The Helen Bianchin Collection. HELEN BIANCHIN
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Название: The Helen Bianchin Collection
Автор: HELEN BIANCHIN
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Зарубежные любовные романы
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It took a while to make her selection. It took even longer to persuade them to have one of their crafts-man engrave an inscription. A huge tip helped.
She had it placed in a beautiful velvet-lined box, gift-wrapped, charged to her own personal credit card, and she emerged through the glass doors with a satisfied smile.
It was their last evening in this beautiful paradise, and they’d dined at an exclusive restaurant in Honolulu’s ‘Pink Palace’. The food was delicious, the champagne superb, and the view out over the darkened ocean provided a peaceful backdrop.
Together they lingered, each reluctant to bring the evening to a close. For soon they’d have to return to their suite, call the porter to take their bags down to Reception, from where a cab would deliver them to the airport in order to catch the midnight flight home.
The waiter served coffee, and while Miguel signed the credit slip Hannah retrieved the gift-wrapped case from her bag and placed it on the table.
‘For you,’ she said gently as the waiter disappeared, and Miguel regarded her carefully for several seconds before reaching for the package.
He undid the gold ribbon, broke the seal, removed the wrapping, and opened the case.
Inside nestled in a bed of velvet lay a beautiful gold fob-watch with an attached chain.
‘Hannah—’
‘There’s an inscription. Read it,’ she encouraged, watching as he removed the watch and turned it over to read what had been engraved on the back.
Miguel, my heart, my soul. Hannah.
‘Dios,’ he breathed, momentarily speechless.
‘There’s a place inside for a photo,’ she relayed softly. One that would change from year to year as they added to their family.
‘Gracias, amada.’ He rose to his feet and crossed round to kiss her.
Very thoroughly, Hannah mused long seconds later.
Together they left the table and made their way back to their suite.
A long flight lay ahead, and there was little time to spare.
‘One lifetime won’t be enough,’ Miguel said gently as he drew her into his arms.
‘Not nearly enough,’ Hannah whispered an instant before she pulled his head down to hers.
The insistent peal of the telephone caused them to reluctantly draw apart, and Miguel picked up the handset, listened, then added a brief few words.
‘The porter is on his way up, and the cab is waiting downstairs,’ he relayed with something akin to regret, and her mouth curved into a warm smile.
‘We’ll be home tomorrow.’
His answering smile held a certain musing wryness.
‘That’s no help at all.’
A soft laugh emerged from her lips. ‘Patience, querido, is good for the soul.’
He bent his head and kissed her with such gentle evocativeness, she wanted to cry. ‘I’ll remind you of that, later.’
They had the rest of their lives, and together they would make each day count. For ever.
ALEXINA KATHLYN SANTANAS was born eleven months, three weeks and four days later. A joy to her mother, and cherished with idolatry awe by her father.
Family and close friends attended the christening and returned to Miguel and Hannah’s Toorak home to offer congratulations and toast the blonde-haired angel’s health and future happiness.
The sun shone brightly that day, and there was much laughter as everyone celebrated the event.
The guests departed early evening, and it was almost nine when Hannah retreated to the nursery to feed her daughter.
It had been a magical day, Hannah reflected as she changed Alexina and prepared to put her to the breast. She was a placid child, except at moments when she required sustenance or needed changing. Now, she was hungry, and her tiny fists beat an agitated dance before she latched on to suckle strongly.
Hannah looked at the perfect tiny features, the fine textured skin, and felt her heart swell with maternal pride. She really was the sweetest little thing. A precious gift.
What a difference a year made, she decided dreamily. Together she and Miguel had travelled to Rome, toured Italy and spent time in Andalusia. Cindy now ran the Toorak boutique with Elaine’s help.
Life, she decided, was very sweet.
‘How is she?’
Hannah had been so rapt in her own thoughts she hadn’t noticed Miguel had quietly entered the room. She lifted her head and gave him the sort of smile that took hold of his heart and made it beat a whole lot faster.
Did she know how much he loved her? Couldn’t fail to, he mused silently as he crossed to her side and stood watching while she disengaged their daughter and handed her to him to burp.
Minutes later he laid Alexina down carefully in her cot, drew the covers, then enfolded Hannah close to his side as they stood watching their daughter sleep.
‘She’s beautiful,’ Miguel said softly. ‘Just like her mother.’ He turned as Hannah leant her head against his chest, and brushed his lips to her forehead. ‘Time for us, querida.’
‘Mmm,’ she responded witchingly. ‘Sounds interesting.’ She lifted her head to look at him. ‘What do you have in mind?’
He adjusted the baby monitor, then led her into their bedroom. ‘Pleasuring you.’
‘Isn’t that a bit one-sided?’
He slowly undid the buttons on her top, and freed the rest of her clothes. His mouth slanted down to capture hers, and she kissed him back, swept away by the tide of passion as he gently pressed her down onto the bed.
‘Later,’ Miguel murmured. ‘You get to have your turn.’
She did, although not for long. A thin reedy cry came through the baby monitor, and she stilled, waiting for another to follow it. When it did, she pressed a light kiss to her husband’s thigh, then slid from the bed.
‘Our daughter has no sense of timing,’ Miguel groaned huskily as Hannah pulled on a robe.
‘I’ll be back,’ she promised, and she was, several minutes later after soothing Alexina to sleep.
‘Wind,’ she enlightened succinctly as she slipped into bed and reached for him. ‘Now, where were we?’
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