So why had Robert Montgomery decidedhewas the one who should marry his daughter?
Perhaps he had known of Mr. Perkins’ plan to bequeath the stable to him. Perhaps Ella Mae had mentioned she knew him from school.
John knew it wasn’t out of pity, but perhaps the man had seen something of himself in him. Saw an opportunity to be a matchmaker.
He glanced down to discover a cat staring up at him. He had to suppress the urge to chuckle.
“What do you find so amusing?” Ella Mae asked, pulling him from his reverie.
“I blame it all on the cats,” he stated.
“Creditthem, don’t you mean?” she countered, finding both Sergeant and Colonel were watching them with great interest. Where they had come from, she had no idea.
“Now you’ve gone and done it,” he said as he lowered his forehead to hers.
“What have I done?”
“Whatever it istheywant you to do.”
“Which is... what?”
John glanced back at Colonel and arched a brow. “Well?”
“Meow.” Colonel replied, as if he was providing some sort of answer.
Sergeant joined Colonel, the two posed in identical sitting positions and looking every bit the twins they were. They gazed up at John and Ella Mae for a moment before they settled onto their sides.
“See?” John said, turning to discover Ella Mae staring at him rather than at the cats. Beneath his hold, something shifted in her.
“Does that mean they will allow us to make love this evening?” Ella Mae asked, her voice quiet.
John’s brows drew together, his good humor gone in an instant. “Mrs. O’Connor?—”
“Ella Mae. You can call me Ella Mae.” She seemed to give her comment a second thought. “Although I do like being called Mrs. O’Connor.”
“Ella Mae, I have no intention of allowing you out of my sight for at least the next ten hours. They won’t, either.”
She blinked up at him. “That long?”
“We have the room until noon. That is, if we don’t have to be somewhere else.”
“I don’t,” she claimed.
He paused. “Would you like to go to bed?” he asked, his voice sounding breathy.
Her gaze darted toward the bed. “Will you be in it?”
It was John’s turn to blink. “If you’ll allow it.”
“Well, shouldn’t I insist on it?” She glanced over at the cats, and this time Colonel responded with a rather loud, “Meow.”
John scoffed softly. “Just how much champagne did you drink?”
“I didn’t even finish my third glass. I feared I might be unable to walk if I drank any more than that.”
He chuckled as he lifted the halo from her coiffure. “Do you know what happens on a wedding night?”
She nodded. “Indeed. In fact, I’ve been spending the past few afternoons imagining what it would be like to make love to you.”
Astonished at hearing her words, John chuckled. “Oh, well this should go well,” he said with relief. “You’ll show me how then?”
Not sure if he was teasing her nor not, Emma glanced up to discover his eye had darkened until it was nearly black.
“Something tells me I won’t have to,” she whispered.
“Something tells me I won’t be opening the stable until the afternoon,” he whispered, before leading her to the bed.
Glancing at the two cats who watched from the other side of the room, Emma gave them a wink as John undid the buttons at her back.
