“No, that’s for dessert.” His words were rushed, stilling her reach. “Wine?”
“Ah, sure. Thank you.”
Gen had outdone herself. Each box held two servings of wonderful bites of heaven. Only appetizers, but the quantity of each offering filled her long before Jeremiah reached the end of the samples. “Wow, that was fantastic.” She laid down and put her hand over her stomach. “Gen has missed her calling. She should be a caterer in a big city. She’d make money hand over fist.”
Jeremiah broke down the empty boxes, placing them in the basket first before he carefully closed those that still contained food. “Did you save room for one last box?” He picked up the small white box, moved the picnic basket out of the way, and laid down on his stomach, propped up by his elbows as he held it in his hand.
She hummed her acknowledgement and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth and happiness of the moment.
He bopped her nose with a finger. “You have to stay awake for this part.”
She opened one eye. “Are you sure?”
He nodded and handed her the box. “You open it.”
She sat up and reached for the box. He held it in his fist and beckoned her down for a kiss. Laughing, she agreed and leaned, kissing him. The laughter stopped as the heat of their connection ramped up. She was breathing hard by the time they separated. He rolled onto his back and she dropped into the hollow of his arm. She lifted the box up and opened it. Another smaller white box was inside. She chuckled and opened that one. It nestled another, even smaller box inside.
“Okay, I take it back. Gen is making me work too hard for a bit of sweet.”
“Just keep going.”
Two more boxes fell beside her. When she opened the last one, a square-cut diamond solitaire ring was nestled in a red velvet ring holder. She gasped and sat up. Jeremiah was beside her in the same instant. He took the ring from her hand and pulled it out of the velvet and foam holder. “This stone was my grandmother’s engagement ring. I had it reset and added a few more diamonds, hoping that you’d say yes.”
She popped her eyes up to his. “Yes?”
“Eden, I love you. Will you marry me?”
Her entire body shook as she nodded and then squeaked out, “Yes, oh, my, yes.” Jeremiah held her hand to stop her shaking and slid it onto her finger. “You planned the entire day.” She straddled his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“I did, and I’ve been sweating bullets for a week. Gen knew and fixed the food. The woman teased me all week. I owe her payback.”
She held her fingers out and stared at the ring over his shoulder. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a diamond that big.”
He chuckled. “That isn’t big. You should see the rocks Celest wears.”
She brought her gaze back to him. “Where are we going to get married? Alabama or here?”
He laid down and brought her with him. She wiggled her legs between his and propped herself upon his chest. “I think we get married in Alabama and have a reception up here at the Bit and Spur. Invite everyone in the county and have an open bar with free rides home.” Jeremiah chuckled, “And no knives allowed.”
“Well, the Klinglers are still on probation, so I don’t think they’ll be showing up. How about next month? I don’t need anything big, just us and our families at the justice of the peace.” She leaned down and kissed him again. His hand snaked up her back to her hair. With ease, he rolled her over and devoured her, and she was more than willing to be consumed by this man. His hands knew where to caress her, how to touch her, to make her boil, and how to edge her along that point of no return and the building bliss that throbbed for freedom.
The songs of the birds in the trees and the quiet whoosh of air over the wild grasses serenaded a long, slow, sensuous build. The clothes they wore disappeared with kisses, touches and sensations replacing the feel of fabric.
Eden ran her hands over the cut muscles of his shoulders. Her hand skimmed along the scar that he’d suffered at the hands of a lunatic. She lifted and kissed his neck, skimmed the skin with her teeth, and held him as a shudder raced through his body.