Page 103 of Texas Honor

“Delicious...” She laughed, shivering.

“Tomorrow night,” he said, moving his hips deliberately against hers while he looked at her, “I’ll do everything you want me to. We won’t sleep at all, and when we do, it will be in each other’s arms with nothing between us.”

She caught her breath at the passion in his eyes. “Oh, Gabriel,” she whispered softly. “I can hardly wait....”

He groaned, getting reluctantly to his feet, and looked down at her with a shudder. “Get your blouse on,” he said, turning away from the beauty of her. “You’re going to be the death of me, Maggie.”

“Oh, I hope not,” she murmured as she sat up and fastened her blouse, warm all over and delighted with herself. “You can’t die before our wedding night.”

He groaned again and shouldered into his shirt, fastening it before he tucked it back into his jeans. She was standing by the door when he finished.

“Will you please go to bed now?” he asked, joining her. “If you want a husband, that is....”

“I want you,” she replied with an impish grin. “You hunk, you,” she added, batting her eyelashes.

“For God’s sake, Maggie—!” he burst out, exasperated.

“I know, stop it and go to bed. I’m going, I’m going. Turn me out into the cold, a poor little frigid woman....” She was joking about it! It was the first time.

He knew it, too. Tenderly, he bent and kissed her. “You aren’t frigid,” he whispered. “Tomorrow night, I’ll prove it to you beyond a shadow of a doubt. Now, good night!”

He walked past her with a grin, and she floated on up to bed. Things were definitely looking up.

The next morning, Janet and Becky were up at the crack of dawn, helping Maggie get her things together.

She was wearing a silky oyster-white dress with a full skirt, a spray of lily of the valley in her hair and several sprigs woven into a bouquet. It was only going to be a simple affair, but she was excited all the same.

“What are you going to wear?” she asked Gabe in the hall as he went up to start getting his things together.

“Oh, jeans and a sweat shirt...” he began, his eyes laughing at her.

“Gabriel!”

“My gray suit, I guess,” he replied. “Will that do?”

“You look very nice in gray,” she said, smiling up at him. “You look nice in jeans, too.”

He winked at her. His eyes darkened a little as they searched hers. “No second thoughts? No cold feet?”

She shook her head. “None at all. And you?”

“Same here.” He lifted her hand and slowly removed the dainty diamond ring from her finger, his expression unreadable.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“What I should have done when I gave it to you,” he replied, disturbed by his guilt. It had bothered him, not making a production about giving her the ring. Now he was going to remedy it.

He slid the ring gently onto her finger and lifted it to his lips. He brushed it softly and looked into her shocked eyes. “That’s the way I should have done it, Maggie,” he whispered. “That’s the way I meant to do it. I made it feel like a merger, didn’t I?”

“I—I didn’t mind,” she faltered.

“Sure you did. And so did I. It may not be the world’s greatest love match, but it’s no business arrangement, either.” He bent again, probing her lips lightly with his. “Now, go and get dressed, little one. We’re going to be invaded by people any minute. Tonight, we’ll start where we let off in my study last night.”

She smiled against his mouth. “Until tonight!”

He laughed and went upstairs with a quick wink. Maggie stared after him, sighing. It wasn’t at all like her first marriage. She wasn’t afraid of him. Becky loved him, and he was going to be the ideal husband and father. Only one thing was missing.

If only he could love her...