‘You don’t mind leaving Glenmore?’
‘I want to be wherever you are.’
He closed his eyes for a moment and then lowered his head so that his forehead brushed hers. ‘If you’ll do this, if you’ll trust me with your heart, I swear I won’t let you down, angel.’
‘I know you won’t let me down.’
His breath warmed her mouth. ‘I don’t deserve you. You’re such a good person.’
‘Actually, you’re wrong about that. I have an extremely bad side,’ she murmured, giving a soft gasp as his lips brushed the corner of her mouth. ‘Several less-than-desirable qualities, in fact.’
‘Name a few.’ His body was pressed against hers and it was becoming harder and harder to concentrate.
‘I’m useless at gossip.’
‘That’s a quality.’
‘I’m insatiable in the bedroom.’ She tilted her head back and gave him a wicked smile. ‘The problem with good girls, Conner MacNeil, is that when they discover what fun being bad can be, they never want to stop.’
‘Is that right?’ He curved his hands over her bottom and brought his mouth down on hers. And then he suddenly lifted his head and cursed softly.
‘What’s the matter?’
‘What does a person have to do to get privacy on this island?’ He stared over her shoulder and Flora turned to find what appeared to be the entire population of Glenmore gathered on the quay, watching.
Several of them held torches and Flora blinked as the beam from one almost blinded her.
‘Well?’ It was Jim who spoke and his voice carried the short distance across the quay. ‘You can’t expect to make a declaration like that in the Stag’s Head and not tell us the ending. What’s the ending? Has she said yes?’
Conner shook his head in disbelief. ‘I can’t believe this,’ he muttered. ‘The first and only time I propose to a woman and I have to do it with an audience.’
‘You should be down on one knee, Conner MacNeil,’ Ann Carne said primly, appearing at the front of the crowd, and Flora’s heart stumbled in her chest.
‘You don’t have to propose—I don’t want you to feel smothered by all this. We can just live together and—’
He put a finger over her lips, his eyes gentle. ‘That isn’t what I want. I want to make sure you’re chained to me so that you can’t run off easily when you realise what you’ve married.’ He dropped to one knee and she gave an appalled gasp.
‘Conner! You don’t have to go that far! The seagulls are usually pretty busy above here. Kneeling could be a messy experience.’
‘If I don’t kneel, I’ll never hear the last of it from the locals.’ With an exaggerated gesture Conner took her hand in his. His eyes gleamed wickedly and he lifted an eyebrow in question. ‘Well? How daring are you feeling? Can you bring yourself to marry a reprobate like me?’
‘Conner!’ There was a disgusted snort from Evanna. ‘You’re supposed to make it romantic. At the very least you’re supposed to tell her that you love her.’
‘I’m on my knees in seagull droppings,’ Conner growled. ‘I think that tells her quite a lot about my feelings.’
Half laughing, half crying, Flora looked down at him. ‘You haven’t said that you love me. I want to hear you say it. That’s the really important bit.’
‘I love you.’ This time his voice was serious. ‘I love you, Flora Mary Harris. Will you marry me?’
‘Yes. Oh, yes. Yes!’ She choked on the word and tears spilled down her cheeks.
Instantly Conner was on his feet, his expression horrified as he scooped her face into his hands. ‘What’s wrong?’ He brushed the tears away with his thumbs. ‘All my life I’ve been making women cry because I wouldn’t say those words. Now, suddenly, I’ve said them and you’re crying!’
‘I’m crying because I’m happy.’ She pressed her mouth to his. ‘I’m happy and I love you. And, just for the record, my answer is yes.’
Torchlight wavered on her face. ‘Speak up, Flora! We can’t hear you at the back!’
Flora started to laugh. ‘Yes,’ she yelled in a voice so loud that Conner flinched. ‘Yes, I will marry you.’