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Lukas kissed her. An endless kiss that drove any lingering doubts about how he felt right out of her head.
‘I can’t believe it.’ She stared up at him. ‘I thought...I thought that you were just playing a game with me. That once I’d capitulated you didn’t want me any more.’
‘Not want you? Eleanore, moya lyubov, it is not humanly possible to want you more than I do. You make me feel whole. You make me feel warm again. I’ve been so miserable these past two weeks Petra has threatened to quit.’
‘Petra? I don’t believe it. She adores you.’
‘And fortunately she’s canny enough to know that I adore you. That my life is empty without you in it.’ He took her face between his hands. ‘I’ve thought about this a lot and I want the whole package, Eleanore. Marriage. Kids.’ Lucky wove between their legs, purring. ‘A cat.’
‘Oh, Lukas. I want that too.’
‘And I know your goals are important to you and that your new positon in Australasia is...’
‘I’m not working for Harrington’s any more,’ she interrupted. ‘You helped me see that in many ways I was using Harrington’s to prove my worth to my family—and myself—and that I’m limiting my true potential by doing that. So I’ve skipped along to goal number three and decided to start my own consulting business.’
‘Consulting?’
‘I’m good at it.’
Lukas gathered her closer. ‘You are.’
Her smile made his heart soar. ‘Any idea where you want to set up this business?’
‘I’m not sure. Maybe in Rossiya.’
Lukas winced at her botched pronunciation. ‘Not until I’ve taught you a few Russian words perhaps.’ He smiled but his tone turned serious. ‘But really, Eleanore, if you want to stay in America, then I can shift my headquarters to here.’
‘You would do that? You’d leave St Petersburg?’
Lukas turned her face up to his and kissed her sweetly on the lips. ‘I would do anything for you. Don’t you know that by now?’
She leaned into him. ‘I would never ask you to leave because I know the school you want to build is important to you and the kids need you. But maybe we could divide our time between the two?’
‘Whatever makes you happy, moya krasavitsa. Which reminds me.’ He released his hold on her. ‘I have something to show you.’
He dragged her to the window that overlooked her quiet street and raised the squeaky sash. Curious, Eleanore lent her head outside and a wide grin split her face. ‘It’s a horse-drawn carriage!’
‘Da. I organised a sleigh from Boston but there is not enough snow in New York to drive it.’ He gave her a lopsided grin. ‘I am hoping this alternative is still considered romantic.’
She gazed at the ornate carriage and waved at the uniformed driver. ‘It’s very romantic.’
When she turned back inside Lukas was on bended knee with a ring box in his hand and a definite look of nervousness in his eyes. He cleared his throat. ‘I was going to wait until we were in the carriage but...about goal number four?’
Eleanore’s grin consumed her face as a feeling of happiness threatened to burst right out of her chest. ‘What about it?’ she whispered.
‘I’m hoping to make it goal number one.’ He opened the box and the most exquisite emerald ring sat nestled in a bed of red silk. ‘Eleanore Harrington, I don’t know what I have done to deserve you in my life but I promise to adore you and love you and take care of you for all of our days. If you’ll have me?’
Tears slid down her cheeks unheeded and Lukas stood to wipe them away.
Eleanore raised trembling hands to his face and gazed at the man who had stolen her heart. ‘Yes, yes, I’ll have you. Yes, I’ll marry you.’ She kissed him softly. ‘How do you say “I love you” in Russian?’
‘Ya tebya lyublyu.’
When she repeated the words back to him Lukas grinned and grabbed her around the waist, swinging her into a high embrace. ‘Maybe you can just show me, moya Eleanore.’ He slid his hands to her bottom and urged her legs up around his waist so she was under no illusion as to what he meant.
She smiled. ‘Da, maybe I can. Always.’
