Then his smile was every bit as sultry as hers as he kicked off the sheet and pulled her full-length on top of him. ‘You know, Goldilocks, you haven’t said you’ll marry me yet; maybe I should threaten to withhold my favours until you agree.’
‘If you do I’ll haunt you,’ Vanessa said huskily, wriggling experimentally and making them both shudder.
‘Oh, yes, please...’ He groaned expressively. They both laughed and he kissed her. ‘We’ll live at Whitefield, shall we? You running the hotel and me designing eccentric little houses. And who knows? Maybe...’ He stopped suddenly and his eyes flickered. He nudged her nose with his. ‘Nessa...remember how I teased you in the restaurant about being pregnant...?’
‘Yes.’ She knew what was coming and turned her face into his chest to smile. A few weeks ago, even an hour ago, it could have been a potential tragedy; now it was a symbol of the joy they would share in the years to come.
‘I—er—when we...in the library... I know this was incredibly irresponsible...but I forgot to, you know...’
She was tempted to tease him for his unaccustomed coyness but she regarded him with tender brown eyes instead, watching an insufferable smugness settle over his beloved features as she said pertly, ‘I suppose I had better agree to marry you, then. It wouldn’t do to add illegitimacy to all the scandal I’m bringing down on the Savage family.’
‘The only scandal around here, Nessa, darling, is that I love you so much I’m going to disgrace myself if you don’t let me demonstrate it right now...’