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“What’s this?” He smiled. “A house-warming present?” His smile fell. “I didn’t get you anything.”
She laughed at his expression, then shook her head. “No. Before you started ducking my phone calls, I went shopping for an apology gift.” He raised one brow and turned the gift over in his hands. “To say sorry about our fight after the picnic,” she clarified, then folded her arms over her chest and pursed her lips. “I don’t actuallyenjoyfighting with you, you know?”
Lips twitching into a grin, his gaze flicked towards hers. “All evidence to the contrary.”
“Fine,” she said, holding her hand out. “Give it back.”
Rafe held his arm above his head, well and truly placing the gift out of Jane’s reach. “Nope. It’s mine now. And I’m gunna open it.”
Nervous tension wound itself tight around Jane’s gut and she turned back to her boxes of junk, closed her eyes, breathed through it… until she heard the wrapping paper rip and the urge to vomit had her sitting on the edge of the bed and thrusting her head between her knees.
“Seven Little Australians,” he said with something akin to wonder in his voice, then crouched down in front of her.
Jane lifted her head just enough to meet his gaze. “You always said it was your favourite book when you were little.”
Because he was Ulysses Bennett’s seventh child.
He smiled. “Yes, I did.” Then he cupped her cheek and kissed her, long and deep. “Only you would remember something like that.” He shook his head, chuckled. “Sometimes I think you know me too well.”
She snorted. “Oh, I don’t know. I think that ex-assistant of yours prides herself on knowing you better than anyone.”
Rafe kissed her again then leaned his forehead against hers. “She doesn’t know about the book.”
Jane smiled, happy. Happy she’d made him happy. “You really like it? I mean, it’s not a first edition or anything like that.”
“It’s perfect,” he said, then slid the small hardcover edition onto the bedside table. “I love it.” He shifted her box of crap to the side, slowly eased her onto her back, then crawled over the top of her. “And I love you.”
Jane sighed and lolled her head to one side, granting Rafe access to her neck. His lips were hot against her skin as he trailed kisses from her jawline to her collarbone, and she sucked in a gasp when his tongue dipped into the hollow at the base of her throat.
Slowly, he licked a path up her neck and over her chin, driving her crazy with the feather-light touch that ended with his lips plastered to hers, searing her flesh with his passionate kiss.
Boring bastard, my arse.
“Rafe,” she murmured against his mouth. “I love you.”
His hand slid under her T-shirt and stroked the sensitive skin below her breast. “Say it again.” Though whispered, the words were harsh, raw, and this time when his lips met hers, his teeth joined in, nipping at her, biting. Gently, he grazed his teeth over her cheek and along her jaw then down, down until he was sucking on the flesh at the base of her throat, marking her for all to see.
She was his.
“I love you,” Jane repeated, a smile a mile wide decorating her face as his hand slid higher and cupped her breast. Devious fingers weaselled their way under her bra, finding more skin to sweetly torture. Plucking at her nipple until she arched into him and moaned. “I should buy you books more often.”
She felt his smile press into the crook of her neck. “You don’t need to bribe me to make love to you, Janie.”
Faking a spluttering cough and pressing her hand to his chest to hold him at bay, she said, “You think that was a bribe?”
Smiling broadly, Rafe replied, “I think… I should shut up before I stick my foot even further in my mouth.”
When Jane laughed he kissed her again and she melted against him. His teeth, his tongue, his whispering breath, all worked together to seduce and enchant her.
But then he shifted his weight off her and rolled to her side, stroked her forehead and brushed a lock of hair away from her face.
The look in his dark blue eyes gave her chills. The good kind, edged with that excited feeling that made her tingle all over and crave more of them. And that look… she knew what was coming. Hell, he’d managed to go for—she counted in her mind—two whole days without bringing it up again.
Jane held her breath and waited.
“Will you marry me?”
Bingo!
