Debbie Macomber Brides Collection: Marriage of Inconvenience\Stand-In Wife\Bride on the Loose by Debbie Macomber

Author:Debbie Macomber [Macomber, Debbie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781460338261
Publisher: MIRA Books
Published: 2014-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

Seven

“We’re mature adults,” Leah said as solemnly as she could. “We both realize this isn’t a love match.”

“We’re going into this with our eyes wide open,” Paul agreed.

“Exactly.” The relief she felt knowing she wouldn’t be forced to leave the children was so great that Leah slumped in the kitchen chair, holding up her head with both hands. She brushed loose strands of hair from her forehead and smiled weakly up at Paul.

“There is love involved, though,” Paul said pointedly, studying her.

She’d never been more aware of a man’s look. Engrossed in it. Absorbed. Since the night they’d kissed, she’d noticed that the way Paul looked at her had changed. Once again she wished she was more experienced in relationships, because she couldn’t say exactly how it had changed—or what it meant. He seemed to watch her more closely, his gaze bolder, less veiled. She glanced up to see that he was still waiting for her to respond to his statement.

“Naturally there’s love involved,” she said, speaking too quickly. “We both love the children,” she added, hating the breathless quality of her words.

Paul pulled out a chair and sat across from her. “The children are a vitally important part of this, but there’s more involved here. I want to know what you feel for me.”

Leah had come to know a directness about Paul that she loved…and feared. Her own manner was more subtle and she tended to think more slowly and methodically. To her, every aspect of a problem needed to be analyzed and then logically examined. It was the way she lived her life.

Paul, on the other hand, had neither the time nor the patience to mull over any issue. He wrote to a deadline, and believed that it shouldn’t take more than five minutes to think through a situation.

Defining feelings seemed to come more easily to him, as well. Leah had always found that difficult.

“Leah?” Paul prodded when she didn’t answer right away.

“I … I don’t know what I feel for you.” It was an honest answer…as honest as she dared. She was afraid to love him, and even more afraid that she already did. He made her experience emotions, physical desires, that she hadn’t known she was capable of feeling.

“What do you expect from this marriage?” Paul asked her next.

“I don’t know that, either. I haven’t had time to think about it.” Then it struck her, something she should’ve considered much earlier. “What exactly do you expect?”

“A wife.”

He left it at that, left it for her to fill in the blanks. “I …see.”

“Do you, Leah? After we’re married, I’ll want you to move into my bedroom, share my life and my bed.” He hesitated as though he expected an argument. “I realize you don’t love me now, but I’m hoping you will in time. Do you have a problem with that?”

Talking so openly had always made Leah uneasy. She lowered her eyes. “No…but do you honestly think we can make a marriage work?”

“Of course. Otherwise I’d never agree to it, and neither would you.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.