In the Dark (30 page)

"What?" He frowned in protest. "You told me to let you go. You said I shouldn't postpone my life for you."

'That's what I thought," she admitted. "Is it too late to change my mind?"

He drew a breath. "Do you want to?"

She queried her heart one final time, hearing only certainty. Everything was different now, as if one domino had fallen, tipping over the next and the next, reordering her priorities. "I want to," she replied.

Hope illumined the depths of his deep, blue eyes. "Are you serious?"

"Yes. I want the whole package: a job with the FBI, you as my husband and a gaggle of kids, three of them at least."

She gave a shriek as Luther snatched her off her feet and planted a fervent kiss on her lips. Within seconds the kiss heated them both to a point of no return.

"Yes," said Luther, putting her back on her feet.

"Yes what?"

"You asked if I would marry you," he pointed out.

"I did?"

"I'm part of the package, right?"

She grinned with understanding. "You're the best part."

"So where's the ring?" he teased.

"Uh, I didn't get one yet."

"Better hurry. I'm out of patience."

"Who needs a ring?" she tossed back, pulling his head down for a deep, distracting kiss.

"We'd better go upstairs," Luther rasped several breathless moments later.

Hannah turned to lead the way. She wasn't sure who tripped whom, but Luther broke their fall. Pinning her to the steps, he kissed her with the same single-minded intensity that she remembered. Suddenly the bedroom seemed much too far away.

With frantic fingers they sought skin until both of them were more naked than dressed.

"Don't stop!" Hannah panted, threading her fingers through the soft strands of Luther's hak as he kissed the length of her body.

He chuckled at her command. "Let's go upstairs," he suggested again.

Hannah gazed up at the ceiling, eyes glazed, face flushed. “Okay" she agreed. Rolling over, she started to crawl up the steps on her knees.

She didn't get far. "Oh, Luther," she groaned as he pulled her back against him. "We'll never make it to the bedroom."

"You'll never forget the day you asked me to marry you either," he pointed out.

As if she ever would. It was the best day of her life. She would savor every second of it down to the rasp of his stubbled jaw as he nuzzled her neck.

Westy was right, she realized. Some things in life couldn't be planned. They were gifts to be accepted with grace and gratitude. She and Luther had both needed to learn that lesson.

Daughter of a U.S. foreign officer, Marliss Melton enjoyed a unique childhood growing up overseas. As one of five children, she was encouraged to think creatively and wrote her first book at age thirteen. Following college, Marliss pursued her dream of publishing while teaching high school English and Spanish. A Golden Heart and RITA finalist, she writes both medieval romance and romantic suspense. Her husband, a warfare technology specialist, is her real-life hero. She juggles two teenage boys, three step-children, a baby girl, and an adjunct teaching position at the college of William and Mary.