Kissing Under The Mistletoe
Page 42
A short while ago she’d met Jack in this same spot in Union Square, and he’d asked her to join him for pie and ice cream. Now she was the one saying, “I happen to know a great diner just around the corner from here. Want to join me for some of the best pie you’ll ever have?”
Strangely, he gave her a slightly nervous look that confused her. She’d never seen Jack anxious before. Was he tired from the string of long days getting ready for the big holiday launch? Or was there something else going on?
Before she could ask him if everything was all right, he finally gave her one of his beautiful grins. “Great idea. In fact,” he added as he took her hand and they began walking toward the diner, “I think pie and ice cream at the diner should always be part of our new post-Christmas-tree-lighting tradition.”
Tradition.
Mary had thought she’d left tradition behind when she left Italy. The idea of starting a new tradition with Jack was at once terrifying…and wonderful. Because it meant that he really did intend to keep loving her past this first Christmas, when everything between them was so fresh and exciting.
She forgot all about his slightly strange initial reaction as they chatted easily about their busy days while they walked. They weren’t just lovers, they were friends, too. Best friends who would do absolutely anything to make the other person happy.
Despite being fairly empty, the diner was cozy and warm. This time, they both sat on the same side of the booth and shared a supersize slice of pie. Her night couldn’t get any more perfect than this, sitting with the man she loved while he fed her warm cherries coated in melting vanilla ice cream. They simply enjoyed being with each other.
She knew her life wasn’t perfect, and there were things she would always wish she could have done differently, but for the first time in a very long time, she felt at peace.
“Mary—”
Something in Jack’s voice as he said her name pulled her from her relaxed reverie. The note of anxiety she’d sensed earlier was back.
“Jack? What is it?” She’d seen him look intense before, but never this intense.
“I think we should go back to your place now.”
He put a twenty-dollar bill down on the table and pulled her to her feet, quickly bundling her up in her coat and scarf. Moments later, they were out on the sidewalk, and he was all but dragging her along the street in the direction of her house.
Panic skittered down her spine. Just when she’d finally let herself relax, had something gone wrong?
“Jack.” He was much bigger than she, but she was strong enough to tug him to a stop. “Tell me what’s wrong. Please just tell me.”
“I’m doing this all wrong.” He cursed once in a low voice as he ran his free hand through his hair.
She shook her head in confusion. “What are you doing wrong?”
Before she knew it, he’d dropped to one knee in front of her.
Her mouth fell open. All the way open, in fact, as she stared in shock at Jack kneeling before her.
“I was planning to surprise you with rose petals and champagne and every other romantic thing I could think of. But I just can’t wait another second to ask you to be my wife.”
Mary’s head and heart were spinning round and round so fast that she needed to make sure she’d heard him right. “You want me to be your wife?”
“I know I don’t have much to give you, and that you deserve absolutely everything. Riches. Beautiful gifts. I can’t give you any of those things. Not yet, anyway. All I can give you is my heart. And every last piece of my soul.”
He reached with a shaky hand into the inner pocket of his blue blazer and pulled out a small black box wrapped in velvet. When he flipped the lid open, she gasped at the sparkle of diamonds in the light of the streetlamp above them.
“And this ring.”
Mary instantly recognized it as a classic Italian engagement ring. One that symbolized love for all eternity.
“Marry me, Angel, and make me the happiest man in the world.”
“Yes.” The word flew out of her mouth before she could think, before she could process anything more than how much she loved him. She tugged him back to his feet so that she could wrap her arms around him, the ring and box crushed between them. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Their mouths met in a kiss so loving, so sweet, so passionate that she could hardly believe all of this was real. It had happened so fast, from meeting Jack to falling in love with him, to being offered his heart and soul.
When they finally drew back from each other, he took her left hand in his and slipped the gorgeous engagement ring onto her fourth finger. Mary stared in wonder at it, thinking just how much her mother would have loved this moment. If only she could call her with the wonderful news…
But, suddenly, thinking of her mother brought more than just a pang of longing for her estranged family. It also brought Mary’s fears back to the forefront.
“I don’t—” She swallowed hard as she made herself face Jack. “What if I don’t know how to be a wife? What if I’m no good at being one half of a whole? I’ve only ever been on my own as an adult.”
“So have I,” he said in a soft voice, “but that’s just because I was waiting to kiss the prettiest girl in the world under the mistletoe. Whatever we have to learn, we’ll learn together.”
Easy. He made it sound so easy. And because she badly wanted to believe that it would be, she echoed his, “I was waiting for you, too.”
* * *
Mary and Jack stopped to kiss at every corner, so the walk back to her house took twice as long as it otherwise would have. By the time they made it to her front door, she was more than ready for a repeat of the wild against-the-door lovemaking from the night he’d taken her to see Singin’ in the Rain.
But instead of tearing her clothes off the moment they were inside, Jack put his hands on either side of her face and held her gently.
“Mine.”
He said the word softly, but she heard the possession—and the wonder—in the simple word as it fell from his lips.
“Yours.” Emotion made her voice unsteady. “Always.”
Slowly, reverently, he ran the tips of his fingers over her eyebrows, cheekbones, lips and earlobes. By the time he reached her neck and then the hollows of her collarbones, she was beyond desperate for more of him.
“Jack, please.”
