Beatrice closed her eyes then opened them and looked straight at him, "Ok." She said in acknowledgement.
His eyes twinkling with relief and anticipation, said, "How about a kiss to seal our deal?"
Beatrice snorted. "Hardly!" She scowled at him. She whispered embarrassed, "I think you missed the fact that I wanted my husband to be head-over-heels in love with me! And you didn't even blinked at that! And now you want a kiss? Hmm."
David said softly, "I wasn't expected to hear you say that. And I guess, obviously, I haven't finished with my phase of stupid!"
She smiled, despite her intention to stay aloof. David saw her smile. David's sigh of relief was obvious. He continued to tease her, "How about a kiss on your cheek?" He breathed just before his lips touched her cheek. Her heart somersaulted. He brushed his thumb gently across her mouth, outlining the shape of her lips. His voice grew gentle, "Can I kiss you? A proper kiss?"
She shook her head. She tipped her head back so that he could see her rueful grin. "It depends!"
His eyes locked with hers. Asking a question.
"Yes!" She whispered.
David lowered his head. She closed her eyes. His lips touched her cheek and then he moved away! It was just a peck of a kiss! She opened her eyes. That peck of a kiss had scrambled her thoughts. "What was that?" She chuckled but she went a faint pink. She grumbled without thinking! "You call that a proper kiss?"
His eyes sparkled. "Foreplay!" He brought her fingers to his lips and kissed her fingers while his eyes remained trained on hers. He was making her feel special. Kissing her fingers had her heart racing instantly.
He looked directly into her eyes. "If you want your husband to be head-over-heels in love with you, I promise to look after you. I will always be there for you. And I promise to look after our children. I will do my best as a husband and father. I promise." He should have said those vows during their wedding. He just wished he had the guts to tell her, that he was in love with her. He was pretty sure that if he did tell her that, she wouldn't believe him, not at this moment.
Time literally stood still. His gaze blistered with passion. Thoughts and emotions whirred through her head. He saw the reaction in her eyes. Hopeful. Happy. Surprised. Beatrice swallowed the emotional lump in her throat. Ok, so he hadn't said the magic word. Love. Not yet. But for this man, his statements were as close as possible to tell her what she needed to know. He didn't make any vows at their wedding. Just said the words that the register wanted, signed the certificate, and that was it. If he had said those vows, back then, she would have believed him. Cause she knew from her interviews with his previous girlfriends he was trustworthy, despite the fact that he hadn't done that, she had seen that trustworthy, during their 5 years together. Except, they weren't together. Never. He was a straightforward, honourable, man. Seeing him in his business circle, people trusted him. In his personal circle, people trusted him. Of course, they had signed an agreement but with them on different planes, with a bridge between the planes. They just didn't take the bridge over. They left the bridge there.
Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully, before she said, "I will do my best as a wife." David smiled. Ok, so she hadn't said the magic word. Love. But that was a great start. He thought she knew what it meant. She whispered softly, "And mother."
David gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. She was not as confident or as sure of herself as a mother. "You'll be a great mum." He smiled. A smile gradually formed on her lips. He put his hands on her shoulders and slid them down her arms. "And I am pretty sure that you will the best wife for me!" He took her into his arms. She chuckled. He wrapped his arms around her back and waist. Slowly he lowered his head and placed his lips on hers, hovered over her lips, stopped, and whispered, "Ok?" He couldn't remember ever feeling this unsure of himself. Her delayed response to his question worried him. Their eyes met and held. She hadn't exactly given him encouraging signals. He opted for caution. "Do you want me to stop?" He asked quietly, wondering if she would take the opportunity to shoot him down. He maintained eye contact. He waited with baited breath for her response.
She knew she was taking a huge gamble. She was going to have a bit of courage. She also knew there was more going on here, and that she wanted more.
But Beatrice tipped her head back. Reeling. She nodded solemnly and looked up at him She trembled when she saw the passion in his eyes. A spark flashed between them. She moved her hands. She knew she needed to kiss him. And she needed to take the initiative. It had been simmering.