Bound by the Millionaire's Ring(31)

She drew back, mouth pulling at the corners so she had to bite her lips to still their tremble.

"It's true," he said gently, beautiful face open and grave. "I can even  tell you the day when my feelings began to overtake my fear. When you  refused to dance with me at your father's birthday, I realized that I  might have lost you. You weren't dead, but I was. To you. I told myself  it was for the best, that I didn't care." He traced a wet thumb along  her jawline. "But I cared. I felt dead."

She tucked her chin, sheepish. "I was pretty mad. I really did want to get over you."

"I know you did." He was very, very solemn. "And when Henri hired you, I  was so grimly pleased you were being forced back into my life without  my having to chase you."

"You never chase women."

"No, I don't. But I've been hunting for you. I thought I knew how badly I would miss you, but it's been a living hell, Isidora."

She made a scoffing noise and let her body melt into his, seduced by his  words, one arm going up to his neck. "You miss the hero worship."

"Is that what that abuse was during our engagement?" His mouth quirked  as he nuzzled his nose against her chin. "I happen to love that you  aren't afraid to take me down a peg. I'm not an easy man. Living with  our kind of attention and security can be a nightmare. You have to be  tough to withstand it and the fact you can find a smile in all of that,  and make me smile... I'm the one in awe of you, Isidora."         

     



 

She balanced on a razor's edge, but this time she knew she would fall. One side was hope, the other belief.

"Is this real, Ramon? Because if-"

"It's real, Isidora. Ask me why I spoke to your father."

"To ask him where I was?"

"To ask his permission to marry you."

"Did you really?" She teared up, incredibly moved. "He must have been so touched. Thank you for that."

She gave in to desire and slid from her balance on his thigh, using the  buoyancy of the water to inveigle between his legs, so they were  chest-to-chest, her knees bumping between his flatly planted feet.

She would have kissed him, but he drew back a little. "Is that a yes?"

"To marriage? Kiss me and I'll think about it."

"Not good enough, mi amor. I want-"

"I know what you want." She used her arms around his neck to draw  herself up and down his length, pleased when his breath hissed in and  his hands tightened on her.

In a sudden move, he gathered her as he stood. "Bueno. When in Rome..."

"What?" she prompted as he carried her into the apartment. "You'll carry me to bed like a concubine?" She could work with that.

"I declare us married."

"You're not the king. Do you really think it will stick?"

"I do." He came down on the bed with her, then lifted his head. "I love you."

His expression reflected the vast feelings contained behind the visage,  all darks and lights, fears and ferocities and love. Endless,  true-as-gold love.

Her heart had always been his, but in that moment she released it to  him, freely and without reservation, confident he would protect it with  everything in him.

"I love you, too."

Even though he had known she loved him for what must have felt like  centuries, his face spasmed with emotion. He closed his eyes as though  savoring the words.

"And?" he prompted quietly.

Bossy, bossy man.

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, because this was very serious and very real, she said very sincerely, "I do."





EPILOGUE

ISIDORA WAS WEARING only a black bra, underpants and garters when Ramon walked into their bedroom.

He came up short, green eyes searing her to the spot as he took her in.

Heart skipping with instant reaction, she playfully ticktocked her hips  as she walked across and stepped into the shoes she'd chosen to go with  her dress. They were erotically tall with a hint of bondage in the thick  black ankle straps. She slanted him a sultry look over her shoulder.

"You approve?"

"Hell, yes. Now I really don't want to go out tonight."

"Oh." She pivoted to face him. One of Paris's hottest new nightclubs was  having a grand reopening and they were one of the "it" couples always  begged to show up at such events. "Why not?"

He swore under his breath. "I didn't mean that to sound-Of course I want  to take you dancing. It's your birthday. I've even gone shopping.  That's why I'm late." He brought across a small box of indigo velvet  embossed in silver.

She opened the box and caught her breath, dazzled by the earrings. "Spoiler!" She went on tiptoe to kiss him.

His arm went around her, possessive and edging toward dominant as he  clasped her close. His kiss was thorough and hot, deeply passionate,  leaving her breathless when they finally came up for air.

"Trying to convince me to stay in? I'm listening." She leaned into him,  enamored as ever, and let her fingers begin to work on his tie.

But something in the way his mouth flexed into a tight line made her sober.

"What's wrong?" She tried to draw back so she could see him better.

"Nothing." He held on to her. His familiar expression, usually so  readable, was disconcertingly cautious. "Absolutely nothing is wrong.  I'm being...impatient."

"About what? Did I do something?" Her heart lurched. Their marriage was  everything she had ever wished it to be and more. They always seemed to  be on the same wavelength, even managing to continue working together  despite both having demanding schedules. To hear something was off threw  her back into old insecurity.

"Everything you do is perfect. I'm the one." He released her and  shrugged out of his suit jacket. "I told myself I would wait until you  turned twenty-five and this morning, it was all I could do to let you  sleep in without saying something."

"About what?" He had made love to her before he left for the office,  telling her to enjoy her day off, and promised to take her out to  celebrate tonight. She had drifted off blissfully, thinking she really  was living happily ever after. "Ramon, you're scaring me!"         

     



 

"I'm scared. But I still want to do it. I want to have a baby, Isidora."

It took a moment for the words to penetrate, for the meaning to sink in. For her to believe he had actually said them.

"What do you think?" he prompted, watching her closely.

She thought he had just given her the best birthday gift ever. Pushing  her knuckles against her lips, she tried to keep them from trembling  while a bubble of joy pressed for release in her throat. Her whole chest  was expanding, putting an excited sting of moisture into her eyes.

"I don't know how to read this silence." His brows lowered with concern  as he came closer. "I know it will be hard. Parenting is hard already  without that." He pushed his splayed hand toward the window, where the  outside world was always a pressure on his family. Then he took her hand  from her mouth and pressed it to his own. "Having you is enough,  Isidora. I love you with everything in me. If you think raising a baby  in our circus is too much risk, that's okay. But I've been thinking  about it for months and had to ask."

"Why on earth did you think you had to wait until I was twenty-five?"  Her voice came out as strained and unsteady as she felt. Her legs were  so weak, she wobbled in her heels.

"Because you're that much younger than me. And we're not a normal  family. You needed time to get used to being a Sauveterre. It's a big  ask, Isidora. I know that."

"But I love you. Of course I want your baby. I have since..." She  shrugged, not the least self-conscious anymore about the way she had  idolized him as a child. That love was mature and real now. Strong and  eternal on both sides. "Forever."

He frowned. "Why didn't you say something?"

"Because it's a big ask." She slid her arms around his neck, warming her  near nude body against his clothed one, loving how he wrapped his arms  around her in response, always welcoming her into closeness against him.  "It's been nice having you to myself, being auntie and uncle, running  around to see everyone else's children on a whim. Having you is enough  for me. But if you want a baby? Yes, please."

"You're sure? There's a decent chance it'll be twins," he said dryly.

"Even better."

"You say that now..." He picked her up and she clasped her legs around his waist as he took her toward the bed.

Ten months later, they had a gorgeous little boy with dark hair and  green eyes, the spitting of his father and uncle. Two years after that,  however, girls arrived with identical auburn locks and gray eyes. Their  father shook his head in wry delight.







EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT

When chauffeur Keira Ryan drives into a snowdrift, she and her  devastatingly attractive passenger must find a hotel … but there's only  one bed! Luckily Matteo Valenti knows how to make the best of a bad  situation-with the most sizzling experience of her life. It's nearly  Christmas again before Matteo uncovers Keira's secret. He's avoided  commitment his whole life, but now it's time to claim his heir …