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He took pity on her mortification and took her back in his arms to kiss the tip of her pink nose. ‘I think he thinks you’re a very sexy woman whom his father is crazy about. He said to tell you, by the way, that he never broke his promise to you—what he did was not “dumb and misguided”—it was extremely clever; it was keeping the hard copy evidence that did him in!’
‘Still, what if you hadn’t wanted to see me?’ she worried.
His voice was warm with disbelief. ‘Darling, the boy watched me skewer you with a knife and then listened to me prose on about you for hours while I ploughed my way through half a bottle of Scotch. I assure you, he was in no doubt as to what I was going to do when I got my hands on you again.’
‘Throttle me?’
His hands tightened around her waist as his mouth came down on hers. ‘Never let you go.’
‘Oh…’ Bliss was a warm mouth and a strong pair of arms.
‘So, does that mean you’re willing to accept my son?’ he murmured against her throat.
‘I’ve already accepted he’s your son,’ she replied, confused.
‘No, I mean…as your own. I think all the children of one family should call the same person Mother.’ He lifted his head as she stiffened in his encircling arms. ‘Did you think I wasn’t going to ask the woman I love to marry me? Especially one as elusive as you—what kind of idiot do you take me for?’
Her small face was incandescent with joy. ‘I think you’re a pure genius. I guess that’s why I love you.’
It was the first time she had said it out loud, but instead of the expected romantic response, Joshua raised a challenging eyebrow. ‘Prove it.’
She laughed, and kicked off her shoes, and raced him into the bedroom. As she wrestled him playfully onto the bed he murmured, ‘The last time I entertained Eve in here, she was too proud to accept anything from me. I hope this time will be different.’
‘“Pride comes before a fall,”’ quoted Regan.
He smiled. ‘Don’t I know it!’ He traced her kiss-swollen mouth with a gentle finger. ‘So…is your pride willing to be flexible for me tonight?’
‘Have you still got that gorgeous tennis bracelet?’ she teased.
His eyes glinted. ‘You’re not really allergic to gold, are you?’ And when she shook her head he pulled out the bedside drawer and began dragging out boxes and shaking them open over her prone body—bracelets, necklaces, lockets, bangles, brooches falling in an extravagant rain over her black dress.
‘Josh!’ She sifted them through her fingers with a laughing protest.
‘Not enough?’ He produced more, until she was heaped with splendour and helpless with giggles.
‘I bought them all because you don’t have any jewellery and I wasn’t sure what you’d like best,’ he said with perfect seriousness. ‘I want to give you everything, you see,’ he said roughly. ‘Me—life, love, babies galore…everything that it’s in my power to give you.’ Then he took out one last item, a folded piece of creased tissue paper, and carefully unwrapped it, and she sat up, shedding the expensive baubles, to look at the thin, old-gold band plainly set with a straight row of three extremely modest diamonds.
‘It was my mother’s engagement ring, and her mother’s before her,’ he said. ‘Dad kept it for me after Mum died so I could give it in turn to my wife. But Clare thought it was too old-fashioned and the diamonds too small. And I never even considered showing it to Carolyn. For the last fifteen years, although I didn’t know it, I’ve been keeping it for you…’
‘It’s beautiful,’ said Regan shakily, imagining all the emotion invested in the cherished reminder of loves past.
He slid it on her slender finger. ‘I knew it would suit you…’
‘Small, plain and simple?’ she taunted his ruthless pride.
‘Dainty, rare and precious.’ He tumbled her back on the bed and carelessly brushed away his lavish offerings in order to get down to the serious business of loving.
‘Do you know, I think that you and I together have helped prove an old saying?’ he said, lifting the hand bearing his ring to his lips.
‘What’s that?’ she murmured dreamily as he bent his head to give her the most treasured gift of all.
‘That revenge is deliciously, irresistibly sweet…’
