Chapter Nine

M aggie hadn't wanted to leave his bedside but she'd put off locking away his gauntlets long enough. She'd touched them, afraid that she might be cast back in the twenty-first century without him, but nothing had happened. Still, she didn't want the gloves around to cause any trouble. She set them in a wooden box and locked it, then put the box in a chest in the corner of the library. She hoped and prayed that because the gauntlets were his again, they had no power to pull her back.

She smiled thinking about being here with Oliver alive and breathing. Every time she touched him and her fingers didn't go through him, she wanted to squeal with happiness. Because he was unconscious, she was able to steal some moments of holding his hand or tracing her fingers over his lips.

What would happen when he woke up? Would he remember her? Maggie wondered, ready to leave the library. She hoped so, especially because his ghost was gone. It hadn't taken her long to realize it. He probably disappeared when his life didn't end as it had once before. She cried, pretty much the whole night over the loss of him. Did that spirit return to his body? Would he wake—

She stopped when she saw the Earl of Harwich vitally alive standing in front of her. He stood, unreadable, staring at her without saying a word, and then she saw the spark of tears in his eyes. Her knees almost gave out when he moved toward her.

"Magnolia—"

Her heart trumpeted in her ears. She was never so happy to hear her name…

"Did you think I'd leave you?" His deep voice resonated through her ears, real, pulsing with emotion, and so welcomed.

"If you had," she replied, "I would have come and found you."

Slowly, as though he were afraid none of this might be real, he lifted his fingers to her cheek.

She felt his touch and covered his hand with hers. His hand was strong and warm—and so wonderfully solid. She wanted him to touch her everywhere.

Tears glistened along the rims of his eyes. She heard his breath falter as he cupped her cheek and then her nape and lowered his head to kiss her.

Her heart beat so frantically at the thought of being able to kiss him, it made her giggle.

He paused, his scarlet lips hovering over hers, a smile appearing at the edges. He waited while she gathered herself again. She closed her eyes and parted her lips waiting to feel him. When she peeped her eyes open again, he was there taking in the sight of her, the scent of her, and the feel of her.

"My lady," his breath fell warm on her lips, "I love you."

The overwhelming desire to weep swept over her as his gaze settled on hers, and he lowered his head to kiss her.

The End