“You said you wanted to know how it felt to fly,” Jack said to her as the craft turned east and billowy clouds, pierced by sunbeams, rolled past.
“Jack…” She cupped his cheek. “It is perfect.”
A flush worked across his skin, and his lashes lowered. Strangely bashful, he studied the floor before him. “Your scent,” he said abruptly. “Your voice. Your humor. Your kindness.” He glanced at her, then away. “Your smile.” Taking a short breath, he faced her, his shoulders back and square. “In that order.”
Mary blinked at him. “I’m sorry?”
His flush grew. “Damn…” Jack’s mouth firmed. “Those are the things I first fell in love with about you. When we met that night on Lucien’s barge.”
“Oh… well.” A lovely warmth spread over her skin as she stared up at him.
“But what captured my heart”—he swallowed quickly, his eyes not quite meeting hers—“what stole my soul, was your mind. That sharp, twisted, utterly lovely mind.”
He looked at her then, brows raised a bit, his expression soft. “I didn’t want you to think it was merely physical, you see.”
She did see, and the warmth in her bloomed bright. He opened his mouth to speak but she beat him to it.
“Am I not allowed to give my list as well?”
“Oh. Yes. Of course.” Jack shifted his weight, bringing his hands back before him like a pupil facing a headmaster.
Mary’s lips wanted to twitch, but she kept her expression neutral. “The impeccable cut of your suit. Your gorgeous eyes.” He flushed at that. “Your voice, smooth as cream sherry. Your wit. And your smile, like the sun on the sea.”
Jack cleared his throat, a gruff male sound that made her smile.
“But what captured my heart, stole my soul, was the dark, twisted, ridiculously blunt”—he scowled, though humor lit his eyes—“wonderfully loyal man inside that delicious package.”
“Mary…” He took her hand and led her to a chair. As she sat he made that nervous sound again, his skin ruddy against his white collar. When he sat in the chair opposite her, his spine was stiff. Behind him, framed by the windows, endless blue sky opened up. Large blocks of sunlight drifted across the floor and landed upon his shoulders. Hints of bronze glinted in his dark hair as he bent his head and stared at his hands. “The thing is, we’re not like other people.”
She nodded, still at sea with this whole strange conversation.
“We’ll live forever,” he went on, his color high and his voice growing increasingly strained. “Societal laws don’t truly touch us.” Jack’s head jerked to the side as if he found his collar too tight. “You and I… we might go on just as we are now, and be content.”
Mary’s heart clicked. What was he trying to say? But before she could ask, he was moving. Her breath caught as he knelt before her, taking her hands in his own. His fingers were ice-cold and trembling along with his voice. “The thing is,” he whispered, keeping his eyes on their hands, “while I’ll have you any way you let me, for however long as I can, I want—”
He took an audible breath and then raised his gaze to hers, and Mary’s throat closed. The whole of his soul was reflected in the green depths of his eyes. Utterly, perfectly beautiful.
“I want the pomp and circumstance. I want to vow before our friends and family that I shall love and protect you. I want the world to know that you are mine and I am yours. So then…” He licked his lips and quickly hurried on. “Mary Chase, would you do me the great honor of becoming my wife? I know that I’m not—”
She grabbed hold of him and kissed him silent.
“Yes,” she said against his lips. “Yes to all of it.”
And he fell into the kiss, his mouth desperate, his tense body letting go with a shudder.
“Thank God,” he breathed, then kissed her again, quick, loving kisses that had her laughing. But he soon jerked back. “Damn it…” Jack let her go and fumbled about in his coat. “I knew I’d get it wrong.” His ears grew red as he pulled a gold ring from his pocket.
“Now, I’ve heard that women fancy diamonds, and I’ll go back and get you one if you desire it, but…” He shook his head a little, his brows furrowing as he took her hand in his. “I saw this ring and thought, ‘That is us.’ ”
Mary bent forward to see, and when she did, a happy laugh broke from her. Coiled around each other to form a ring were two stylized golden snakes, their little heads tucked close to form the ring’s face. Prince Albert had given Queen Victoria something similar. Snakes for immortality and eternal love. “It’s perfect,” she whispered.