"Had, Jack. Had."

"No, Karen," he said, turning her around to face him. "Still have. Will always have." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

She resisted at first, but even as she fought it, she felt herself melting into his arms, losing herself in his kiss. That old unlikely chemistry was still there, stronger than ever.

But chemistry wasn't enough. Didn't he realize that?

"What is it you want from me?" she cried, tears choking off her words as she pulled away from him.

"I've been miserable." His gaze said that was true. But was it because of his guilt or- "I love you, Karen."

Why hadn't she noticed that he'd never used those words when they were "married"? How could she have been such a fool? "You don't have to say that just to-"

"To what, Karen? To make myself feel better? Do you really think that's all this is? That nothing that happened between us matters?"

"Jack-"

"No, you haven't let me tell you how I feel. I love you. We belong together. Yes, I made a very big mistake trying to protect you with a lie. But the marriage was the only thing that wasn't real."

She closed her eyes, afraid to believe him, afraid to trust her heart to him again.

"Karen, look at me," he said, his voice breaking. "Look into my heart. Then, if you still don't believe me..."

She opened her eyes and stared into his face, that wonderful boyish face. For days she'd told herself that the love she'd seen in his eyes before had all been part of the deception. She'd been hurt. Betrayed. Afraid to believe anything he said. But especially to believe the love in his eyes.

"Oh, Jack." She saw in his eyes what her heart had only dreamed of. "Oh, Jack."

HE LAUGHED, his heart soaring, and swept her up into his arms. "I think that means you believe me."

"Oh, Jack."

He kissed her again, promising himself he'd never let her go.

It had been Aunt Talley's idea. She'd plied him with her homemade gingersnaps. "You know I can't resist your cookies," he'd said.

She'd smiled. "Yes, dear, I know." Then she'd proceeded to tell him how to get Karen back.

Amazingly, Karen's mother had gone along with the plan to get Karen out of the house and into his arms.

He'd hoped that if he and Karen touched, that bond would still be there. That if his words couldn't convince her, then maybe his lips could.

"I love you, Karen. I've loved you since the first moment I laid eyes on you. It just happened so fast that I didn't even believe it myself."

"But you believe it now?" she asked.

He smiled down at her. "Oh, yeah. I want to marry you. The right way this time. Your mother, my family, the white dress, the church, the bridesmaids. I might even be able to talk Denny into being my best man."

"Oh, Jack, I'd marry you at city hall."

He shook his head, not about to miss seeing this woman walk down the aisle to him.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he said as he pulled her closer. He wanted a real wedding for his Girl Next Door. And a real marriage. Complete with the babies he couldn't wait to start. "Let's go break it to your mother."

ISBN: 978-1-4268-5586-3 LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT Copyright 2000 by Barbara Heinlein All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario M3B 3K9, Canada.

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