Page 81 of Married to the Duke By Midnight

“I love you,” she murmured into his hair.

“I love you too, Jo.”

Robert pressed a kiss to her breast, and they lay there in contemplative silence.

“Why doesn’t anyone call you Josie?”

Jo frowned at the timing of his question.

“My parents did. When I came to live with my uncle, I didn’t like others to do so,” she mumbled.

“Oh.” Robert’s large, warm hands settled soothingly on her back. “I wanted a name that was only for me. I thought it might fit you.”

It had fit when she was a girl. Josie was sweet and carefree. Jo was sharper and more masculine. The person she had had to be when she had been all alone in the world except for her uncle. She liked that she would be able to be Josie again with Robert.

“You can call me Josie, if you like,” she told him, then kissed him to distract herself and not start crying. Even though she knew he would not have minded.

“Josie,” he murmured against her lips, and for a moment it was just the two of them in their little cocoon of happiness. “I forgot…” Robert then blurted and jumped from the bed.

He scrambled around their discarded clothing on the floor before he found his jacket and pulled a small, black velvet pouch from the pocket.

Jo smiled as he approached the bed, completely naked, his auburn hair in disarray, and a huge smile on his face. Jo did not know how she would ever be able to take her eyes off him again.

“Here,” he said as he sat on the bed and handed her the pouch.

Jo took it tentatively as she sat up straight. By the weight and the delicate packaging, she was certain it was a jewel.

“You did not have to buy me anything,” she told him as she opened the tiny drawstrings.

“It’s for both of us,” Robert said a little breathlessly.

Jo looked at his face for a moment, uncertain why he seemed nervous, before she poured the contents of the pouch into her hand. It was two rings. One was smaller, delicate, and feminine, crafted in white gold with several stones set on it. She turned it to see them better. It was a pearl nestled between sapphires and diamonds.

“Like a shell,” Jo whispered, not certain why she felt so emotional except that the ring made her feel seen.

She turned the other ring, which was white gold as well, but plain and larger, between her thumb and forefinger. Even if she placed it on her thumb, it would be too large, though.

“I don’t think this will fit me,” she said as she looked at Robert.

“It’s not for you.”

“Oh,” was all Jo could say as she looked at the ring again.

He meant to wear a ring. Despite the fact that there was no reason for people to know that he belonged to someone, belonged to her, he wanted them to.

“Will you place it on my finger?” he asked and held out his hand.

Jo nodded and held on to his strong, steady hand as she slowly slid the ring on his finger, holding his gaze as she did so. Robert’s smile trembled a bit; he focused on her for a second longer before looking down at the ring on his finger. He closed and stretched his hand as if the feeling was new to him.

“It suits me, doesn’t it?” Jo could hear he was trying to lighten the mood.

She nodded, unable to speak herself, and handed him the second ring. Robert gently removed the plain wedding band he had given her, before sliding the new one on her finger. It looked so beautiful on her hand. A constant reminder of their love – and her love of the ocean. The love that had brought them together in a way.

“Thank you,” she whispered as she looked at it a moment longer.

“I had it made a couple of weeks ago,” Robert told her. He scratched his neck and looked a little sheepish. “I had already ordered it when I gave you the other ring. I don’t know why I did it… or perhaps I do now…” He looked intently at her as he paused for a moment. “I think I already cared about you then… much more than I was willing to admit to myself.”

Jo threw herself into his arms, and he landed on his back in the bed with a startled laugh.