The Taming of Xander Sterne(79)

                ‘Can we both really have been that stupid?’ Xander gazed down at her in wonder.

                Sam gave a tremulous smile. ‘It certainly looks like it.’

                His expression softened as he took her into his arms in a crushing hold. ‘I love you!’ he groaned achingly into her hair. ‘I love you, Samantha. Do you have any idea what it meant to me—how much I value that you believed in me, trusted me, when I didn’t?’

                ‘And look how right I was about that,’ she said huskily. ‘Your protectiveness of those weaker than yourself is a blessing, Xander, and has absolutely nothing to do with men like your father and my ex-husband.’

                Xander’s arms tightened. ‘I’ve felt so empty without you in my life, Samantha.’

                ‘Me too, without you.’ Sam held onto him just as tightly.

                ‘Does that mean you’ll marry me?’

                Sam opened startled eyes. ‘Marry you?’

                Xander’s hands moved up to cradle each side of her face as he looked down with all of his love for her shining in his eyes. ‘You don’t have to marry me immediately if it’s too soon for you. Just tell me that you’ll be my wife one day very soon.’ His hands trembled. ‘I love you so very much, my darling Samantha, and I can’t bear the thought of not being with you for ever now that I know you love me too.’

                It was more, so much more than Sam had ever thought, had ever imagined might happen in her life.

                Xander loved her.

                As she loved him.

                And she couldn’t bear the thought of the two of them not being together for ever either.

                ‘Yes, I’ll marry you, Xander,’ she answered him exultantly.

                ‘You will?’ He looked down at her wonderingly.

                ‘I will.’

                ‘When?’

                ‘Next week? Tomorrow?’ She laughed huskily as she saw the urgency in Xander’s expression.

                He grinned. ‘I want you to have a big white wedding. In a church. Surrounded by all our friends and family. Daisy can be your bridesmaid.’

                Sam was sure it wasn’t accidental that Xander was describing a wedding that was the exact opposite of that hurried union     to Malcolm in a register office six years ago. Or that Daisy would be a large part of that ceremony.

                Xander was tacitly telling her their marriage, his love for her and Daisy, would be nothing like her previous one.

                As if Sam had ever thought otherwise.

                She hadn’t thought it possible, but she loved Xander more than ever at that moment, and she knew she always would.

                ‘It sounds perfect.’ She beamed up at him.

                ‘You’re perfect,’ he assured her warmly. ‘I promise you we’ll be so happy together, Samantha. We can buy a house, with a garden for Daisy, and—’

                ‘And have more children?’ Sam ventured cautiously. ‘I always wanted a big family,’ she explained shyly.