He leaned forward and slid his bristly cheek against her smooth one. “I know I didn’t do the proposal right,” he murmured against her earlobe, “but I’ll get this part right. I promise.”
Strangely, he gave her a slightly nervous look that confused her. She’d never seen Jack anxious before. Was he tired from the string of long days getting ready for the big holiday launch? Or was there something else going on?
Before she could ask him if everything was all right, he finally gave her one of his beautiful grins. “Great idea. In fact,” he added as he took her hand and they began walking toward the diner, “I think pie and ice cream at the diner should always be part of our new post-Christmas-tree-lighting tradition.”
Tradition.
Mary had thought she’d left tradition behind when she left Italy. The idea of starting a new tradition with Jack was at once terrifying…and wonderful. Because it meant that he really did intend to keep loving her past this first Christmas, when everything between them was so fresh and exciting.
She forgot all about his slightly strange initial reaction as they chatted easily about their busy days while they walked. They weren’t just lovers, they were friends, too. Best friends who would do absolutely anything to make the other person happy.
Despite being fairly empty, the diner was cozy and warm. This time, they both sat on the same side of the booth and shared a supersize slice of pie. Her night couldn’t get any more perfect than this, sitting with the man she loved while he fed her warm cherries coated in melting vanilla ice cream. They simply enjoyed being with each other.
She knew her life wasn’t perfect, and there were things she would always wish she could have done differently, but for the first time in a very long time, she felt at peace.
“Mary—”
Something in Jack’s voice as he said her name pulled her from her relaxed reverie. The note of anxiety she’d sensed earlier was back.
“Jack? What is it?” She’d seen him look intense before, but never this intense.
“I think we should go back to your place now.”
He put a twenty-dollar bill down on the table and pulled her to her feet, quickly bundling her up in her coat and scarf. Moments later, they were out on the sidewalk, and he was all but dragging her along the street in the direction of her house.
Panic skittered down her spine. Just when she’d finally let herself relax, had something gone wrong?
“Jack.” He was much bigger than she, but she was strong enough to tug him to a stop. “Tell me what’s wrong. Please just tell me.”
“I’m doing this all wrong.” He cursed once in a low voice as he ran his free hand through his hair.
She shook her head in confusion. “What are you doing wrong?”
Before she knew it, he’d dropped to one knee in front of her.
Her mouth fell open. All the way open, in fact, as she stared in shock at Jack kneeling before her.
“I was planning to surprise you with rose petals and champagne and every other romantic thing I could think of. But I just can’t wait another second to ask you to be my wife.”
Mary’s head and heart were spinning round and round so fast that she needed to make sure she’d heard him right. “You want me to be your wife?”
“I know I don’t have much to give you, and that you deserve absolutely everything. Riches. Beautiful gifts. I can’t give you any of those things. Not yet, anyway. All I can give you is my heart. And every last piece of my soul.”
He reached with a shaky hand into the inner pocket of his blue blazer and pulled out a small black box wrapped in velvet. When he flipped the lid open, she gasped at the sparkle of diamonds in the light of the streetlamp above them.
“And this ring.”
Mary instantly recognized it as a classic Italian engagement ring. One that symbolized love for all eternity.
“Marry me, Angel, and make me the happiest man in the world.”
“Yes.” The word flew out of her mouth before she could think, before she could process anything more than how much she loved him. She tugged him back to his feet so that she could wrap her arms around him, the ring and box crushed between them. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Their mouths met in a kiss so loving, so sweet, so passionate that she could hardly believe all of this was real. It had happened so fast, from meeting Jack to falling in love with him, to being offered his heart and soul.
When they finally drew back from each other, he took her left hand in his and slipped the gorgeous engagement ring onto her fourth finger. Mary stared in wonder at it, thinking just how much her mother would have loved this moment. If only she could call her with the wonderful news…
But, suddenly, thinking of her mother brought more than just a pang of longing for her estranged family. It also brought Mary’s fears back to the forefront.
“I don’t—” She swallowed hard as she made herself face Jack. “What if I don’t know how to be a wife? What if I’m no good at being one half of a whole? I’ve only ever been on my own as an adult.”
“So have I,” he said in a soft voice, “but that’s just because I was waiting to kiss the prettiest girl in the world under the mistletoe. Whatever we have to learn, we’ll learn together.”
Easy. He made it sound so easy. And because she badly wanted to believe that it would be, she echoed his, “I was waiting for you, too.”
* * *
Mary and Jack stopped to kiss at every corner, so the walk back to her house took twice as long as it otherwise would have. By the time they made it to her front door, she was more than ready for a repeat of the wild against-the-door lovemaking from the night he’d taken her to see Singin’ in the Rain.
But instead of tearing her clothes off the moment they were inside, Jack put his hands on either side of her face and held her gently.
“Mine.”
He said the word softly, but she heard the possession—and the wonder—in the simple word as it fell from his lips.
“Yours.” Emotion made her voice unsteady. “Always.”
Slowly, reverently, he ran the tips of his fingers over her eyebrows, cheekbones, lips and earlobes. By the time he reached her neck and then the hollows of her collarbones, she was beyond desperate for more of him.
“Jack, please.”
He leaned forward and slid his bristly cheek against her smooth one. “I know I didn’t do the proposal right,” he murmured against her earlobe, “but I’ll get this part right. I promise.”
