Sommersgate House (Ghosts and Reincarnation #2)(125)

Douglas kissed Julia with the dazed passion that surged through his body, exultant in the triumph at her sweet capitulation. It was hot and wet and delicious and better than he would expect it to be even with all the kisses they’d shared before.

And Julia kissed him back without even the briefest hesitation.

“Excuse me! I’m still in the room!” Webster shouted but neither Douglas nor Julia looked at him.

“Say it,” Douglas commanded when he lifted his head.

She smiled, it was tremulous but it was genuine and he felt his body respond to it.

“I want to marry you.” Her voice was back, full, low and husky and he kissed her again. He couldn’t have stopped it if a freight train was pulling him from the opposite direction. She wrapped her arms around his neck, slid her fingers into his hair, pressed her soft body into his and he groaned his satisfaction into her mouth.

When he let her go, he kept one arm locked around her while he pulled a box out of the breast pocket of his suit jacket.

He flipped it open with his thumb and then ordered, “Give me your hand.”

She didn’t hesitate but stopped idly playing with the hair at his collar and extended the fingers of her left hand toward him. He let go of her waist, took the ring out of the box and tossed it casually onto the table making her emit a little giggle.

“You’re going to ruin the table if you keep throwing things on it,” Julia muttered.

Douglas ignored her.

“This is unbelievable,” Webster seethed from behind them.

They ignored him.

Douglas slid the diamond, a round, four-carat, perfect solitaire set simply yet elegantly in platinum, on her finger. Then his hand closed around hers and he brought the ring to his lips. He watched her the entire time, heat surging through his body when he saw her lips part in pleasure at first sight of the ring and then she bit her bottom lip when her knuckles made contact with his mouth.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.

He didn’t give her a moment to let it soak in, keeping her fingers held firmly in his, he turned on his heel and dragged her across the room.

“Douglas where are we –?” she began.

“Julia you can’t –” That was Webster who was pale-faced and tight-lipped and staring at them both like they’d grown two heads.

Douglas walked right by him as if he wasn’t there.

He took her to the study, not letting her hand go. He stopped at the side of his desk, jerked at her hand gently and when her body came close to his, he dropped it and drew her up to his side with his arm around her waist.

He picked up the phone and punched in a number.

“Nick?” he waited for a response then continued. “We have an unwanted guest.” He looked at the door to see that Webster had trailed behind them and was standing in the doorway of the study looking confused and angry. At Nick’s response, Douglas finished. “Yes, he needs to be disposed of.”

“I’m leaving,” Webster stated but then hesitated, looking at Julia, obviously hoping she’d stop him.

Julia was paying no attention, she was holding her left hand with her right, her head bent, staring down at the ring, her face awash with feminine delight.

Douglas placed the receiver into the cradle and immediately picked it up again, dialling two numbers this time. He watched Webster turn and leave without another word and Douglas completely dismissed the other man from his mind.

When Sam picked up the phone he said simply, “Send out the press release.”

Julia’s head snapped up and she stared at him as Sam whooped in his ear, “Hurrah!”

“What press release?” Julia asked.

“Does this mean I might get a holiday in this decade?” Sam asked cheekily.

“What press release?” Julia repeated.

“Possibly,” Douglas answered Sam and then put down the phone.

“What press release?” Julia’s lips had puckered and she was regarding him out of the corners of her eyes.

“The one that’s announcing our engagement and subsequent wedding in March at Wells Cathedral.”

Her mouth dropped open. “You’re joking,” she breathed.

“You’re not backing out on me again,” Douglas retorted.

Julia gasped.

“How long have you had this planned?” she demanded then stopped and blinked. “Wells Cathedral? Tammy and Gav were married there.”

“All the Ashtons are married there,” Douglas explained, moving her around to face him and sliding his other hand across her waist.

He was about to kiss the partially-stunned, partially-mutinous, partially-amused look off her face when there was a sound at the door. They both swung toward it but Douglas didn’t let her go.

He might, he thought, never let her go.

It was Mrs. Kilpatrick. “What’s happening? I had to run up to the cottage because Ruby had gotten into a muddle. When I came back to see if you wanted the first course, no one was there.”

“Is Ruby all right?” Julia asked, her face turning worried.

“Fine, something about… doesn’t matter. Kid stuff,” Mrs. Kilpatrick looked from one to the other. “Do you want the first course?”

Douglas opened his mouth to tell her they would be eating later, much later, but Julia spoke before him.