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"Were you--" He ran his hands over her bare hips and then the delicate white garters that held up her silk stockings He was clearly stunned--and extre any panties beneath her wedding dress "You didn’t--"

Though they wouldn’t be opening their gifts for each other until the following day, Mary had wanted to give herself to Jack as an early present "Merry Christainst him at the same moment that he crushed hisback onto the bed, and hiswords spilled frolish and Italian

"I adore you"

"Ti amo"

"You’re mine"

They’d shared their first kiss under theonly the tiara of mistletoe leaves and berries, Mary reached for Jack and drew hiether for the first time as husband and wife

When she woke cradled in his arms hours later, there was a sht streamed in over them, and the cold winter breeze rustled the leaves on the lee trees in the courtyard beyond their private suite

Jack shifted them so that the pilloere behind her as he handed her the box "You gave ive you hed and said, "So I was right--that is how you open presents"

Mary lifted the top froift, the tears she’d barely ed to hold at bay all day finally spilled down her cheeks Lifting the delicate Christmas ornament out of the box, she one into creating the porcelain angel

"That day in the diner, when you called h the tears that clung to her eyelashes "I was already yours"

"And I was yours"

The clock in the square struck ain to start the first new day as husband and ith heat, passion…and unconditional love

A love that would last forever

Epilogue

January