For All Time (6 page)

“Okay, then here is an explanation about my ways.” She took a deep breath. “You thought I was ashamed of my past.”

“Aye, I did at first.”

“I can’t change a thing I’ve done and to be honest, I don’t want to. I thought I loved my old boyfriend, and chose to sleep with him.”

“Very well.”

“Just to make it clear: The fact I’m not a virgin doesn’t make me any less pure of heart.”

“I never should have—”

“Apparently, in your time women don’t sleep around unless they are...like Margery.”

“That is not entirely true. There are some who simply keep sexual trysts well hidden.”

“Oh.” She grinned. “Then this explanation is over. My feelings for you are sexual, but they also include purity of love strong enough to stay here when I don’t even know what’s going to happen next. How’s that for pure?”

“I beg ye, banish what I said before about purity. It was said in heat of passion. I never meant—”

“Yes you did.” She shrugged. “Whatever I’ve done in my past made me the woman I am now. The woman you claim to love.”

“Aye. And I do love thee.” He blew a long breath, but the worry in his expression didn’t diminish. “Ye trust in that?”

She nodded. “Yes, I trust in that.” Satisfied she’d made her point, she sighed and cuddled into his arms. “Warm me up.”

“Ye are the one with the cape.” He grinned and slipped his arms underneath it. Tex’s throaty growl made him step back and chuckle “Gods. We must get a room.”

“Ha! That’s a saying in my time!” She rose to tip-toe and nibbled his chin. “When someone wants to be...anything but pure.”

“Wilt thou ever forget I said that?”

A giggle, nervous and loud, escaped her. “Yeah, once you give me that sound lesson.”

His brown eyes narrowed, his smile downright feral. “That can be arranged... If ye wish to bed a man who is not pure.”

Their banter was back. And he loved her. She decided fate, magic, and love were nothing to argue with. “Well, seeing you were such a whore yourself, you haven’t much to bargain with.” She gave him a mischievous grin.

He threw back his head and laughed.

“I love that laugh.” She swallowed hard. “And you.”

“Ye love me.” He lifted her off her feet and dodged Tex’s playful nip. “Ye will wed me?

“I’d love to.” She put up a finger to shush him when he started to speak. “On one condition.” She brushed her lips against his. “We wait a bit to get married.”

His smile faltered. “But—”

“Now lend me
your
ears.” There. His smile was back. “I love you. Don’t doubt that. But why don’t we get to know more about each other than the way our bodies, uh, respond.”

“Does thy heart respond as well?”

She nodded, her cheeks aching from her incessant grinning.

“Then I can wait.” He raised a brow. “How long might that be?”

“We have all the time in the world.”

He scooped her up and carried her toward the opening of the alley, ignoring Tex’s barks. “The stone truly
is
worth a fortune, woman. For it brought the riches of many things: the stutter of my heart when ye smile, thy curious way of speaking, the freshness of thy ways, and that delightful rambling.” He put her down and ran his thumb along her bottom lip. “And this mouth. Oh, how I love to kiss upon these lips.”

He delved deep into her heart with his kiss and she delighted in the revelation that love was lasting and just when shared between the right hearts.

“I wish I had flowery medieval words to convey how I feel.” She barely got the words past the lump in her throat. She hadn’t cried in years and now she couldn’t stop. These tears weren’t caused by heartache. They were caused by truth and belief in finding the one she was meant to be with. They were tears of joy. She was the most blessed in this moment, for she finally found her lover. Her mate. And eventually her spouse. The love in his eyes was unmistakable and she couldn’t wait to begin their journey together.

“Words mean naught. The look ye give means everything.”

“Then we’re good.”

“Definitely.” He motioned to the mouth of the alley. “The sun is setting. We should be on our way.”

She looked down the alley at Tex. Apparently bored with nipping Cade, he moved on to sniff the magic stone she’d dropped earlier.

“Tex.” Cade’s baritone voice made the dog’s ears perk. “Leave it be.” He hurried over, scooped up the stone, and winked. “Gift or not, I must return this to Wren and convince him to find his own happiness.”

“Aw, you’re a romantic knight.” Sage batted her eyes. “I believe I am smitten with ye.”

Cade rolled his eyes, turned to Tex, and snapped his fingers. “Come, dog.” Tex promptly followed him.

Sage leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “You and that man command.”

Cade linked his fingers through hers. There was the current again. Sage laughed with abandon and twirled around, still holding his hand.

Their hearty laughter gathered a small crowd at the mouth of the alley. An unsavory crowd.

Sage tried to gain control, but nervous giggles echoed off the stone walls.

“Cover thyself,” Cade whispered. “Ye look positively sinful.”

“You love it,” she retorted, clutching the cape closed.

Tex barked. To her it was playful, but to the small gathering leering at her, it was fearful enough to send them scurrying into the nearby tavern.

He handed Sage the stone and stooped before the dog. “Well done. I believe there is a place for ye before the fire at the manor.”

“Manor?” She never imagined that. She would live in a hut with this guy, but hey, she wouldn’t turn down a manor.

“My home—our home—is but an hour’s ride.”

She felt like she was in the middle of a fairy tale happily-ever-after.

“As far as the church is concerned, ye shall reside in a chamber of thy own until we marry.” He winked. “However, the household dare not divulge the adjoining door to my own.”

“Interesting.” She tapped her chin, a grin plastered on her face. “Yet you were concerned about
my
purity.”

He blew a long breath. “We must get past that blunder, nay?”

She grinned. “Maybe.”

“Keep thy cape cinched tight until we are safely within a carriage.” He called to a young man. “Seth, ye there! Acquire a carriage!”

The lad tripped in his haste. “Aye, Sir Cade.”

Wow. This man had power. How sexy was that?

They followed the young boy and walked by the tavern where Margery glared at them from the doorway. On the way, a velvet-clad man with long black hair and a snarly grin stopped them, inquiring of the new maiden in the village. Cade introduced her as Sweet Sage, his trothed from the place of falls. She broke into uncontrollable laughter, and he whisked her away before they could complete the introduction. Sage could only imagine what gossip would come of that.

“Who was that?” A final chuckle pitched her question louder than she expected.

“Margery’s father.”

“I never realized tavern owners dressed so nice.”

“Coin from his patrons provides for more than the wenches and ale he imparts. He always dresses Margery and himself in only the best.”

Enough talk about Margery. She hurried her steps, clenching her teeth to keep from chattering. “Too bad this doesn’t zip up. I’m damn close to turning into a popsicle.”

“A what?”

“I’m freezing.”

“Ah, my love, I promise to warm ye.”

The suggestive tone of his voice sparked sinful thoughts about what he might do to fulfill that promise. “When?”

“For all time, fair one.” He chuckled. “For all time.”

Biography

J.M. Powers is the alter ego of a woman named Jeannie. Jeannie works a day job while J.M. creates new adventures in the romance genre.

J.M. lives on an island in upstate New York where she tolerates the harsh winters and relishes rare sunny days.

Jeannie, a mother of five, is proficient at crust-free tuna sandwiches, Buffalo chicken wings, and embarrassing her kids by wearing skinny jeans to the grocery store.

Both women juggle between work, play, teaching teenagers to drive, and writing romance novels. Though the days can be hectic and schedules full, everything falls together without broken bones or hearts.

You can find this multi-published author at the following links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.jmpowers

J.M. Powers Romance: https://www.JMPowersRomance.blogspot.com

Five For Fiction: http://www.fiveforfiction.com/

Manic Readers Author Page: http://www.manicreaders.com/JMPowers/

Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/JM-Powers/e/B007FDX91W/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1364321178&sr=8-1

Email: [email protected]