Seductive Reasoning (26 page)

Seth heard a collective gasp from
the audience and from Ms. Landers.

Doubt filled Kate’s eyes. “Have I?
I’m not so sure.”

“Really, Dr. Fallon. That isn’t
exactly the story we--”

Before she could finish, Seth rose
from the sofa and dropped to his knees in front of Kate. So much for being
logical, he thought, or organized. Seth drank in the sight of her, the
perfection and pale beauty of her skin, the sensuous curve of her mouth. He
wanted to taste her once more, to hold her, to kiss her sweet, soft mouth and
reveal his heart to her. But would she believe him? Would she trust him?

Seth lifted her hand and held it
between his. “Kate, I don’t know how or where it happened over the past few
days, but I need you to know that I am hopelessly, completely and crazily in
love with you. No matter what happens after today, I don’t ever want to be
without you in my life.”

He dug in his pocket for the box
and opened it. He looked at the ring than back up at Kate. “I stopped to pick
this up from my mother. It’s been in our family for generations. My grandmother
wore it, and then it was passed to my mother. Kate, will you marry me?”

Applause rose to a thundering
crescendo. People flew to their feet, they clapped, they whistled, they cried.
Women and men hugged each other. Kate looked down at Seth with tears in her
eyes. The ring was a round emerald surrounded by diamonds. The band was rose
gold and shown tawny and beautiful in the light. Kate’s heart swelled with so
much love she could hardly hold it in. “Yes, my darling, I will marry you.”

Seth leaped from his crouched
position on the floor, scooped Kate into his arms, and kissed her like he’d
never kissed her before. Then he wrapped her in his arms and held her against
him with her feet dangling off the floor. Through her haze of tears and joy,
she saw her mother and Aunt Pandora holding on to each other at the back of the
studio.

He’d given everything up for her.
He’d sacrificed his dream and he never stopped believing in her. They’d come
full circle. Seth set her back on the floor and held her face between his
hands. “Sweetheart, let’s go home.”