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‘Eight!’
‘It’s never been about that.’ Her whisper was soft, her breathing fast and deep. She couldn’t hold out against this for long. Not when she loved him so much.
‘Seven!’
‘I was a damn fool, Lisa. You’ve loved me all along and I abused that love in the worst way possible, but I want to spend the rest of my life making it up to you—loving you.’
‘Six!’
‘And the baby?’ She drew in a ragged breath as he lowered his gaze. ‘Max?’
‘Five!’
‘Our baby will have all the love it can ever want from its father because I’m not my father. I’m not the cold, hard, mercenary man he was, not when I love my wife with all my heart.’
‘Four!’
It was just seconds until the new year, until a fresh start, and Lisa knew she couldn’t ignore that omen, couldn’t turn Max away when her heart ached so badly for him and he’d finally destroyed the barrier of steel he’d spent so long behind.
‘Oh, Max,’ she whispered as she moved closer, her lips almost touching his. Almost.
The look on his face, the purity of the love she could see in his eyes made any further words so hard, but she managed what needed to be said. What he needed to hear.
‘I love you, Max. So much.’
‘Three!’
His lips claimed hers in a hard kiss as the hand at the nape of her neck pulled her toward him. Her arms wound around his neck and she kissed him as if her life depended on it.
‘Two!’
He pulled back from her, still so close. ‘It’s time for a fresh start. You and I and our baby.’
‘One!’
‘The perfect time,’ she said softly as the old year slipped away, taking with it all the pain and heartache.
‘Happy New Year!’
A riotous cheer went up from those around them and she looked at him, smiling. ‘Happy New Year, Max.’
He brushed his lips over hers. ‘Happy New Year, and I’m going to tell you I love you every day from now on.’
‘Just tell me?’ she teased wickedly, not caring who was still watching, though from the sound of chinking glasses and popping corks it wasn’t many people. Fireworks sounded outside and more cheers went up.
‘I will tell you as much as you like here, but when I get you on your own I’m going to show just how much.’
She laughed in delight as he lifted her from her feet and began turning round and round as in a dance of elation.
‘That was better than any fireworks,’ someone said as Max finally stopped turning.
Slowly her feet touched the floor again and she looked up into his handsome face as he lowered his head to kiss her. She reached up and pressed a finger against his lips. ‘I’m going to hold you to that, Maximiliano Martinez. I want to hear that every single day from now on.’
‘Then I’d better start now. I love you, Lisa. You are everything to me, always have been and always will be and just to prove it I want you to take these back—and put them on.’
He opened his hand and she looked at him then took the diamond earrings, warm from his touch, just as his heart now was. Without taking her eyes from his, she put them back on then smiled. Diamonds would be a symbol of their love for evermore.
‘I love you, Max.’
A round of applause erupted again as he kissed her, deeply and passionately, and she knew that finally her happy ever after had arrived.
EPILOGUE
LISA LOOKED AROUND the crowded party room at the top London hotel Max and Raul had chosen for their New Year’s Eve party. It was hard to believe that this time two years ago she’d been ready to walk out on Max, on her dreams of love and happiness, believing them to be futile.
‘This is spectacular,’ Lydia said as she sat across the elegantly set table, looking as glamorous as ever despite being heavily pregnant with her first child. The deep blue of the gown suited her well. Or was it the glow of pregnancy?
‘I’m so pleased Raul and Max have decided to make this our annual family tradition, a new one to clear away all the heartache they have both known and build good memories for our children. When they are older, of course.’ Lisa laughed softly at the expression on Lydia’s face and wondered if she’d given her secret away.
‘Children?’
‘Our little Lilly and soon your son or daughter,’ Lisa said as she sipped at her cooling lemonade.
‘Oh, I have to tell you. I just can’t help myself,’ Lydia suddenly said, leaning as far forward as her advanced pregnancy would allow. ‘It’s a boy.’
She took her sister-in-law’s hand and squeezed it tightly. ‘I’m so pleased for you both.’
