By Request Collection April-June 2016. Оливия Гейтс

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СКАЧАТЬ and if you can’t …’

      His eyes sharpened. ‘But of course I take your word. And in the end,’ he added hoarsely, ‘who cares who our baby resembles or what selection of genes she has? Or he has? We’ll love her, or him, because he belongs to us.’

      ‘Oh, Luc. Oh, my darling, darling man, that’s so wonderful to hear.’ Tears sprang into her eyes. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately, long and deep.

      She could feel his hard body pressed against her, his big heart thumping with the force of his emotion. Her own was thundering fit to burst.

      ‘I don’t think you know how much I love you, Shari Lacey,’ he said gruffly when they at last surfaced. ‘And how I—need you.’

      ‘Honestly?’ she breathed, hardly able to believe her ears. Her heart swelled.

      ‘Bien sûr.’ He held her face between his hands, his brows earnestly drawn. ‘You have warmed my life.’

      ‘Oh.’ Thrilling with a tremulous, painful joy she blinked madly to hold back the tears. ‘Is that really true?’

      He searched her face. ‘How can you not know?’ He spread his hands in rueful amazement. ‘You won’t believe it, but I used to consider myself a hard guy. Cynical, even. With you I’ve turned into a—a putty. I don’t recognise myself. I’ve become dependent on the sound of your voice. Your—face in the morning.’ His voice cracked slightly. ‘At work I—I find myself thinking of you, worrying you won’t be here when I come home. Even today I …’ He shook his head, then looked firmly at her. ‘Listen to me …’ He was breathing rather hard, and his eyes grew stern and serious. ‘Don’t dream of walking out that door. I won’t let you. I’ll hunt you down, if necessary. I’ll chase the plane you leave on. I’ll pursue you to the ends of the earth.’

      While she contemplated this exciting scenario, he muttered to himself, ‘All along I’ve been so scared of losing you, I’ve been agreeing to crazy things like a—a madman.’

      She had a fleeting vision of the time he’d raced to the Ritz at midnight to pick up some buttery scrambled eggs, but dismissed that as an example. Any man would have done the same.

      She gave a gurgle of laughter through her tears. ‘Oh, I wouldn’t say madman.’

      ‘Oui, oui. It’s true. Every time we’ve disagreed over anything I’ve held my breath for fear you would run for the airport.’

      ‘Oh, my poor darling.’ Her heart ached with love and remorse, and a degree of guilt. ‘My poor Luc. Why would you think that?’

      ‘Why?’ His handsome face softened. ‘Shari, chérie, I’ve heard it in your voice. Seen it in your eyes. How you miss Neil … How you long for Australia. I understand how cold it feels in a strange country with only me to cling to.’

      She gazed at the gorgeous hunk of man through her tears. ‘Well, you are something worth clinging to, you know,’ she said shakily. ‘You don’t need to worry about Neil. Of course I miss him and Em, but you … I’m in love with you. Isn’t it obvious? You’re all I’ve ever wanted. You’re the kindest, the most sexy, the hottest, the most …’

      His voice thickened. ‘While you are the most desirable, the most confusing, clever, adorable, darling woman …’

      Joy was such a powerful aphrodisiac. This was a precious moment, a solemn, soulful moment when hearts were open and truth was on the table. The most thrilling words she would ever hear in her life were being spoken to her by the most gorgeous man in the world, yet in her delirious state of sunshine and supreme happiness she was feeling aroused.

      So inappropriate. And so fantastically promising.

      ‘I know I’ve been difficult,’ she breathed. ‘So emotional. Even now I’m feeling far too passionate. Is there any way I can make it up to you?’

      ‘Yes,’ he said fiercely. He swept her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom.

      Afterwards, when passion was for the moment in abeyance and she was lying with her head on his chest, contemplating the incredible fact that she’d misinterpreted so much about him, she said, ‘I should have told you sooner how I felt. But I was afraid you were still in love with Manon.’

      ‘No. Though I admit I felt—hurt, or something. We were over long before we split. I didn’t really even understand that until the day in the café when you asked me about her. That day I brought you home and you nearly ran away as well.’

      She squeezed his bicep. It didn’t even leave a dent. ‘Were you surprised when she took off with Jackson Kerr?’

      He grimaced. ‘Hardly. The guy’s a stud. Isn’t that what you women think?’

      ‘He might well be for all I know. He is cute. Nice abs.’ She laughed. ‘Sorry. Just teasing. No, actually …’ She took a deep breath. ‘You may get a bit of a shock at what I’m about to tell you.’

      She related the story Manon had told her in the patisserie, about falling in love and knowing it was the right thing for her.

      Luc sat bolt upright as if electrified. ‘What? Are you serious? She told you this?’

      Shari nodded. ‘She did. She told me things you wouldn’t believe.’

      ‘What things? Things about me?’

      ‘No, no. Other things.’ Realising she’d come close to saying too much for any macho guy to take on board at one time, she gave him a womanly glance to warn him off sacred ground. ‘What we call in Australia secret women’s business.’

      ‘Comment?’ His brows bristled with intrigue.

      ‘Put it this way.’ She hesitated, casting about for words. ‘Her affair with Jackson Kerr was just a flash in the pan. Doomed to extinguish itself while she was working herself out.’

      ‘Ah.’ Luc’s brows zoomed high and he looked keenly at her, his eyes glittering with an intense light as he tried to conceal his excitement. ‘So … Are we saying …? Does this mean that er … sooner or later Manon would have left me regardless of how much of an insensitive voyou I am?’

      Shari could hardly restrain a grin. He looked so chuffed to be off the hook.

      ‘I dare say. Although she deserves a medal for how long she hung in there with all this ghastly yellow.’

      He gave her a playful punch. ‘She wanted it.’

      She smiled. ‘Yeah?’

      Maybe she did. And maybe she didn’t.

       CHAPTER FIFTEEN

      THE wedding was a glorious affair. There might have been Parisian couples in the past who’d outshone the Valentins, but most of those had been royal.

      The ceremony in the mairie’s office was purely a bureaucratic СКАЧАТЬ