“It’s more difficult when your own emotions are involved.”

She gripped her fingers together, tightly. “Are they?”

He didn’t touch her, not yet, but she thought she could almost feel his hand against her cheek. “Do you need me to tell you I love you?”

“Yes, I—”

“You’ve finished your book, quit your job. You’ve taken a lot of risks, Lenore.” He waited. “But you’ve yet to put it all on the line.”

Her breath trembled out. No, he’d never make things easy for her. There’d always be demands, expectations. He’d never pamper. “You terrified me when you asked me to marry you. I thought about it a great deal, like the small child thinks about a dark closet. I don’t know what’s in there—it might be dream or nightmare. You understand that.”

“Yes.” Though it hadn’t been a question. “I understand that.”

She breathed a bit easier. “I used what I had in L.A. as an excuse because it was logical, but it wasn’t the real reason. I was just afraid to walk into that closet.”

“And are you still?”

“A little.” It took more effort than she’d imagined to relax her fingers. She wondered if he knew it was the final step. She held out her hand. “But I want to try. I want to go there with you.”

His fingers laced with hers, and she felt the nerves melt away. Of course he knew. “It won’t be dream or nightmare, Lenore. Every minute of it will be real.”

She laughed then, because his hand was in hers. “Now you’re really trying to scare me.” Stepping closer, she kissed him softly, until desire built to a quiet roar. It was so easy, like sliding into a warm, clear stream. “You won’t scare me off,” she whispered.

The arms around her were tight, but she barely noticed. “No, I won’t scare you off.” He breathed in the scent of her hair, wallowed in the texture of it. She’d come to him. Completely. “I won’t let you go, either. I’ve waited too long for you to come back.”

“You knew I would,” she murmured.

“I had to, I’d’ve gone mad otherwise.”

She closed her eyes, content, but with a thrill of excitement underneath. “Hunter, if Sarah doesn’t, that is, if she isn’t able to adjust…”

“Worried already.” He drew her back. “Sarah gave me a pep talk just this evening. You do, I assume, know quite a bit about lady stuff?”

“Lady stuff?”

He drew her back just a bit farther, to look her up and down. “Every inch the lady. You’ll do, Lenore, for me, and for Sarah.”

“Okay.” She let out a long breath, because as usual, she believed him. “I’d like to be with you when you tell her.”