Never Gamble with a Caffarelli(57)

He was too late.

‘Why are you here?’ Angelique asked.

Remy was sick of all the game playing, the pretence and subterfuge. He decided to take one last gamble. His pride was on the table but it was a small price to pay.

It was the price he was prepared to pay.

‘I wanted to tell you I love you.’

Her eyelids flickered. ‘You...love me?’

Remy gave her a self-deprecating look. ‘You looked shocked.’

‘But you never said a word... You sent me away.’ She narrowed her gaze at him, her cheeks firing up with red-hot anger. ‘How could you do that to me?’

Remy took umbrage at her cutting tone. ‘I thought that’s what you wanted. For God’s sake, I asked you straight out what you wanted. You said you only wanted Tarrantloch.’

‘I was pretending!’ Angelique said. ‘How could you think I would want a big old, draughty castle instead of love?’

Now it was his turn to look shocked. ‘You want love?’

Angelique felt tears prickling at the back of her throat. ‘I want love and marriage and...and a baby.’

Remy blinked. ‘You want a baby?’

She brushed at her eyes with the back of her hand. ‘I know you’re going to think this is utterly ridiculous, but I was bitterly disappointed when that pregnancy test was negative.’

‘Why?’

‘Because without it I had no reason to stay with you.’

‘But what about your modelling contract?’

‘You just don’t get it, do you?’ Angelique said. ‘You don’t get me at all. I hate being a model. I hate having to look perfect all the time. I only ever got into it because I knew it would annoy my father. I want to design clothes, not parade around in them.’

Remy took her by the shoulders. ‘You want to stay with me? Is that what you’re saying?’

Angelique looked up into his dark brown eyes. ‘I’ve wanted to stay with you since the night you put on The Lion King when I was fifteen and watched it with me.’

Remy’s fingers tightened. He was frightened to let go of her in case this was all a dream. ‘You love me?’

‘Desperately.’

‘Then why the hell didn’t you say so?’ He glared at her. ‘Do you realise the torture you’ve put me through? I could put you over my knee and spank you.’

Angelique gave him a cheeky smile. ‘Is that a promise?’

He clutched her to his chest, almost crushing her in the process. ‘I thought I’d lost you. I thought it was too late. I thought I was too late. When Rafe told me he’d heard a rumour you were trying to get out of your contract I started to think...to hope...it was because you weren’t happy with your life.’ He pulled back to look at her. ‘Tell me I’m not dreaming this.’

She smoothed away the frown between his brows with her fingertip. ‘Do you think we’re always going to fight?’

He captured her finger and kissed its tip. ‘I hope so. It’s so much fun making up.’

Angelique’s eyes sparkled. ‘Do you think Robert Mappleton would mind if we have a slight change of venue for Christmas?’

‘What did you have in mind?’

She toyed with his shirt collar. ‘Well...it sounds like Poppy’s gone to a lot of trouble and it would be really nice to have a proper family Christmas for once. And I really want to see Raoul and Lily’s wedding photos and hear all about their honeymoon.’ She lifted her gaze to his. ‘Would you mind?’

‘For you, mon amour, I would agree to anything. But first I have something to give you.’ He took out a box from his anorak pocket and handed it to her.

Angelique opened the box to find an engagement and wedding ring ensemble that was so exquisitely and yet so simply crafted it took her breath away. She blinked away a sudden rush of tears and looked up into his gaze. ‘It’s perfect! It’s absolutely gorgeous! How did you know I would love this so much?’

He gave her a twinkling smile as he scooped her up into his arms. ‘I took a gamble.’