Keep it light, don’t spoil it now, don’t jump the gun or take things for granted, just because he’s traveled thousands of miles to see you. Turning slowly, she wondered what he wanted with a woman who couldn’t give him the four children he had in mind. “What, no long-haired women to fuel your fantasy in Singapore?”
One glimpse of his face, his dear face, and his eyes, weary yet burning with a fire she couldn’t ignore, and she held out her arms. He stepped into them, pulled her in tight till she couldn’t tell whose heart pounded fastest against her breast-bone. If she hadn’t been anchored in his arms, she’d be floating ten inches above the floor, just because Kel was there.
“Aah, Ngaire.” His sigh grazed her cheek and was music to her ears, it said so much. “I’m home, doll… How I’ve missed this, missed you…. Never run away from me again.”
She leaned against the taut muscled arms holding her, to run fingers that trembled over the wide slash of cheekbones and dimpled chin, just to make sure he was real and she hadn’t conjured him up out of needing, wanting this man. Kel. Her touch earned her the smile that she’d fallen in love with in Tahiti. My heart. My home. My family. “No more than I’ve missed you, Kel. But you sound breathless, what’s up now?”
“I ran all the way, I was so damned frightened I’d be too late, and when I opened the door and met nothing but silence… I love you, doll, let’s not put ourselves through this again.” His kiss confirmed every heartfelt word. She never wanted it to end.
Her head spun when he released her lips. He wanted her so bad, she felt it in his taste, in the hard flesh that burned where he’d clamped her against him. Oh, yes, he wanted her as much as she wanted him. “Mmm, don’t stop. I love you, too.”
He grinned. “I know, it shows. Boy, have I missed this. Just holding you, making love to you.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I thought the do jan would be busy around six.”
She laughed, able to do it without effort now he was here. Holding her. “It’s New Year’s Day. I was having a holiday to celebrate breaking the curse. I only came in to work out a bit and wait for Leena to show up. We’d planned on dinner.”
“Don’t remind me. I wanted to see the New Year in with you. To be here for you. But you beat the curse without me, thank God!”
“That’s not true. You were with me every mile of Te Ruahiki’s journey home. You saved my life.”
The sound of heels clicking on the stairs ripped any form of finesse from his delivery as he gazed into the lagoon-blue depths of her eyes. “Will you marry me, doll…Ngaire? Be my partner in all the ways that count—love, life, career.”
Her head jerked back. “Career? Did I hear correctly?”
“Doll, we were made to be partners, what with your hapkido skills and memory for things other people would never notice. A little bit of training is all it’ll take to get you into the GDE team. And with Chaly dead and another one locked up, we need all the good people we can find, and you’re good people.”
“Chaly’s dead? Did you…know?” She couldn’t ask him straight out if he’d killed Chaly, knowing Kel wouldn’t have taken any pleasure in it.
So she was relieved when he said, “Indirectly.”
The patter of footsteps got closer. “What about children?”
“As long as I have you, I’ll have everything I ever wanted.” He placed his forehead to hers, and as their noses lined up he pressed down in a hongi. “What about it, doll, will you?”
“I accept,” she whispered against his lips.
He pulled a small box from his pocket and said, “I have something for you.”
It wasn’t a ring box. Curious, she opened the lid. The heart-shaped gold-and-greenstone locket shimmered against white satin. Kel removed it from its setting to hold it flat in the center of his palm. “Go on, open it.”
Inside, a soft brown kiwi feather curled. “It was in my pocket. I thought you’d appreciate a little part of the magic.”
The moment his lips kissed hers, Ngaire knew the magic had been in them, Kel and her, all along.
She drew back as his hand slipped down the front of her panties and his foot kicked the door shut and pressed her against it. “Kel, we can’t,” she gasped.
He ignored the noise of Leena’s heels as his fingers found her. “Didn’t I tell you I do my best work under pressure?”
ISBN: 978-1-4268-8088-9
HEARTBREAK HERO
Copyright © 2003 by Frances Housden
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All 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 incidents are pure invention.
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Table of Contents
Prologue
Epilogue
Heartbreak Hero Page 25
