Page 51 of Wounds of Passion

His face was sombre. ‘And now? How do you feel now?’ he asked quietly, his voice very deep, tipping her head back with a gentle hand so that he could see her face more clearly.

Antonia looked into his commanding blue eyes and a wave of intense feeling went through her.

‘I feel...’ She paused, hunting for the right word. ‘Free...’ she whispered at last. ‘I love you so much, Patrick.’

He took her into his arms and kissed her passionately. Antonia kissed him back, happier than she had ever been in her life before. She knew she would never quite be able to forget that dark night in Bordighera, but Patrick’s love had healed the wounds of terror and passion. He had been her first love, and he would be her first lover; together they would lay the ghosts that had haunted her for two years.