetheart. All or nothing."
"I want it all," she heard herself whisper.
Jake looked down at her with a tender, sad expression. "It's not enough to want it. You gotta take it and give it."
Emily gazed up at him and struggled to make sense of his words. All or nothing. Take it and give it. Take and give. Give and…
take
. She had her answer and she knew what she had to do.
"Sweetheart, I—"
Emily drew in a deep breath, then dropped to her knees.
"What the…?"
Emily grasped his hand. "Jake, I love you and… if you don't agree to spend the rest of your life putting up with me, then I'll tell Booker and he'll make you agree."
Jake gave her hand a hard squeeze. "That's blackmail."
"I prefer to think of it as subtle pressure."
"There's nothing subtle about Booker."
"Jake, I'm on my knees. In the mud. Hurry up."
"Not so fast. I have a few stipulations which must be met before—"
"What are they?" Emily demanded.
"You work normal hours. No more of this seven to midnight stuff. Eight to five."
"Seven to ten?"
"Eight to five," Jake repeated.
"Seven to seven?"
"Eight to five."
"Seven to six?"
"Eight to six and that is my final offer. Take it or leave it."
"Deal," Emily agreed immediately. "What else?"
"You call when you're gonna be late. And you won't be late every night."
"How many nights a week can I be late," Emily asked, thinking that it would be extremely wise to get all of this down in writing.
"Preferably none, but… if you're good I may be able to tolerate one night a week of coming home late."
"Just one? It's a big company with a lot of problems and I do have to deal with Marilyn all day long. You know how difficult she can be when she—"
"All right. You can have two, but there has to be extenuating circumstances."
"Deal. Is that it?"
"No. We're getting a house and I'm paying—"
"No," Emily interrupted firmly. "When we get a house, we can buy it together, but I refuse to let you pay for it all alone."
Jake flashed her a brief grin. "Deal."
"Now, is that it?"
He shook his head. "I've got two more."
Emily groaned. "Five is more than a few. Well, what are you waiting for? My knees are going numb."
"I didn't ask you to go down on your knees."
"Insufferable man. Just get on with it."
Jake chuckled. "I want a big wedding and you have to wear one of those dresses you made."
"That's a given, but I'm designing a new dress. You've already seen all the others and it would be bad luck for you to see the dress before the wedding."
"Deal." Jake crouched down in front of her and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Ask me what the last one is." He cupped her chin and his eyes roamed her face as if memorizing the minute details.
"And the last one…?" Emily asked, breathless.
Jake gave her his patented choir boy-slash-Beelzebub smile and Emily went weak. "You tell me every day for the rest of your life that you love me." He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip and she shivered deliciously.
"Give and take," she replied in a husky whisper.
His expression grew serious for a moment. "I love you, my sweet, innocent Emily."
A glowing warmth unfolded inside her and Emily knew a happiness she'd only dreamed of. She smiled and caressed the roguish five o'clock shadow emerging along his jaw line. "I love you, oh arrogant, soaking wet man o' mine."
Jake growled and, hauling her into his arms, stood up. "Get over here and dry me, woman." He crushed her to him and took her mouth in a deep, carnal, wet kiss which left her mewling and clawing for more. "God, I missed you." He rained kisses all over her face.
"Ooh, Jake… mmm, about that…
oooh
, wedding." Emily tried desperately to cling to the thread of thought, but his kisses were devastating her senses.
"What about it," he asked as he nibbled on her neck.
"It has to… oh, yeah, right there." Emily shivered. "It has to happen…
ooh
, soon."
"Whatever you want, sweetheart. You name it and it's yours." Jake cupped her buttocks and hoisted her up and against him. "Put your legs around me. Yeah, that's it. Hang on, sweetheart. We'll be home soon."
"Jake," she murmured against his lips.
"Yeah, babe." He started across the yard.
"I'm pregnant."
"That's what I want to hear." Jake stopped in the middle of the yard and raised his head. "
You're what
?"