The Earl's Outrageous Lover Page 0,63
of her, he took her hand and held it between both of his. “I wanted you to know that you don’t need to say things like that.”
She looked confused. “Like what?” she asked, her stomach clenching in fear of what he was trying to tell her.
“That you love me.”
She looked down at their hands. “Edward, I do love you. I don’t like the controlled way you hold me though.”
He smiled grimly and shook his head. “Don’t mistake gratitude and good sex for love, Jessica. They aren’t the same thing.”
“I know that,” she snapped and pulled her hand out of his. “Do you honestly think that I don’t love you? You drive me absolutely crazy sometimes, but I’m definitely in love with you. How else am I going to put up with all of your schedules for the next fifty years?” she demanded and pushed him back so that she was sitting in his lap. “Don’t be such a jerk that you don’t know love when you see it.”
He held her close, enjoying the way her softness felt against him but he shook his head. “Jessica, you married me because you needed my help with your father’s will.”
She smiled and kissed his jaw. “No. I married you because you overwhelm me whenever you are close to me. I fell in love with you because you are an incredibly handsome, caring and wonderful man who deserves someone special in his life. Someone like me who can help you feel things. And when you won’t allow yourself to feel things, I’m going to be right there, feeling them for you and helping you stay strong like you think you should. And no matter what, I’m going to love you through your whole life.”
Edward couldn’t say anything to that statement. Not because he didn’t have the words, but because his throat was constricting around the things he wanted to say. So instead of speaking, he pulled her close and buried his face in her neck, breathing in her soft, sweet scent and telling her with actions that he would love her back just as fiercely.
But those actions weren’t adequate. He pulled back and kissed her gently. “I love you to. I think I’ve loved you ever since you danced into my life with those red cowboy boots.”
She laughed and rolled her eyes. “Edward, admit it. You hate those boots.” But she didn’t care because he loved her too! She’d destroy those boots if it made him happy.
“I love those boots,” he growled and bit her earlobe. “In fact, how about if you wear those boots tonight and I’ll show you just how much I love them.”
She giggled and hugged him closer. “I truly do love you, you know.”
“I think I’m starting to understand. And I love you too. I’m very glad you burst into my life, Jessica. I’m sorry my uncle had to break his leg to get you into my life, but I’m glad about the results.”
“Me too,” she whispered and kissed him again, showing him how much she really did love him.
Julianna Holbrook sipped the cold white wine and shifted her back so it was more towards the crackling fire. She was suddenly cold and she shivered as she rubbed her hands over her wool covered arms to warm them. Or was it that ominous feeling she couldn’t shake? That foreboding sense of impending doom that had nothing to do with the air temperature?
She’d never considered herself a superstitious person before. She believed there was a scientific explanation for everything, even when humans couldn’t explain something yet. But this was a feeling that wasn’t really tangible. It was…just…a feeling. A sense that something was going to happen. When had this feeling started? Why was she being so silly and even thinking about it? Normally, she would simply shrug off something so….metaphysical for lack of a better term. So why was she even paying attention to this odd sensation?
She had no idea, but she wiggled again, trying to get comfortable. This was ridiculous, she told herself and smoothed the blue wool skirt back over her knees, crossed her legs at the ankles….tucked the pillow more firmly behind her. She still couldn’t get relaxed! There was just something…..wrong.
She looked at the other two occupants of the room, wondering if they were feeling this odd, tingling sensation as well. Edward Livingston, her significant other, for lack of a better word, appeared to be engrossed in a conversation with the vivacious hostess, a beautiful woman named