For a moment, he looked nonplussed. "I believe in all excitement, I dropped it. Here, let me look."

Releasing her, he stepped back, while she did the same. The emerald sparkled where it lay on the carpet.

Bending, Quentin picked it up. "Shall we try this again?"

Trembling with happiness, she held out her hand.

He smiled, his dark eyes aglow with love. "Will you marry me, India?"

"Yes, Quentin. I will." She watched, beaming as he slid the gold-and-gemstone circlet onto her finger.

"I'll never take it off," she said with a husky catch of emotion in her voice.

"And I shall never let you."

Drawing her back into his arms, he captured her mouth for a long, lingering kiss. Her senses swam, giddy with bliss. When he cupped her breast in his palm, she arched into his touch, then reached up to thread her fingers into his hair. Slanting her mouth against his, she let him take her flying, tingling from head to toe and drunk with delight.

At length, he drew away. "Hmm, we'd better stop while I still have the strength," he groaned, his words heavy with repressed desire. "Speaking of which, is there any other way out of here besides the door?"

"Just the windows. Why?"

"Because I'm sure your father is about to name his seconds, we've been in here so long. If I didn't already want to marry you, I'd have to do so now just for propriety's sake."

She gave a little snort. "You'd find some other way. You're a very persuasive sort of man, Your Grace. I have no doubt Mama and the girls will be wrapped firmly around your finger by the end of the evening."

"Perhaps. But there's only one woman I care to have wrapped around my finger, and that's you."

"You're in luck then, since I'm wrapped tight, and shall stay that way. Now and forever, my love."

About Tracy Anne Warren

TRACY ANNE WARREN grew up in a small central Ohio town. After working for a number of years in finance, she quit her day job to pursue her first love-writing romance novels. Warren lives in Maryland with three exuberant young Siamese cats and windows full of gorgeous orchids and African violets. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and dreaming up the characters for her next book. Visit her website at grew up in a small central Ohio town. After working for a number of years in finance, she quit her day job to pursue her first love-writing romance novels. Warren lives in Maryland with three exuberant young Siamese cats and windows full of gorgeous orchids and African violets. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and dreaming up the characters for her next book. Visit her website at www.tracyannewarren.com www.tracyannewarren.com.

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