He grinned. “That’s a lot of names.”
“Well, maybe you can have a lot of kids.”
He chuckled as warmth filled him at the thought of Samantha carrying his child. But first things first…he wanted only one person right now. Samantha.
As he raced down to the lobby, he remembered how after their lovemaking the other night he’d felt so at home in her arms. Now he knew it was more than that.
In Samantha’s arms he had come home.
“Is it going to be much longer, Jayne?” Samantha asked, after she’d boarded the Jarrod private jet and nothing seemed to be happening. They hadn’t even taxied out onto the runway yet.“I’m sorry about this, Ms. Thompson,” the stewardess apologized. “It’s the weather. There’s a storm ahead. We have to sit tight until it passes.”
Samantha swiveled her leather chair around on its base a little to glance out the cabin window to the snow-dusted airport. A few weeks ago, before she’d decided to resign, she’d been eagerly looking forward to the first of the snow falling over Jarrod Ridge. Now she had to return to the warm California weather and try not to imagine how magical it would have been here in Blake’s arms.
Somehow she faked a small smile back at the other woman. “Okay, thanks, Jayne.”
The stewardess smiled, then went to the back of the plane, leaving her alone to stare out the window. She’d done her best to repair her face after her crying session back at the lodge, but the longer she sat here the more likely she might burst into tears.
And if she did that she would be humiliated in front of Jayne. She wanted no one knowing how painful this was for her. Blake knew she’d been hurt, but he really had no idea at the depths of her despair. How could he? He didn’t love her. He was going to move on. He’d probably already written her off as a bad debt, she thought with a touch of hysteria.
Oh, God. This was it. She was actually leaving Aspen…leaving Blake for good. Fresh tears were verging in her eyes when there was a sudden flurry of movement near the doorway. She quickly took a shuddering breath and glanced ahead to check what was happening.
Blake!
He stood there looking at her…so dear to her heart. And then he moved toward her through the wide cabin, and her thoughts kicked in. Was he here merely to make sure she left? She dared not think otherwise.
He stopped in front of her seat and looked down at her. “You didn’t say goodbye, Samantha.”
She moistened her mouth. “I didn’t think you wanted me to.”
“I didn’t,” he said, and her heart twisted tight at his honesty. “The fact is…I didn’t want you to say goodbye at all. I still don’t want you to leave. I want you to stay with me.” He pulled her to her feet, looking at her with an emotion in his eyes that almost blinded her. “I love you, Samantha.”
She knew in a heartbeat he was telling the truth. “Say that again,” she whispered.
“I love you.”
She threw her arms around his neck. “Oh, my God! I love you, too, Blake. So very, very much.”
He kissed her then and she clung to him, loving him with every ounce of her being, feeling the pounding of his heart in time with hers. Forevermore.
Finally he pulled back, but kept his arms around her. “I love you, Samantha. I love you more than life itself.”
She sighed blissfully. “I feel the same.”
He gave her a soft kiss. “After we made love last night, I suspected you loved me.”
At the time she’d hoped she’d masked her feelings well. “I gave myself away when I cried, didn’t I?”
“Yes, I’m afraid you did, darling.”
She went all sappy inside at the endearment, so she could forgive him anything. “Yet you were still going to let me go.”
“You can thank Erica that I didn’t. She made me see sense about a couple of things.”
“Thank you, sweet Erica,” she mused out loud.
He smiled, then it faded on his handsome face, making him more serious. “I hope you can forgive me for what I said to Gavin. You were right. I didn’t want anyone knowing my feelings for you. I was even hiding them from myself,” he added with self-derision. “And I hope you can believe this, but I was trying to protect you. I didn’t want them realizing you had feelings for me either.” He lifted his shoulders. “Loving someone is a private thing.”
She thanked him with her eyes. “I agree, though they probably suspected anyway. And yes, I do forgive you, darling,” she said, loving the sound of that on her own lips and seeing his eyes darken. “If you hadn’t said what you did to Gavin, then all this may not have been resolved.”
He chuckled. “Erica would have made us resolve it, don’t you worry about that. My sister is a very determined woman.”
Her heart swelled. So he’d let Erica into his heart, too. How wonderful. Now he could be the man he was meant to be with his family.
And with her.
All at once there was so much to talk about. She’d have to tell him about when she’d actually realized she loved him, and she’d have to come clean about trying to make him jealous. He was bound to get a laugh out of that.
“Samantha,” he cut across her thoughts. “I insist you don’t give up your music. I want you to contact that person Erica mentioned at the music school as soon as you can.”
“Oh, Blake, I’m not giving up anything,” she said softly, and ran her fingers along his chin, loving the feel of its masculine texture. “I’ve got all I ever wanted right here.”
His brows drew together. “But—”
She smiled at the worried look in his eyes. “Okay, I’ll contact them. Perhaps sometime in the future I’ll be able to help out in some minor way, but please believe that playing the piano isn’t important in my life. I enjoy it. I might even take some more lessons, or give lessons for that matter, but living here with you, and being part of your family, will be more than enough for me.”
He gave her a searching look, then his shoulders relaxed. “While we’re being honest…”
Her heart caught. “Yes?”
“I know you feel I’m letting you down in some way, but…”
She swallowed hard. “But?” What wasn’t he telling her? Was he actually in love with someone else? Was she his second choice? Perhaps he—
“Forgive me, Samantha, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to call you Sam.”
It took a moment to sink in. She laughed and lightly punched his chest. “You think that’s funny, don’t you?”
He put his hands on either side of her face and looked at her lovingly. “You’re Samantha to me. My Samantha. Do you mind?”
She blinked back silly tears of happiness. “Of course not.” Not anymore. “It makes me feel very special.”
“You are special, my darling.” He placed his lips on hers, then, “Let’s go to Vegas right now and get married.”
She blinked. “Married?” As crazy as it seemed, she hadn’t thought that far ahead. She’d been too busy taking in that he loved her. “You really want to marry me, Blake?”
He stroked her cheek. “Yes. I want your kisses for the rest of my life.”
She drew his mouth down to hers and kissed him softly. “Here’s one to start with.”
When the kiss finished, he said, “Speaking of giving, you haven’t given me my answer. Will you marry me?”
“Is there any doubt?”
“Not really.”
“You’re a conceited man, Blake Jarrod,” she teased.
“And that’s a good thing in this situation, right?”
She sent him a rueful glance, then something came to her. “But don’t you want to get married in Aspen with your family present?”
“No. I’m an impatient man. I want to marry you now. Today.” He scowled. “Unless you want a big wedding?” He didn’t wait for her to answer. “I suppose I shouldn’t cheat you of a wedding with your family.”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t need my family there. I love them dearly but they’ll understand. All they want is for me to be happy.”
“I can guarantee that.”
“Then a wedding for two will be just perfect, my love,” she murmured, a flood of emotion making her voice husky.
Blake lowered his head to place his lips against hers. Outside the plane more snowflakes fell in a hush, blanketing everything in a fairy-tale setting. And that was appropriate. Their love was, after all, a fairy tale come true.