by Sara Wood
She began to undo the buttons of his shirt. ‘Show me,’ she whispered. ‘Now.’
Tenderly he drew her down to the grassy bank. Her eyes closed as his mouth met hers. She felt the welcome warmth of his strong body and yielded to the instincts of her heart. Rozzano loved her as much as she loved him. Joy surged in her soul as he brought her closer and closer to their true union. This was a man she could love and honour and respect for the rest of her life.
Afterwards, they watched the setting sun turn the lake to fire. And knew that for them it wasn’t the end of a day, but the beginning of a wonderful life together. Happily they returned to the villa, clasping one another frequently on the way, gazing into one another’s eyes with profound love.
‘I have a confession,’ she murmured into the satin warmth of his throat.
‘Mmm?’ He barely paused in kissing her ear.
‘I’ve always dreamed of being happily married—’
‘Mmm.’ His mouth found hers.
A breathless while later, she was released. ‘And,’ she persisted, despite his chuckle, ‘there were children in this dream—’
‘Uh-huh.’
She gasped as his fingers found the hard tip of her breast. ‘And,’ she said, battling for her cause, ‘there were four children.’
His hand stilled. ‘Four.’ She nodded and he chuckled. ‘Better get on with it, then, hadn’t we?’
And, with a total disregard for the people they passed—the gardener, Maddy, who was strolling on the softly lit terrace, and the maid in the halt—he ran hand in hand with Sophia, arriving breathless and exhilarated in the bridal suite.
‘Come here, Princess Bride,’ he said softly.
She gave her Madonna smile and flung herself into his arms. ‘My prince!’ she said with a giggle. And he punished her for her mockery in the best possible way she could have imagined.
ISBN : 978-1-4592-5206-6
THE IMPATIENT GROOM
First North American Publication 1999.
Copyright © 1999 by Sara Wood.
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road. Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
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.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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