A Night of Living Dangerously(62)

But she saw he was silently laughing. She fell back on her haunches in wonder.

“Oh my God. You’ve totally made a fool of yourself,” she breathed in awe. She shook her head, suddenly smiling. “Dressing up in armor? What were you thinking?”

“I’ve never seen any angel half as beautiful as you.” He lifted his armored hand to touch her cheek. “I would battle far more than armor to be in the arms of the woman I love. I would slay dragons for you,” he whispered.

What had he said? What had he just said? That he loved her? She felt her heart expand and bend and swell until it was big enough to swallow the whole world. She looked down, her lashes brushing shyly against her cheek. “Come on,” she murmured. “I’ll help you up.”

But the armor was even heavier than she’d thought. First Abbott, then her father, had to come and help him to stand up.

“Hello, sir,” Alessandro said to her father, smiling.

“I don’t think we’ve ever met in person. I’m Alessandro Caetani.”

Walton blinked, his eyes wide. He looked at Lilley. “This is your husband?” he asked faintly.

Unable to speak, she nodded, then turned back to Alessandro.

Behind her, she heard her father give a low whistle. “What a merger this will make.” But as she turned with a scowl, Walton quickly said to Abbott, “Care for a drink at the gatehouse? Something to warm your blood?”

“You bet.”

Lilley and Alessandro stood alone on the snowy, empty road. A wind blew off the lake, whipping through her hair, but she no longer felt the cold. She felt warm all over, filled with light.

“What possessed you to do this?” she whispered, putting her hand on the side of his shiny helmet. “This crazy thing?”

He moved his metal glove over her hand. “I wanted to show you I’m sorry,” he said in a low voice. “I never should have asked if the baby was mine.”

She swallowed, looking down.

“I shouldn’t have let a single white lie keep me from trusting you for thousands of reasons,” he said. “One most of all.” He lifted her chin with his finger. “I love you, Lilley.”

The winter sun burst through the gray winter clouds. A beam of light caught his armor, making him sparkle like diamonds.

“It took losing you in Rome to make me realize you were right. I was afraid. Now, the only thing that scares me is losing you. I’ll do anything to win you back, Lilley,” he whispered. His dark eyes met hers. “Absolutely anything.”

The white, gray and black of winter suddenly filled with the beautiful pinks and greens of spring in Lilley’s eyes. He loved her. And their lives together were only beginning.

“I love you, Alessandro,” she whispered, throwing her arms around his hard, cold armor.

For a long moment, they held each other on the quiet road. Then Lilley pulled back, her forehead furrowed as she glanced back at the huge semitruck, still parked behind her car. “But why did you bring that?”

“Oh.” Alessandro gave her a sudden grin. “I was afraid I’d kill us both if I actually tried to sit on a horse, so I made other plans.” Looking at the truck’s driver, he motioned with his hand. The driver hopped out and went to the back of the truck. She heard the distant roar of an engine, and then a vintage Cadillac De Ville—in hot pink—rolled off the ramp to park beside them.#p#分页标题#e#

As the driver disappeared for his drink at the gatehouse, Lilley walked slowly around the Cadillac, her mouth open.

It was a classic convertible from the 1960s, the exact same fuchsia as the ball gown she’d worn to their reception in Rome. “What is that?”

He grinned at her. “Our getaway vehicle, cara. To ride off into the sunset.”

She looked back at him. “And what if you hadn’t found me? What if I’d already been gone?”

“Then I would have sold my business and driven all over the country, looking for you,” he said gravely behind her. “Everywhere. Until you were in my arms.”

She gasped a laugh. “Dressed as a knight? Driving a hot-pink Cadillac? The paparazzi would have had a field day! They’d have said you’d lost your mind!”

“I have,” he said softly. “Along with my heart. All I want to do, for the rest of my life, is make a fool of myself. Over you.”

Tears fell from Lilley’s lashes. Standing on her tiptoes, she held up his cold visor with her fingertips and kissed him. Her husband kissed her back fervently, reverently, passionately. They had been standing in the snowy road for hours, or perhaps minutes, when she finally pulled away for air. His black eyes glimmered down at her. She had no idea if the tears on his cheeks were hers or his. But what did it matter? They were one.