Night Whispers - Leslie Kelly [77]
“I love you,” he said as he sat her gently on the sofa.
“Well, it took you long enough to say it!”
He laughed aloud and caught her mouth in a deep kiss as he pulled her jacket off and warmed her with his body.
“Did you really mean it?” she asked after they ended their kiss. “You want to make this work between us? Because I want that more than anything, but I’m not willing to let fear drive me away from Night Whispers.”
He nodded. “I know. I’m always going to worry about you, Kelsey. But I recognize that Night Whispers is a part of you.”
Leaning down to press a kiss in the hollow of her throat, he whispered, “A very naughty, delicious part.”
She savored the rough feel of his cheek on her skin. “I’ll be extra careful at work. I won’t take any chances.”
“We’ll deal with whatever happens.”
They kissed again, long, deep and wet. Kelsey shifted on the couch, wanting to have nothing between them, particularly her clothing. He slowly began unbuttoning her blouse and she loved how his eyes darkened while he looked at her.
“You’re sure you won’t mind not having a safe, respectable, responsible, pearls-wearing literary wife?” she whispered.
“Wife?” he asked, looking at her in wide-eyed innocence. “Was that a proposal?”
She pushed him off her until he slid to the floor in front of the couch. Luckily, he landed on his knees.
“No, big guy, it wasn’t. I am not going to make all the first moves in this relationship!”
“You’re not? There’s a change,” Mitch said with a grin.
She glared at him, but he took her by the hand and kissed the tips of her fingers. “I love you, Kelsey. And I don’t just want you to marry me, I am begging you to. After all, who else is going to give me a kick off the straight and narrow when I need it?”
Sliding to the floor in front of him, Kelsey pressed against his body, knees to shoulders, and looked up into his eyes with every ounce of the love she felt for him.
“Sounds like the perfect job for me,” she murmured.
He grinned.
“And Lady Love.”
Epilogue
“GOOD EVENING, BALTIMORE, and welcome to a special edition of Night Whispers.
“This is Brian filling in for Lady Love tonight. Our Night Whispers hostess is celebrating a very special event. This afternoon, Lady Love married the man of her dreams and yours truly was in attendance. Ready for the dish?
“First of all, the bride wore white. Now, skeptics among you, stop your tittering. She was utterly gorgeous, a picture of elegance in a floor-length Belgian-lace dress. For those among you who can only see sexiness in red or black lingerie, stretch your brains and visualize the power of purity. High collar, long sleeves, perfectly fitted to her figure, with pearl buttons running from her neck all the way down her back. Imagine the anticipation of a groom slowly slipping each button free and I’m sure you’ll understand the appeal.
“Speaking of the groom, if there was ever a man born to wear a formal black tux, it’s him. Ladies, he looked like a fantasy man, tall, lean and powerful. And the look of adoration on his face when he saw our lady walking down the aisle was something no one in that church will ever forget.
“The ceremony was traditional, and everything went smooth as clockwork, though the mother of the bride cried enough to leave black streaks down her cheeks. Always remember, please, waterproof mascara for these occasions.
“During the vows, steam came out of the bride’s ears when the minister said the word ‘obey.’ The groom and the best man, the bride’s brother, laughed loud enough to be heard in the back of the church. Lady Love didn’t realize they’d put the minister up to it until he winked at them. The groom got a sharp-knuckled little punch in the upper arm before he swept his bride into his arms for an oh-so-passionate kiss.
“The reception was held at a hotel near the Inner Harbor. In