Undone by His Touch
Page 18
With infinite care he brushed her hair behind her ear, letting his fingers linger in a delicate caress. Delight shivered through her. She stood unmoving, snared by what she saw in his eyes and what she felt.
‘I love you, Chloe. For so many reasons. Because you stood up to me when I deserved it. You never let me railroad you into anything. You made me take a hard look at myself.’ He pressed a kiss to the back of her hand and a ripple of heat sped through her.
‘Because of the way your laugh always makes me smile, even when the world seems black and unforgiving.’ Another kiss, this time to her wrist, drew her skin taut.
‘Because of your sexy body and your soft skin and the way you welcome a lover with all of you, body and soul.’
Chloe tried to pull back, but he held her firm and planted a kiss to the centre of her palm. ‘Because you’re honest and sincere. Because you had the generosity of heart to forgive my brother as I’m hoping you can forgive me.’
Her treacherous legs wobbled and he caught her close.
‘I love you, Chloe. I have no right to expect you to love me, but I had to tell you. I’ve been a complete b—’
‘Don’t!’ Her fingers sealed his lips as she found her voice again. It throbbed with all the emotion welling inside. ‘I love you, Declan. Still. Always.’
The stunned look in his eyes made her smile.
‘I love your intensity.’ She held his gleaming gaze, reassuring him with everything in her. ‘Your honesty and determination to do right. I love your loyalty.
‘I love that you’re a man of honour.’ She suppressed a smile as she remembered jealousy over Sophia. ‘And I love the way you make love to me.’
‘I can’t believe it.’ He cradled her close, the look in his eyes something she’d carry with her the rest of her life. ‘You make me feel invincible, even with this.’ He lifted a dismissive hand to his scar.
‘It’s part of you, Declan. I even love that.’ She smiled at his startled look. ‘It gives you a swashbuckling air, like a marauding pirate.’
‘Does it indeed?’ He scooped her into his arms and held her close. ‘You know what pirates do when they find beautiful wenches, don’t you?’ He strode from the balcony and across the room till he reached the huge bed.
Abruptly his grin faded and his grip tightened.
‘I don’t deserve you, Chloe. You’d have every right—’
Chloe stopped him in the most sensible way she knew. She tugged his head down and planted a breathless kiss on his mouth, opening for him, till with a groan he plunged in and took her with a thorough, ravishing kiss that made her head spin and her heart soar.
‘The past is over, Declan,’ she whispered. ‘Let’s concentrate on the future.’
‘I’ll spend our future showing you every day how much I love you.’ The earnest light in his eyes and his tender smile were the most perfect things Chloe had ever seen.
EPILOGUE
CHLOE smiled as she turned the corner of the veranda and saw the impromptu football game on the lawn.
Ted’s companion dog, a beagle crossed with no-one knew what, barked excitedly and pranced across the grass.
Amy, with all the fierce concentration of a two-year-old, tottered after the lightweight ball to where Ted guarded a goal of bright plastic buckets. He feinted to one side, pretending to use his walking stick to stop the ball. But anyone seeing the expression on his face knew he had no intention of spoiling his granddaughter’s goal.
Amy kicked with such comical exaggeration that she fell over. But there were no tears, just a crow of delight when the ball slid past Ted.
‘G’anpa, G’anpa! I did it.’
‘I saw, sweetie.’ Ted reached down and pulled her to her feet. Instantly she wrapped her arms around his legs.
Chloe’s heart lurched as she watched her daughter and Ted together. She was so lucky to have them. So very lucky.
‘They’re good together, aren’t they?’ A deep, rich voice shivered across her skin as her husband stepped close, tugging her back against him.
‘Hmm, hmm.’ She smiled as he wrapped his arms around her and she sank into his familiar, warm embrace. ‘They are.’
Declan’s hands slipped down to her small baby-bump, caressing with a gentleness that always made her heart turn over.
‘We’re very lucky, my love.’ He nuzzled her neck and sparks cascaded through her. Her nipples hardened and heat swirled deep within. ‘I have to be the luckiest man alive.’
Chloe turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. She looked into his beloved face and read the love shining in his eyes. ‘And I’m the luckiest woman.’
‘You’ve got lipstick on,’ he growled in mock anger.
‘You expect me to go to the gala and not wear make-up? On the arm of the sexiest man there, who just happens to be the foundation chair?’
The foundation, named for Adrian, provided community support to people with mental illness. Its focus was on filling gaps left by other services, rather than on glitzy events. This annual fundraiser was the exception, attended by a who’s who that always made the celebrity pages.
‘You could have waited.’ Declan leaned close, a tell tale gleam in his eyes. ‘But no matter. You can put more on later.’
His breath was warm on her face and her eyes had just fluttered shut when a small form cannoned into their legs.
‘Mummy, Daddy, I goaled. Did you see? Did you see?’
‘We saw, darling.’ Chloe smiled as she watched Declan pick up their daughter and hug her. Amy hugged him back, planting grubby hands on his tuxedo and dress shirt.
‘We might be a little late leaving for the gala,’ Chloe murmured. ‘You’ll need to take that off.’
The look he sent her was a sizzle of pure invitation. ‘Promises, promises, Mrs Carstairs. I look forward to you helping me.’
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 BV/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 2012
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of Harlequin (UK) Limited.
Harlequin (UK) Limited, Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road,
Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR
© Annie West 2012
ISBN: 978-1-408-97391-2
Table of Contents
Cover
Excerpt
About the Author
Title Page
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourte
en
Epilogue
Copyright