Elena jolted herself back to reality. Vidal had not spoken. She had come to this conclusion without him saying a word. What if she was mistaken? What if he truly was playing a game? What if she had misread the signals and all he wanted was his baby? How would she ever know?
‘What is wrong?’ Vidal lifted his head, his silver eyes shadowed as he looked at her. ‘Do you have a pain? Have I hurt you? Is there—?’
Elena shook her head. ‘Nothing like that. But I need to ask you a question.’ It was make or break time. She had to know one way or the other. ‘And I want you to be perfectly honest.’
‘In future I will never be anything less,’ he assured her solemnly, sitting up straight and looking down at her anxious face.
Elena sat up too, her eyes resting on his. He had such beautiful eyes, they were almost her undoing. Instead of talking she wanted his kisses again; she wanted to feel him against her and inside her. She wanted to experience the unique passion they shared. In the aftermath of lovemaking it would be so much easier to ask him her question.
But it had to be done now, before an eruption of her senses blinded her vision. ‘Do you love me, Vidal?’
There, she had said it! She felt colour flood her cheeks and the pinprick of a blush all over her body. She screwed up her face, wishing she could take the words back. How could she have asked him so bluntly? What would he think of her?
She held her breath.
His brows rose and for a few heart-stopping seconds she thought that he was not going to answer. But then he smiled, one of his smiles that made her feel good all over, that sent tremors through her veins and caused her pulses to quicken.
‘How could I not be in love with an angel?’
Was she hearing him correctly? He had actually called her an angel! After the way she had raged at him?
‘For that is what you are, my dearest, Elena. The kindest, most beautiful person I have ever known. You put your whole life on hold for the sake of your parents. You married a man you hardly knew, a man you professed to dislike, a man who deceived you disgracefully and will be eternally sorry for what he did. You are the most selfless woman I have ever known. I am surprised you need to ask the question.’
Elena felt her cheeks grow warm. This was more than she had expected and speech became impossible.
‘Do you still have doubts?’ His eyes didn’t leave her face, gentle and unthreatening as he waited patiently for her answer. ‘Or do you think my declaration of love is because of this?’ He put his hand on her stomach and Elena instinctively put her own over it.
‘It’s something I need to be sure of,’ she confessed quietly.
‘Then let me put your mind at rest,’ he cut in gently. ‘I love you, mi querida. More than you will ever know. I confess I insisted on us getting married for selfish reasons. When I saw you at that charity dinner I wanted you badly. No other woman had ever managed to make me feel like you did. But I realise now that it wasn’t purely your body I was after. I had fallen insanely and instantly in love.’ His tone changed, became even softer. ‘And you, my darling, do you think you will ever find it in your heart to forgive me, to fall in love with me too?’
Elena shivered. She wanted to avoid his eyes, but couldn’t. They attracted her like a magnet. Like two beautiful silver magnets with dark, dark centres, intent on hers, waiting patiently for her answer.
‘I am in love with you,’ she whispered, hating the way another blush spread across her skin. ‘That’s why I was so hurt when I found out what you’d done. Why I wanted to run away to the furthest corner of the earth.’
To her amazement tears filled Vidal’s eyes. ‘Fate brought us together, querida,’ he said softly, ‘but it will be our love that keeps us together. It will be a love strong enough to withstand everything that life throws at us.’
Elena nodded. ‘I’m sorry I doubted you.’
‘And I’m sorry I tricked you into marriage.’
‘Vidal?’
‘Yes, my darling?’
‘Will you make love to me?’
He needed no further asking.
Epilogue
‘NADIA, Angelo, come here!’
The twins ran at the sound of their father’s voice. Vidal gathered them into his arms and swung them around, laughing as they squealed with delight.
Elena smiled, her heart full of joy. These last three years had fled by. Her parents had retired and were enjoying life as grandparents. She had sold her wedding-planner business to Kate, deciding, once she had discovered to her absolute terror that she was carrying twins, that she would never be able to cope. And now she was pregnant again.
She was blissfully happy. She and Vidal loved each other more than she had ever thought possible. They had their occasional ups and downs, like all couples, but the making up more than compensated.
‘Don’t you think you ought to be resting?’ he asked her now, his silver eyes gentle on hers.
‘Don’t you have to go to work?’
‘It can wait,’ he declared with a lazy shrug.
Elena smiled. Fatherhood suited Vidal. It had changed him from a workaholic into a man who put his family first. ‘I love you, Vidal Marquez,’ she said softly.
He nodded. ‘I love you too, my darling. With all of my heart, for the rest of my life.’
All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.
All Rights Reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises II B.V./S.à.r.l. The text of this publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.
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First published in Great Britain 2009
Harlequin Mills & Boon Limited,
Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR
© Margaret Mayo 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4089-1314-7
The Twelve-Month Marriage Deal Page 15
