"I don't think I ought. If it were a cracking-good idea, you'd have leapt on it at once. As it is . . ."

"Juliana, I swear to you . . . I drift in and out. I want to hear your cracking-good idea."

"No, you don't."

Females. Even ones he'd been secretly in love with for years could drive him insane.

Elliot sat up and moved closer to her, his feet on the floor. He stretched his arm along the back of the pew, not touching her but close enough to feel her warmth. "Juliana, tell me, or I'll tickle you."

"I'm not eight years old anymore, Elliot McBride."

He wanted to laugh at her haughty tone. "Neither am I. When I say tickle, I no longer mean what I did then." He touched her bare shoulder with one finger.

A mistake. The contact shot heat up his arm and straight into his heart.

Her lips were close to his, lush and ripe. She had faint freckles across her nose, ten of them. She'd always had them, had always tried to rid herself of them, but to Elliot, every one was kissable.

Her eyes went still, and her voice was a whisper of breath. "What I asked, Elliot, was whether you would marry me."


* * * * *

About the Author

New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jennifer Ashley has written more than 45 published novels and novellas in romance, urban fantasy, and mystery under the names Jennifer Ashley, Allyson James, and Ashley Gardner. Her books have been nominated for and won Romance Writers of America's RITA (given for the best romance novels and novellas of the year), several RT BookReviews Reviewers Choice awards (including Best Urban Fantasy, Best Historical Mystery, and Career Achievement in Historical Romance), and Prism awards for her paranormal romances. Jennifer's books have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have earned starred reviews in Booklist.

More about the Mackenzies series can be found at www.jennifersromances.com Or email Jennifer at jenniferashley@cox.net