by Joanna Neil
‘But I do, Ross. I love you.’ She said it in an anguished voice and then pressed her lips together briefly. ‘I love you so much. But I was afraid. I tried so hard not to fall for you because I was sure you would leave me high and dry, and I didn’t want to be hurt.’
‘I felt the same way, to begin with.’ His voice was husky with emotion. ‘I never wanted to fall for you and suffer that awful pain if you should ever leave me or tell me you didn’t feel the same way. But over time I started to get the feeling that you cared for me, too, that you might actually love me, and I couldn’t take the risk of losing out on that.
‘It was too precious, and I was trying to find the right time to tell you. You’re my soul mate, the one woman I want to share my life with.’
Her fingers trembled as she ran her hands over his chest. Her heart swelled with love for him and his words had brought a lump to her throat. ‘I’m so happy,’ she murmured. ‘I didn’t think I could ever feel this way, so content, so full of joy.’
‘Me, too.’
She slid her arms around his waist. ‘It feels terrific to have all that guilt and anxiety lifted from me,’ she murmured. ‘It was so hard for me, wanting you all the time and yet trying to keep some barriers between us.’
‘You don’t know how good it makes me feel to have you in my arms, Katie. I feel as though I’ve waited an eternity for this moment. I always loved you, deep down, but you were way out of my reach for so long. You were the girl from the grand house and the big country estate, and you might as well have been a thousand miles away when it came to me telling you how I felt about you.’
He frowned. ‘Even all those years ago I wanted you so badly but I couldn’t stick around. What with the problems at home and you being the prettiest, most unavailable girl on the planet as far as I was concerned, I had to leave.’
‘But I’m so glad you came back.’ She snuggled against him, burying her face in his shirtfront, breathing in his subtle, pleasing male scent.
‘So am I.’ He captured her lips once more and they kissed with passion and reverence for what they had found and with all the exhilaration that came from being together at last.
‘I love you so much,’ she said again, and he held her to him, hugging her fiercely as though he would never let her go.
‘Will you marry me, Katie?’ he said urgently. ‘Please say yes. I don’t ever want to lose you. I bought this house because I know you love it so much, and I’m certain we could be so happy here. You’ll make my life complete if you’ll only say yes.’
‘Oh, yes, please,’ she murmured, sighing happily as she nestled against him, and they kissed again, holding one another in a blissful a celebration of finally being together. It would be for ever, she was sure of it.
* * * * *
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ISBN: 9781460313053
Copyright © 2013 by Joanna Neil
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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