Chapter 22 #2
He bent his head and he kissed her deeply. Amanda kissed him back, her heart exploding with so much love and joy, the emotions were almost unbearable. “I feel like Cinderella,” she gasped as he laid her down.
He moved on top of her, his smile tender. “I am no prince.”
She laughed. “Cliff, you are Prince Charming in the flesh—and I think you know it!”
He grinned with a dimple and began kissing her in a very leisurely and torturous manner. “I am not taking over command of this ship,” he murmured when they both came up for air.
Amanda could guess what that meant—ten days spent in his cabin and in his bed. She could barely wait. “I am very pleased. But my darling, do you wish for an audience?”
He smiled at her. “Actually, I wish to give you something, and I do not mind an audience.” He sat up, reaching into the pocket of his pale doeskin breeches. Then he held out a huge diamond ring.
Amanda gasped.
“May I?” he asked.
“When did you get this?” But she held out her hand, stunned and amazed.
“Hmm.” He slid it on. “You were probably boarding this ship and about to make sail while I was making this purchase.”
Her smile vanished and their gazes locked. “I am so sorry,” she said.
“I should have told you that I loved you when we were making love.”
She touched his jaw. He turned his head and kissed her hand, then he smiled, his eyes taking on a familiar gleam. “How badly do you wish for a society wedding?”
She became still. “I haven’t given a wedding of any kind a single thought.”
He leaned close, kissed her for a while, then murmured, “Could I persuade you to allow Mac to marry us?”
She sat bolt upright. “Yes.”
“That was easy enough,” he said, clearly smug and pleased. “But I had hoped for the opportunity to show off my powers of persuasion.”
“You can show them off after we are wed,” she breathed, shaking in disbelief. “Do you mean…now?”
He stood and held out his hand. “Yes, I do.”
She removed her ring, giving it to him, and then took his hand, their gazes locked. With a soft smile, he led her from the cabin, only pausing to retrieve his Bible from his desk. “Mac. You have a wedding to perform. Hand over the helm to Clark.”
Mac grinned. “Aye, sir!” He leaped down to the main deck. “Sir, permission to call all hands?”
Cliff shrugged. “I am not captain here. Do as you will.”
Mac turned and nodded at Clark. Amanda faced Cliff, who squeezed her hand as footsteps sounded, the sailors from belowdecks racing up, those in the yards lithely dropping down.
An eternity stretched out and she realized that her every dream was coming true.
She was a lady at last, and she had Cliff’s heart.
Images of a beautiful life flashed in her mind.
She saw them with Ariella and Alexi at Windsong, spending a cozy summer evening on the balcony overlooking the turquoise sea.
She saw herself and Cliff in his ebony four-poster bed, lost in the throes of passion.
She saw herself cradling an infant child in her arms, with Cliff leaning over her, smiling at them both. Tears blurred her vision.
“Ready, sir?” Mac asked.
“Yes, I am,” Cliff said, clearing his throat. “But I would like to say something first. I must make my own vows.”
He took both of her hands in his. “Amanda. I hardly know where to begin.” His eyes became moist. “You became the center of my life, of my existence, the day I rescued you at King’s House. Shortly after, I vowed to protect you and secure your future. Today, I am making those vows come true.”
She started to cry.
He smiled, his nose red. “I give you more vows now, my darling. I vow to honor, cherish, respect and admire you. I vow to forsake all others, and most importantly, I vow to love you, with all of my heart and my entire soul, now and forever. Life is uncertain, but I vow now that I will move heaven and earth to give you a life filled with comfort, luxury, joy and peace—a life you so sorely deserve. And Amanda? I will do my utmost to keep the bad at bay and to bring good fortune to our home. I want you to be utterly happy.”
Amanda was crying and she could not stop.
Cliff de Warenne was a man of his word, and her future had been secured.
She took his face in her hands, trembling.
“I love you so. You have been my protector and my friend, my guardian and my champion, my lover and my hero, too. You have been everything to me and you are everything to me—you will always be my life. Cliff, you are my heart!” She paused to wipe her eyes.
He bent to kiss her, his expression serious and intent.
“I am hardly done!” she cried.
He smiled. “Please, then.”
She inhaled. “I already love Alexi and Ariella, Cliff. I vow to be a loving, kind, compassionate mother to your children. And—” she became shy “—I would like to bear you more children, if you will let me.”
His gaze finally swam with tears.
His eyes blazed. “I should like that, too.” He was hoarse.
“I gave you my heart on this ship, many months ago, shortly after we made sail,” She smiled tremulously at him. “You are my Prince Charming, and I will never stop loving you, Cliff.”
His gaze held hers, searching and moist, and she gazed back, overcome. Then he began to smile and he leaned forward to kiss her.
Mac coughed. “No kissing yet, Captain!”
Cliff straightened in surprise as above them chuckles sounded. “I had forgotten,” he murmured. “Please, Mac, do proceed.”
“Do you, Captain de Warenne, swear to honor, love and cherish this woman, forsaking all others, until death do you part?”
“I do,” Cliff said, now grasping her hands.
“Do you, Amanda Carre, also swear to honor, love and cherish this man, in sickness and in health, in good times and bad, until death do you part?”
“I do,” Amanda said tremulously.
Mac said firmly, “By the power invested in me as captain of this vessel, I now pronounce you man and wife.”
Cliff slid her beautiful ring back on her finger. Amanda went into his arms, and above them in the rigging, around them on the deck, all hands hurrahed.
And then, suddenly, Amanda stiffened, and glanced over her shoulder.
Papa stood there, smiling at her, and then he gave her a small salute. I’ve been waiting for this day, Amanda girl. I’ll be going now.
And he vanished.
“Papa,” Amanda breathed.
“Amanda?” Cliff asked with concern.
Still in his arms, she raised her face to his, smiling. “Have I told you lately that I love you?”
He smiled back. “Pray tell me again.” He started kissing her. And again.” He continued kissing her. “But I believe in show and tell.”
Amanda closed her eyes as he kissed her, showing her his love. He hadn’t just secured her future, he had secured her dreams. He was so wrong—he was most definitely a prince—he was her prince and nothing was ever going to change that.