By Royal Demand Read online

  Outside a gull screamed harsh and defiant and aggressive. Into the silent air Gabe said quietly, And if the photograph hadn't sent me into a mindless jealous rage I'd have been more reasonable.'

  ‘so what are you going to do about it'?' 'Don't worry' he said with a coolly menacing smile. 'The photographer didn't get away with it.'

  ‘1 still can't believe that you paid him off.'

  He hesitated then said quietly, ‘My arrogant pride I'm afraid. I hated the thought of the world looking at it.'

  He switched on the lamp at the head of the bed. Sara shrank back into the tumbled pillows feeling naked and exposed now that the friendly dusk had been banished.

  Eyes searching and narrowed in his lean face Gabe said 'Last night I asked you to be my wife. It was the wrong time and I'm sorry. But I'm asking again. Sara marry me.'

  She was stunned into silence. ‘Why?' she finally managed to whisper. 'You don't have to-m-make things up to me-' Frowning he cut her off. ‘1 want you to marry me for a purely selfish reason-because I can't live without you.

  I love you and I need you and I trust you' 1'11 cherish you until I die.'

  She smiled mistily at him and sniffed as tears clogged her throat. Even when asking he sounded autocratic

  and uncompromising but she wouldn't have him any other way.

  'Yes ' she said simply. iof course 1'11 marry you.

  Whenever and wherever you want me to. I love you.'

  He bent and kissed her a light even tentative touch on her lips so keenly sweet that she shivered beneath it.

  'Not tears ' he muttered in a thick impeded voice. 'Don't cry my darling my dear heart my treasure. I can't give you back this last year but I swear that from now on 1'11 make sure you never have cause to cry-' He groaned and sank down beside her and kissed her again and this time it wasn't light or tentative at all.

  Much later he said into her hair ‘1 wasn't going to make love to you. I spent last night planning to woo you without falling into bed with you and look what happened. You're a dangerous woman smashing all my good intentions with one sleepy kiss.'

  She laughed and ran a fingertip the length of his chest revelling in his suddenly shortened breath. ‘1 thought I was dreaming ' she confessed. 'When I woke up and-well you know what I'd done-! felt so embarrassed I could have died. This will last won't it'?' she said suddenly needing reassurance that things had changed that no matter how wonderful the sex it was based on something stronger and more lasting.

  His hand covered hers. 'Yes ' he said simply. 'This is heart shakingly erotic but we have much more than passion on which to build our life together. Where would you like to be married'?'

  ‘Why?' she asked.

  He shrugged and kissed her forehead. Alex wants it to be in Illyria-a big, formal wedding with all the bells and whistles. But yesterday when I got here I discovered that we can marry within three days. Would you like to do that'?' She'd have loved to do that but she said 'Won't the people in the valley be disappointed'?'

  When he hesitated she kissed him and said ‘We'II do the wedding in Illyria.'

  'We can do both ' he said. 'This is your island your home. If we have a private wedding here for us then I can cope with waiting for the six months or so that it's going to take to organize the other.'

  He reached out a long arm and groped in the drawer of the bedside table withdrawing his hand to reveal something that glowed in the light of the lamp.

  Sara's breath locked in her throat.

  'Your ring ' he said in a deep voice.

  Smiling mistily, she held out her hand. He slid the ruby onto her finger and kissed it and then her.

  'This time it comes with love and trust ' he said making a vow of the simple words. 'Now you must want something to eat.'

  She kissed him and said ‘in a few minutes.'

  And let her cheek drop to his chest and lay listening to the mingled sound of their heartbeats. Dreamily, so happy it was difficult to formulate the words she thought that every morning from now on she'd lie like this with Gabe and know that they were safe with each other.