AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A smile of pure male satisfaction suddenly transformed his handsome face. ‘He never knew the real you. Only I know how hot you can be.’
‘Only when I’m with you.’ She lifted her flushed face to his. ‘I never, ever would have slept with another man, Jago.’
He groaned and dragged her to her feet, wrapping her in his arms. ‘And I should never have even thought that of you. Have you any idea how bad I felt that day when you told me what your father had done? I can’t believe I didn’t see through it, but I was so blindly jealous at seeing you entwined with another man that I ceased to be capable of rational behaviour. And I can’t believe that I left you pregnant. I’m so, so sorry about the baby, querida. Can you forgive me?’
‘There’s nothing to forgive,’ she said, hugging him back. ‘The baby wasn’t your fault, and as for the rest of it…’ She sighed and gave a slight shrug of her shoulders. ‘I should have known that it was my father.’
‘And I should have seen what he was doing,’ he admitted ruefully, ‘but it was only because I was so crazily in love with you and I’d never felt like that about anyone before. It clouded my judgement.’
Katy looked up at him, wobbly with love. ‘That’s what Libby said when I told
her.’
‘Well, your sister has more insight than either of us,’ Jago groaned, running lean fingers through her silky hair with deep appreciation. ‘Why do you think I kept those photographs? Looking at them caused me agony, but they were the only link I had with you. When I realised how badly I’d treated you I just didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how to make you love me again.’
‘I always loved you,’ Katy said simply, lifting a finger to touch his rough jaw. ‘Always. I never stopped loving you.’
He froze to the spot, obviously not daring to believe what he was hearing. ‘You still love me?’
‘So much that it terrifies me,’ she confessed shakily, and he gave a disbelieving laugh.
‘I can’t believe I can be that lucky,’ he said hoarsely, ‘or that your father nearly ruined it again by making you believe that I was only marrying you out of revenge.’
‘I couldn’t see any other reason.’ She coloured slightly. ‘You hadn’t thought to mention that you were in love with me.’
He groaned and dragged her against him. ‘I thought it was obvious from the way we were together in Spain.’
‘Not to me,’ she said simply, and he stroked her hair away from her face with his free hand.
‘I was working so hard at getting back into your good books that I didn’t know what to do. I thought that even if I did tell you that I loved you, you were unlikely to believe me.’ He gave a wry smile. ‘And I have to admit that I’ve never been very good with the emotional stuff.’
‘That’s not true.’ She wasn’t letting him off the hook that easily. ‘I’ve seen you with relatives, Jago, and I remember how you were with me at eighteen. I know you have a sensitive side.’
He gave a reluctant grin that turned her heart upside down. ‘Just don’t tell anyone. Not that I’ll have any credibility left once Charlotte starts talking.’ His smile faded and he looked down into her eyes. ‘I have never stopped loving you, querida. But I thought that you had stopped loving me, and proud Spaniards are not the best at putting their hearts on the line.’
Stunned by his frank confession, she stood on tiptoe and kissed him. ‘I think we better have a rule that once a day we tell each other absolutely everything that we’re feeling, no matter how uncomfortable.’
He lowered his head with a groan and returned the kiss. ‘I think you might be right. So, does this mean that you will marry me after all?’
She gave a shy nod and his grip tightened.
‘I’m tempted to call the hospital chaplain and see if he can do it now, before your father comes up with any more of his inventive plans to keep us apart.’
She gave a shaky laugh and bit her lip. ‘I can’t believe that he said all that. Mum must have given him a real talking to, and she’s never done that before.’
‘Women can be scary when they’re crossed,’ Jago said, a hint of amusement in his deep drawl. ‘I should know. I’ll never forget your reaction when I told you about those photographs. I thought you were going to lynch me for being so stupid. And to think I once believed you were shy and gentle.’
She tipped her head on one side. ‘I’ve changed.’
‘But, thankfully, not that much, querida,’ he murmured, kissing her until her head started to swim. ‘You still love me.’
Katy clutched at his shirt for support. ‘With all my heart.’
And registering the tenderness in his eyes, this time she just knew that nothing would ever come between them again. They belonged together for the rest of their lives.
A month later Libby helped put the finishing touches to Katy’s wedding dress at the doorway of the church.
‘You look spectacular,’ she sighed, ‘and I just love the shoes.’
