by Sara Wood
He struggled to control himself, to find his iron will. He’d need it. God, he’d need it in the next days, weeks, months.
‘How do you mean?’ she asked, not moving a muscle beside him.
‘If I hadn’t come—’
‘I would still be a mouse,’ she said. ‘I wouldn’t have a wonderful job. Adam wouldn’t know how much I love him.’
‘OK. Some good has come out of it,’ he granted.
She watched him struggling and longed to help him. But stayed quiet. Patience, she told herself. All would be well.
‘I think it would be better for us all if—after a decent interval—I left. You and Adam can stay in the house.’
‘Oh.’ She thought for a moment. ‘Can I take in lodgers?’ she asked with apparent gravity.
‘Lodge…?’ He scowled. ‘Suppose so. It’ll be your house.’
‘And…’ Risking all, she said quietly, ‘If I fall in love. Would you mind if my lover came here?’
His teeth drove hard into his lower lip. She could feel all his muscles tightening till they were rigid and quivering from tension.
‘Your house. Your decision,’ he clipped.
His distress, his pain, spurred her on.
‘So,’ she whispered, snuggling up close. ‘When are you moving in?’
For a moment or two she thought he hadn’t heard. Not a breath lifted his chest, not a flicker of his eyes betrayed the fact that he was a living man and not a frozen statue.
‘What…did you say?’ he whispered, desperately trying to focus. He dashed his hand across his eyes and her heart turned over.
‘I do love you,’ she said, stroking his harrowed face. ‘I think you love me. And I want to be with you. I don’t care how long that might be. I want you to be free—’
His mouth descended on hers in a hard and impassioned kiss. He was moaning, muttering words of love and delight, saying how deeply he felt and that he wanted to be with her for the rest of his life.
‘You mean everything to me,’ he said passionately, holding her shoulders and staring intently into her eyes. ‘I can’t imagine life without you. With you, it’s a miracle. An amazing feeling of serenity and exhilaration. Every part of my heart and mind and soul is filled with love for you. I adore you, Laura. Worship you.’
‘Whoopee! I’ve got a Mum!’ yelled Jai from behind them.
‘I’ve got a Dad!’ crowed Adam.
She and Cassian smiled ruefully at one another. ‘And we’ve got gooseberries,’ she giggled.
‘I think,’ Cassian whispered, ‘we’ll get the gooseberries fed and up to bed and have a little party of our own down here.’
‘Whoooooo!’ the boys chorused.
Laura blushed. And turned to the towel-draped boys, her eyes full of love and amusement.
‘Go away, you horrible children!’ she laughed.
Jai and Adam looked at each other in resignation. ‘Huh. Parents,’ Jai pretended to grumble. And they scampered upstairs again, screeching with joyous laughter.
Cassian hugged her. ‘Rascals,’ he said fondly. Then he caressed her cheek. ‘I’ve never been so happy,’ he said roughly. ‘Not in the whole of my life.’
‘I think you might be,’ she purred. ‘After chocolate torte for supper. And after that…’
The love in his eyes touched her heart. Wonderingly, she reached up and touched his mouth. Then she lifted her face to his and lost herself in his kisses. Now she was truly, deeply happy. And all her dreams were on their way to coming true.
She sighed and sank deeper into Cassian’s arms. Perfect love. Perfect lover. She was, without doubt, the luckiest woman in the world.
‘Marry me,’ Cassian whispered. ‘Be my wife. I want that more than anything. I want us to have children. More gooseberries,’ he said with a laugh.
Her face was radiant, her eyes sparkling like a bright blue sea beneath a blinding sun. ‘I would love to be your wife,’ she said shakily. She giggled. ‘And to have your gooseberries!’
Cassian gave a shout of laughter and kissed her passionately.
‘About time! Thought he’d never ask,’ came Jai’s stage whisper from the doorway.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-8652-2
THE UNEXPECTED MISTRESS
First North American Publication 2002.
Copyright © 2001 by Sara Wood.
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