‘He’s turning out OK,’ Azrael pronounced with quiet pride after Tahir had departed. ‘I can see the man he will become now. Strong, steady, sensible. He doesn’t have his father’s brutal repressive streak or my hot temper.’
‘Yes.’ Molly rubbed her cheek lovingly against a broad shoulder, drinking in the familiar scent of him. ‘You’re volatile enough for both of you.’
‘I control it,’ he reminded her.
Molly grinned against his shoulder because he didn’t control that marvellously explosive, passionate streak in their bed and she was addicted to the excitement he gave her. Sharif went off with his nanny to have his tea, leaving Molly and Azrael alone.
‘I have a little surprise for you,’ Azrael told her, hustling her upstairs to their bedroom.
Azrael was a great fan of giving her surprises but he didn’t always get it right. Their first Christmas together he had bought her a piano, only to wince in surprise when he’d listened and realised that she had not played in years. Music lessons had followed and now she practised daily and could turn out a creditable performance on the keys. These days she usually only saw his Mr Grumpy expression when he was forced to travel and leave her behind. He hated being separated from his family.
‘It took a long time to track these down and considerable persuasion to get the new owners to part with them,’ Azrael told her, handing her two small boxes. ‘But I was determined that you would be reunited with your family heritage.’
‘Azrael,’ Molly sighed, wondering what on earth he was talking about. ‘A family as ordinary as mine—unlike yours—doesn’t have what you would call a heritage...’
‘A man with Hashem in his family tree has no false pride and few illusions about his supposedly illustrious bloodline,’ Azrael contradicted.
Molly opened the boxes and her lashes fluttered up on amazed eyes. ‘My grandmother’s brooch and ring!’ she gasped, staring down at the glittering diamonds in disbelief. ‘How on earth—?’
‘They are very fine stones and very old. We will probably never know how they came into your ordinary family, but perhaps they were passed down from a wealthier generation to yours,’ he suggested, smiling as she put the ring on her finger with tears of joy shining in her lovely green eyes.
‘This means so much to me!’ Molly admitted chokily. ‘I am so moved that you would go to that much trouble to get these back for me.’
‘I was touched that you would make such a sacrifice to care for Maurice and I was determined that they should be recovered for you,’ Azrael murmured, brushing a sparkling tear from her cheek with a gentle fingertip. ‘You’re so loyal and loving...and I am so very fortunate to have found you. I adore you, Molly mine.’
‘And I adore you.’
In reward, Azrael brought his firm, sensual mouth down on hers, tasting her with powerful pleasure while hunger sizzled through Molly’s shapely body like a living flame.
‘I was planning to save them until we visited the cave to celebrate our anniversary next week,’ Azrael confided as he came up for air again. ‘But once I received them, I had to give them to you. I couldn’t wait to see your beautiful face light up.’
‘Mr Gorgeous, you are my every dream come true,’ Molly told him joyfully.
‘I can live with that label even less easily than I can live with Glorious Leader,’ her plain-speaking husband told her firmly.
‘But I can’t live without you,’ Molly declared sunnily, lost in those stunning dark golden eyes locked to her smiling face.
* * * * *
EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT
Leonidas Betancur was presumed dead after a plane crash, and he cannot recall the vows he made to his bride Susannah four years ago. But once tracked down, his memories resurface – and he’s ready to collect his belated wedding night! Susannah wants Leonidas to reclaim his empire and free her of his legacy. But dangerously attractive Leonidas steals her innocence with a touch… And the consequences of their passion will bind them together for ever!
Read on for a sneak preview of Caitlin Crews’ next story
A BABY TO BIND HIS BRIDE
One Night With Consequences
There was a discreet knock on the paneled door and the doctor stepped back into the room.
“Congratulations, madame, monsieur,” the doctor said, nodding at each of them in turn while Susannah’s breath caught in her throat. “The test is positive. You are indeed pregnant, as you suspected.”
She barely noticed when Leonidas escorted the doctor from the room. He could have been gone for hours. When he returned he shut the door behind him, enclosing them in the salon that had seemed spacious before, and that was when Susannah walked stiffly around the settee to sit on it.