by Anne Mather
Alexandra touched his cheek. ‘I grew up at Paradiablo.’
‘I know that. And I blamed myself for that, too.’
‘But I wanted to grow up, Declan—–’
He sighed. ‘It’s not that easy, though, is it?’ He looked down at her. ‘Even now.’
‘What do you mean?’
Declan hesitated. ‘All right. I accept that I am in some part responsible for this …’ He touched the dark circles around her eyes.
‘You’re totally responsible!’ she declared unsteadily.
‘Perhaps.’ He shook his head. ‘But that doesn’t alter the facts. You’re not yet eighteen, and I’m thirty.’
‘So what?’
‘So—many things. Your father will never agree—you haven’t even finished school—–’
‘I have.’ She straightened her shoulders. ‘I—I was going to make arrangements to have an interview tomorrow at one of the local hospitals.’
Declan frowned. ‘Why?’
‘I thought—I might train to be a nurse.’ She paused. ‘Nurses are always in demand, aren’t they?’ she asked in a small voice.
‘Oh, Alexandra!’ He pressed her closely against him, his hands on her hips. ‘You really are crazy, do you know that?’
‘About you? Yes, I know.’
He took a deep breath. ‘All right, all right. I don’t think I can hold out much longer.’ He looked down at her. ‘I suggest you do as I asked in the first place and come and stay with my parents in Sao Paulo for a while. We’ll take it from there.’
Alexandra’s eyes clouded. ‘But why must I?’
‘Because I need you within reaching distance,’ he admitted huskily, ‘and because it may be one way to convince your father that you are adult enough to know your own mind. We’ll wait—I don’t know—six months maybe. If you still feel the same in that time—–’
‘Don’t you mean—if you do?’ she asked unsteadily.
‘Oh, I’ll feel the same,’ he muttered roughly. ‘Do you think I want to do this? Do you think I want to risk you meeting someone else in Sao Paulo and possibly changing your mind? Enrico, perhaps?’
Alexandra shivered. ‘All right. If that’s what you want.’
‘It’s not what I want,’ he replied grimly. ‘But it’s what your father will insist on, and I’m not prepared to alienate my future father-in-law for the sake of a few weeks.’
Alexandra nodded reluctantly. ‘You—you will come to see me, won’t you?’ she asked.
He smiled wryly. ‘Try and stop me!’
‘And Clare?’
‘Oh, Alexandra, when you’re my wife, I don’t think Clare will find the climate at Paradiablo half so satisfying.’ He pushed her gently from him. ‘And now I think you ought to get back into bed. You’re cold, and I don’t want anything else to happen to you.’
Alexandra obediently slid between the sheets. ‘Where—where are you staying?’ she asked.
He shook his head. ‘Nowhere, yet. I only arrived in London a couple of hours ago. I came straight here.’
‘Stay here, then.’
‘With you?’ He shook his head. ‘Not tonight, my darling. I really think that would be asking too much!’
Alexandra and Declan were married the following Easter in the church at Sao Paulo. Declan had so many relatives who wanted to attend, whereas Alexandra only had her father and stepmother and her aunt. Aunt Elizabeth was making the trip en route to the United States where she was going to take a prolonged holiday with the school friend who had visited England the weekend Declan had come to find Alexandra.
Alexandra’s dress was of white lace over a satin underskirt, and she carried a sheaf of roses. It was quite an important occasion in the social life of the busy Brazilian city, and guests came from miles around to wish them well. Even Clare managed a sisterly peck on Alexandra’s cheek, although she cast an envious glance at her handsome husband, dark and disturbing in his morning clothes.
But so far as Alexandra and Declan were concerned, it was what came after the ceremony that mattered. They flew to Acapulco in Mexico for their honeymoon, and it was there, under the star-studded velvet of the night sky, that she really became his wife, his mate, the one woman in the world he could never deny.
‘At last I have the right to share your bed,’ he murmured with satisfaction, his mouth seeking the warm curve between her breasts, full and rounded again after her happy weeks staying with his family.
‘You always had that right,’ she answered sleepily.
ISBN: 978-1-472-09967-9
COUNTRY OF THE FALCON
© 1975 Anne Mather
Published in Great Britain 2014
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of Harlequin (UK) Limited
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