Crystal Cove (Friday Harbor #4)(89)

“I love you, too.”

He continued to soothe and caress her, until the embrace began to seem somewhat more lecherous than comforting. “You know,” he said thoughtfully, his hand slipping beneath the sheet, “this whole relationship has moved so damned fast, I don’t see any point in slowing down now. I’ll ask you the right way later, but Justine, sweet love … you’re going to have to marry me.” He paused. “That wasn’t an order, incidentally. It was … imperative begging.”

“Marriage,” she repeated, stunned. “Oh, let’s not even go there. It’s too soon.”

“We’re already sharing a soul,” he pointed out. “We may as well start filing joint tax returns.”

Justine let out a rueful laugh, knowing that once Jason set his mind on something, he was nothing short of relentless. “I can’t begin to imagine how the logistics would work.”

“Logistics are easy. Full-on marriage, twenty-four-seven, living in the same house and spending every night in the same bed. We’ll spend most of our time on the island, but occasionally you’ll spend a week in San Francisco with me. We’ll hire a manager to help take care of Artist’s Point whenever you’re gone.”

“But not just anyone can do what I do,” she protested. “Usually guests at a bed-and-breakfast expect a warm and personal experience, like they’re visiting someone’s home.”

“We’ll hire a warm and personal manager. I’ll have Priscilla find someone.”

“I do not want any help from Priscilla.”

He asked gingerly, “You’re still annoyed with her for helping me borrow the Triodecad?”

“Steal. And yes, at the moment she has all the appeal of finding a hair in a biscuit.”

“None of it was her fault. I was the devil who made her do it.”

“Yes.” She let out a breathless laugh as he tugged the sheet away from her. “But you’re my devil.”

“And you’re my gorgeous little witch.”

“A witch with no magic,” she said, but she was smiling as he pulled her onto his lap.

“There’s magic in every part of you,” he told her.

“Prove it,” Justine said throatily, linking her arms around his neck.

They both knew that Jason Black was not a man to back down from a challenge.