Sommersgate House (Ghosts and Reincarnation #2)(109)

His face was a picture of astonishment then his eyes became immediately shuttered.

All the presents Julia saved were from her. For Douglas it was a bottle of Lalique men’s cologne. An extraordinary scent that she fell in love with when she smelled it and it was presented in an exquisite bottle with the head of a horse carved intricately in the front.

What it was not was a stock certificate.

He took it out of the box and moved it around in his hands as Julia leaned over to him. “I hope you like it. It isn’t a diamond watch –”

His eyes lifted to hers and his were blazing so fiercely that her breath went out of her in a rush.

“I don’t want a diamond watch,” he said, his voice both terse and strangely hoarse, the combination of tone and the look in his eyes made her believe that she’d made him angry.

“The horse reminded me of you… not that you look like a horse…” she explained clumsily but she stopped he stood abruptly.

“Excuse us,” he declared to the table at large and Julia noticed that everyone was watching them with avid interest.

To her stunned surprise, he put the cologne on the table, grabbed Julia’s hand, pulled her none-too-gently out of her chair and walked out of the room, tugging her along behind him, his strides so long and fast she had to run to keep up with him.

He headed to the study, yanked her inside and slammed the door.

She misread his response and rushed to calm him. “Douglas, I’m so sorry, I wanted to do something –”

He grabbed her and in actions that were violent yet controlled, at the same time strangely gentle, he threw her against the door and pressed his body into hers. His hands came to either side of her jaw, tilting her face to his, his mouth descended and took hers in a kiss that was so devastatingly thorough she was panting when he lifted his head.

His hands cradled her face and, if she wasn’t shocked enough at this behaviour; he astounded her further by nudging her nose with his own.

“Marry me.” His voice was rough and she felt it like a physical touch.

Her legs, already jelly, nearly came out from under her.

She grasped onto his sweater at his sides to hold herself upright but shook her head, panic beginning to fill her.

This was not a Douglas she knew. This was not an indifferent Douglas. This was not a determined Douglas, bent on having what he wanted. This was an altogether unknown Douglas.

A Douglas she could actually say yes to.

“I was just trying to be nice, I didn’t expect this.” To her irritation, her voice held a tremble.

“Oh yes you did, you just didn’t know it.”

“What an extraordinarily arrogant thing to say.” She tried to sound waspish but it came out breathless.

He grinned and she moaned a little at the sight of it which made his grin grow to a smile.

“It’s going to be so fun when I win.” His nose nudged hers again, this time playfully (a playful Douglas, too, had once been an altogether unknown entity and she found herself shocked that she was actually getting used to it).

He slid his nose up the side of hers. Then his lips kissed each eyelid in turn and she held her breath, scared of what she’d say or do because his actions were so sweet, so tender, so caring, so strangely loving, she couldn’t cope.

She tried to break the moment. “Everyone is probably wondering where we are, we have to go back.”

“Did you like the watch?” He changed the subject immediately, his body pressing more insistently into hers as his hands moved from her jaws and became arms curved around her and his lips slid from her temple to her ear.

She knew that he knew that she liked the watch. He was just being wicked by making her say it out loud.

“It’s a lovely watch.” It was more than a lovely watch, it was a magnificent watch.

“‘Lovely.’ That’s a word you use to describe a lot of things.” His voice was at her ear, causing tingles to slide across her skin.

She knew exactly what he was referring to and she also knew she was being churlish, especially considering the thoughtfulness and generosity of the gift.

He deserved better.

“It’s beautiful,” she admitted. “I love it.”

“How much do you love it?” he asked roughly, invitingly, his breath floated across the sensitive skin behind her ear and she squirmed against him, both pushing him away with her hands at his waist and bunching the fabric of his sweater between her fists to hold him where he was.

“It’s perfect,” she whispered. “It’s me. I would choose it for myself. Sam did a good job with all the gifts today.”

This caused his head to jerk up and he narrowed his eyes at her.

“Sam did not choose that watch. I did.”

“Oh.” This came out as a breath and then the thought of him entering a shop, choosing something so immensely splendid, so entirely perfect and purchasing it for her caused her to utter the word, “Wow.”

“I suppose ‘wow’ is a damned, bloody sight better than ‘lovely’,” he growled.

She blinked at him as she realised, belatedly, his mood had shifted.

“Are you angry?” Her eyes had rounded and for some reason he let her go, stepping back a pace.

“I’m not angry,” he said in a voice that belied his words.