“I love you,” he said, the words steady. “Nothing you told me just now changes that. Nothing ever will.”
Ellie gazed at him with an expression that defied description. She had kept her emotions under such tight lock and key it was no wonder she’d stumbled recently. No one could keep such painful secrets indefinitely. But Ellie had tried.
Her arms hung at her sides, though his were around her shoulders. “I made a terrible mistake, Conor. How can I ever trust my judgment again?”
Her question was valid. But he had the answer.
“Tell me something, Ellie. When you and Kirby came back to Silver Glen, what did you think when you saw me?”
“Ah...” The muscles in her throat worked. “I...uh...”
“You felt a spark, didn’t you? A small, warm remembrance of the past.”
She licked her lips. “Yes.”
He could barely hear the syllable. Gathering her into his arms, he lifted her onto her toes and kissed her until they were both breathless. “We had something, Ellie. All those years ago. It was a seed, I think. A seed that contained the possibility of something pretty wonderful. But things happened. Life separated us. So the seed never germinated.”
“Are you sure you aren’t a botanist?”
Her sass reassured him. If she could spar with him, she was going to be okay. “I’m serious. If you had stayed in South America...if you’d had a happy marriage...you and I would have been nothing but a memory.”
“And now?”
Joy rose in his chest. And a surge of adrenaline stronger than any he’d ever experienced while skiing or climbing a mountain. “Now, I’m going to fertilize the hell out of that thing. I’m going to tell you I love you every day of your life. I’m going to make love to you every night so that we’re both haggard from lack of sleep. God willing, and with your agreement, I’m going to give little Emory a few siblings.”
“All that from a seed?” Her eyes were shining with happiness, not tears.
“It’s our own little miracle.”
She slid her hands around his neck, playing with his ears, stroking his nape. “I don’t think Kirby really wants to go to Miami. He asked me what I thought about him opening a clinic here...one that caters to children with special needs. And I’ve been thinking that Silver Glen might need an international visitor center.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “I love you with all my heart, Conor Kavanagh.”
He had waited a long time to hear it. Now that the moment had come, his knees were embarrassingly weak. “No take backs.”
Lifting her by the waist, he set her on the teak picnic table so he could better reach her mouth. He kissed her hard, his hands tangled in her beautiful hair as he held her head and angled her lips to his.
“Marry me,” he muttered. “Let me adopt Emory.”
“Yes.” She smothered his face with kisses, her light happy laughter more gratifying to him than all the gold medals in the world.
“I wonder if we could send Kirby up to the Silver Beeches Lodge to spend the night.”
“Conor!” She punched his arm. “You’d throw your best friend to the wolves just to have sex with me?”
“Loud sex. Noisy sex. Kitchen-table sex. And yes, I would. Though a room at a five-star hotel is hardly a punishment.”
She wrapped her legs around his waist, leaning back on her hands. “If we’re nice to him, he might be willing to keep Emory while we go on our honeymoon.”
Conor’s eyes glazed over. He was hard and ready. And he wanted Ellie. When he got her in bed, he’d never let her go. “Works for me,” he said.
“I love you, Conor.”
It was only the second time she had said it. He didn’t think the words would ever get old. Her smile was everything that was Ellie. Sweet. Sexy. Funny. And his. No shadows. No ghosts. Only a future for them to explore together.
“I love you, too, my gorgeous, wonderful best friend.” He kissed the spot beneath her ear that was supersensitive.
“Do you think Kirby will be surprised?”
“I doubt it. Your brother is a very smart man.” He pulled her to her feet. “Let’s go tell him the good news.”
As they walked into the house, it hit him hard. Happiness. Contentment. Sheer euphoria. He was home. And Ellie Porter was finally his.
She looked up at him, mischief on her face. “But we’re still having sex later, right? Even if we have to be quiet?”
“You can count on it, Ellie. You can count on it.”
* * * * *
If you loved this
KAVANAGHS OF SILVER GLEN book
from USA TODAY bestselling author
Janice Maynard,
pick up these other books in the series:
A NOT-SO-INNOCENT SEDUCTION
BABY FOR KEEPS
CHRISTMAS IN THE BILLIONAIRE’S BED
TWINS ON THE WAY
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SPECIAL EXCERPT FROM
Isa disappeared six years ago, taking Marc’s trust with her. Now that he’s found her again, he won’t let go...
Read on for a sneak peek at
CLAIMED
The first of the Diamond Tycoons duet
by New York Times bestselling author Tracy Wolff
Isabella was somehow even more beautiful than he’d remembered. And probably more treacherous, Marc reminded himself as he fought for control.
It had been six years since he’d seen her.
Six years since he’d held her, kissed her, made love to her.
Six years since he’d kicked her out of his apartment and his life.
And still, he wanted her.
It came as something of a shock, considering he’d done his best not to think about her in the ensuing years.
All it had taken was a glimpse of her gorgeous red hair, her warm brown eyes, from the small window embedded in the classroom door to throw him right back into the seething, tumultuous heat that had characterized so much of their relationship. He hadn’t cared about anything but getting into that room to see if his mind was playing tricks on him.
Six years ago he had kicked Isa Varin—now, apparently, Isabella Moreno—out of his life in the cruelest manner possible. He didn’t regret making her leave—how could he when she’d betrayed him so completely?—but in the time since, he had regretted how he’d done it. When he’d come to his senses and sent his driver to find her and deliver her things, including her purse and cell phone and some money, she had vanished into thin air. He’d looked for her, but he’d never found her.
Now he knew why. The very passionate, very beautiful, very bewitching Isa Varin had ceased to exist. In her place was this buttoned-down professor, her voice and face as cool and sharp as any diamond his mines had ever produced. Only the hair—that glorious red hair—was the same. Isabella Moreno wore it in a tight brai
d down her back instead of in the wild curls favored by his Isa, but he would know the color anywhere.
Black cherries at midnight.
Wet garnets shining in the filtered light of a full moon.
And when her eyes had met his over the heads of her students, he’d felt a punch in his gut—in his groin—that couldn’t be denied. Only Isa had ever made his body react so powerfully.
One look into her eyes used to bring him to his knees. But those days were long gone. Her betrayal had destroyed any faith he might have had in her. He’d been weak once, had fallen for the innocence she could project with a look, a touch, a whisper.
He wouldn’t make that mistake again.
Will Marc have Isa back in his bed, trust be damned?
Find out in
CLAIMED
the first of the Diamond Tycoons duet
by New York Times bestselling author Tracy Wolff
Available wherever Harlequin® Desire books and ebooks are sold.
www.Harlequin.com
Copyright © 2015 by Tracy L. Deebs-Elkenaney
ISBN-13: 9781460386682
Second Chance with the Billionaire
Copyright © 2015 by Janice Maynard
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Second Chance with the Billionaire Page 17
