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‘Then you arrived back here looking stunningly gorgeous and promptly slept in the spare room.’
‘You put me in the spare room,’ she reminded him, and he gave a wry smile,
‘Another major error of judgement on my part. I was expecting you to refuse to sleep there. Always you sleep in my bed.’
He sounded so much like the old Alessandro that she gave a soft smile. ‘Thank goodness we had some help from the children or I’d still be in there,’
‘Sí—because we are both so stubborn and hot-tempered, gatita.’ He gave a groan and lowered his mouth to hers, dropping a lingering kiss on her mouth. ‘Perhaps if I was a cool Englishman, none of this would have happened.’
‘If you were a cool Englishman,’ she muttered against his mouth, ‘I never would have married you.’
He lifted his head a fraction. ‘Is that true? I’m always very aware that I didn’t give you a chance to date other men and I confess I was worried about Jake.’
‘Jake has only ever been the very best friend to both of us. And I didn’t want to date other men. But what about you?’ She forced herself to ask the question she’d dreaded asking. ‘I was worried about Katya. I thought you might be interested in her…’ She left the statement hanging and his eyes narrowed, one ebony brow lifted in question.
‘Have I ever given you reason not to trust me?’
‘No.’ She shook her head. ‘But our marriage was on the rocks and—’
He placed his fingers over his lips. ‘Don’t say it,’ he breathed, ‘because it isn’t the truth and it never was. We are both stormy, passionate people and our journey through life is never going to be in calm waters.’
‘I thought you only wanted me to stay because of the children.’ Dizzy from his kiss and the hard press of his body against hers, she stared up at him and he shook his head.
‘Never,’ he said hoarsely, reaching for her hand and sliding the ring on her finger. ‘I married you in haste and I’ve loved you deeply ever since. I wanted you to stay because I love you and I can’t live without you. And this is the engagement ring I should have given you twelve years ago.’
Her heart thumped hard against her chest as she stared at the ring in delighted fascination. It shone a
nd sparkled on her finger. ‘I’ve never seen anything more beautiful in my life,’ she murmured, ‘but I still don’t understand one thing…’
His mouth was close to hers. ‘What’s that?’
‘If you love me and you want me to stay, why didn’t you say so when Pete rang, asking me to go back early?’
‘Because you’d accused me of being controlling! I was giving you a choice, querida.’ He gave a wry smile. ‘But you weren’t making the choice I wanted you to make. I assumed you’d only come home because of the children and with Christmas over you had no reason to stay.’
‘And I thought you didn’t want me. Alessandro, I came home for Christmas for me, not for the children. The children just gave me the excuse I’d been looking for.’
‘And you say we kids are complicated.’ A voice came from the doorway behind them, and they both turned.
Katy was standing in the doorway, arms folded and tinsel in her hair. Her eyes were on the ring that Christy was wearing. ‘Nice present, Dad,’ she said softly, and Alessandro gave her a slow smile, his arms still around his wife.
‘I’m glad you think so,’ he drawled, and Katy smiled.
‘So, are we finally a happy family?’
Jake strolled into the kitchen and looped an arm round his goddaughter’s shoulders. ‘You shouldn’t be watching this, angel. It’s probably age restricted.’
Katy rolled her eyes. ‘I’m almost twelve. I know everything. The next thing is they’ll probably go and mate or something. Pretty gross at their age, but there you are.’
Alessandro stared in stunned amazement, Christy blushed and Jake threw back his head and laughed. ‘Well, my friends?’ He stared at them quizzically. ‘Have you sorted things out?’
Ben dashed into the kitchen with an armful of toys. ‘Grandma says, is there a cloth? I spilled my drink.’
‘Oh, what’s new?’ Katy gave a long-suffering sigh. ‘Father Christmas should have stuck a jumbo box of kitchen roll in your stocking. Don’t worry, Mum. You stay talking to Dad. I’ll sort it out.’ She hustled her brother out of the room and Jake watched them go, a smile playing around his firm mouth.
‘She’s growing up,’ he said quietly, and Alessandro frowned.
‘Don’t say that. I’m not prepared for hormones or boyfriends.’
