Mistletoe Marriage

I shook my head fiercely. “No. Of course not.”

He sighed. “Then tell me. I don't want this between us. I don't want to scare you when I have you alone.”

I took a deep breath. “He told me to undo my dress as he watched, but he got agitated. He took off his coat, undid the front of his pants, put his hand inside.”

He waited patiently for me to continue, but his hands tightened. “He was touching himself but he was getting angry. It didn't seem it was directed at me. He told me I wasn't pretty enough for him to rise to the occasion. Then you banged on the door.”

Garrett dropped his hands and laughed.

“I...I don't know what that means,” I added.

“It doesn't matter. It's over now.”

He took my arm and we continued on. He seemed reassured by my words, which put me at ease. “You don't worry after what you saw?” I asked. “My virtue?”

“No, Julia. I'm not worried.”

“His sister took my job as schoolteacher. His father is the one who pushed for my dismissal based on the lies his son spread about me. Surely they will not be pleased with his demise.”

“The man was a wastrel. Mr. Simpson, Senior, has too much money, which allowed Gregory to avoid a day’s work. Obviously his boredom led to illegal activities to fill the time. Why a man of his wealth and stature got involved in such crime, I have no idea.”

“Surely his sister will want that big mansion to live in instead of the small schoolteacher's house.”

I felt his hand squeeze my hip through my coat. “Unless he made a will, that house probably belongs to you now.”

I stopped in

my tracks and I looked up at Garrett. It was too dark to see much of his face, especially with the wide brim of his hat. The snow fell cold against my cheeks. “Me? Why on earth would it be mine? Why on earth would I want the place after all that's happened?”

“Whether you want it or not is irrelevant. By marrying you, you're his next of kin, so everything he owned becomes yours.”

I shook my head. The idea of living in his dreary mansion set my teeth on edge. Everything about the man made me nauseous. “I don't want it.”

He started us moving again. “All right.”

We walked in silence for a stretch. “If you marry me—”

“When, precious. Not if, because we're almost to the church now.”

“When you marry me, all my worldly possessions become yours.”

“Yes, that's true.”

“Until a few minutes ago, that was only the clothes on my back and a few dollars tucked away. I didn't even have a place to live. Now, though, everything of Mr. Simpson's will become yours.” I bit my lip. “You aren't...aren't going through with this just to obtain his property.”

Garrett stopped in his tracks and I felt his body stiffen beneath my hand. “I should take you over my knee for that ridiculous comment. I won't even respond to it. Instead, I'll do this.”

Lowering his head, he kissed me. It was almost too dark to see him coming and he'd taken me by complete surprise. He'd never once done anything so bold, taking exactly what he wanted. It had me gasp in surprise. Because of that, his tongue—yes, his tongue!—slipped into my mouth and touched mine. His lips were cold, but he was making me warm, so warm beneath my coat.

I expected—what had I expected kissing Garrett to be like?—firm lips and a quick peck on the mouth. This, this, was not that at all. His mouth plundered, claiming mine, all but taking my breath away and stealing every thought from my mind. I gave in to it, letting the feelings his kiss elicited wash over me.

The kiss ended as abruptly as it started, but Garrett only lifted his head a small distance and I could feel his warm breath fan my face. “That is why I'm marrying you, precious. Because I love you and want to show you how much.”

Besides the heat of the kiss, a feeling of happiness filled me. He loved me. Garrett loved me. “I...I love you, too.”

He kissed me again, this time briefly and chastely, but I could feel his smile. “I should have kissed you beneath mistletoe, as the stories say, but I couldn't wait a moment longer.” He ran a finger down the length of my nose. “While I might gain all of Simpson's worldly possessions along with you, I don't want it. I don't want any of it. It seems I came out the victor in our long battle.”

I thought of the awful man. “I wouldn't normally like to hear about someone being so spiteful, but in this case it is most deserved.”