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“I am in earnest.” The words didn’t sound nearly as cultured and inspiring coming from her.
“Hope … soon I will demonstrate to you exactly how an Augustinian major greets his lady love.”
She trembled and clung to the phone, leaning against the marble countertop.
“Your all-encompassing kiss will inspire me, and I won’t need any rest dreaming of you,” Chad continued, his accent stronger than ever. “Selfishly, I find myself craving more of you, beloved Hope. More kissing, more holding, more time with you. A lot more.”
Hope’s stomach flip-flopped. “I could find it in my generous heart to help you out with that,” she said, biting at her lip to keep from squealing happily.
“I’ll plan on it,” he whispered huskily. “Till morning, then.”
“Okay.” She hated to wait that long. She wanted him here. Now.
“Unless Mum wakes up sooner than that,” he added. “I’ll fly to you as quickly as I can. Believe that.”
“I’ll be waiting.” Happiness rushed through her like a shot of adrenaline. How would she sleep now? She’d wait up all night simply hoping Chad was coming for her.
I will demonstrate to you exactly how an Augustinian major greets his lady love.
“I’ll picture you waiting in that dress. Mind-blowing … when I saw you in that dress. An absolute vision.” His voice was low, as if he didn’t want anyone to overhear their intimacy, because it was too special and only for them.
“Come soon,” she begged.
“I fancy the way you think.”
“You just fancy me.” She was being very bold. Fancy meant love in England. What did it mean in Augustine?
“I could never deny that.”
He loved her. She could feel it. She knew it. It was time to tell him why she’d stopped responding to his calls and texts three years ago. Was she ready for his excuses about Bermuda? She had to trust him, or they couldn’t move forward with a relationship and oh, how she wanted to move forward.
“Goodnight,” he said softly.
“Goodnight.”
Hope leaned against the bathroom counter, clutching the phone to her chest. Ahh. He was extraordinary. That he felt so deeply for her and her alone blew her mind.
How had she resisted him for so long? How could she be so lucky to be the one woman Chad Prescott would never give up on, would pursue for years, deepening their friendship, their connection, and now their love?
She frowned. She needed some explanations about the pictures with Bermuda the day after their first weekend together and why he’d dated Sophie exclusively for months when he’d never done the same with Hope. They would talk it all out and everything would make sense. She hoped.
Walking out into the main area, she put her phone on the dresser.
Faith slid off the bed and faced her. “So … are you finally admitting how much you love Chad? Those kisses before the bomb were insane.”
“They were,” Hope agreed. Had the entire wedding party seen those kisses? What about the media?
“Oh.” Faith pointed at the television.
“And the hero of the day, Major Chad Prescott, is still up to his charming, lady-slaying ways,” the newscaster was saying.
Hope whipped around. What about Chad? She put a hand to her lips as she realized what video angle they had. The television showed her and Chad kissing passionately. It did look insane. Better than anything Hollywood could produce. It looked so real. It had been so real. She tingled from head to toe remembering the sensation of kissing him.
“Charming Major Prescott was in lip lock moments before he hurled a ticking bomb like Captain Euro himself to save the entire royal family and numerous friends, dignitaries, and media. Experts are now saying from the footage of the explosion that it could have killed everyone in the courtyard. The entire Augustine royal family and numerous dignitaries, friends, and media were rescued by Major Prescott.”
Hope knew Chad was a hero, but she was fixated on the earlier footage of them kissing. The screen switched to the different camera angles from castle security showing the bomb’s explosion. It looked much worse than her angle as the bomb had exploded below the towering castle courtyard wall.
What was the lady saying about Chad being a lady slayer? That snagged in her mind. Just in reference to her?
