The Christmas Marriage Rescue (Lakeside Mountain Rescue 4)

‘It was only ever supposed to be for the weekend,’ she confessed, pushing aside the last vestiges of her pride in an effort to save their relationship. ‘I thought you’d come after me and drag me back.’

He ran a hand over his roughened jaw. ‘Am I really that controlling?’

‘Yes. But not on that occasion, obviously. Ironic, really. The one time I wanted you to come and drag me back, you didn’t do it.’

‘It seems that I’m not the only one who is hopeless at communicating. When I realised you’d left I was totally and utterly devastated,’ he groaned, sliding a hand into her hair and tilting her head so that he could look into her eyes. ‘I thought you didn’t love me any more and I could hardly blame you, because I missed our anniversary—’

‘It wasn’t about our anniversary,’ she interrupted him in a soft voice, needing to explain. ‘We just didn’t feel like a couple any more.’

‘I suppose I was suffering from that old cliché of taking you for granted.’ He gave a shrug and a self-deprecating smile. ‘I came home and you were always here. And then one day you weren’t and I had the shock of my life.’

‘So why didn’t you come after me?’

‘I genuinely didn’t realise that was what you wanted, although I should have done, of course. I’ve lived with you long enough to understand your temper.’ His voice was soft and he dragged his thumb over her cheek in a gentle caress. ‘For once in my life I was trying to think of you. I wanted you back but you were obviously so fed up with me that I thought you needed time and space so I left you alone.’

‘And I thought you didn’t want me.’

‘Then you arrived back here looking stunningly gorgeous and promptly slept in the spare room.’

‘You put me in the spare room,’ she reminded him, and he gave a wry smile,

‘Another major error of judgement on my part. I was expecting you to refuse to sleep there. Always you sleep in my bed.’

He sounded so much like the old Alessandro that she gave a soft smile. ‘Thank goodness we had some help from the children or I’d still be in there,’

‘Sí—because we are both so stubborn and hot-tempered, gatita.’ He gave a groan and lowered his mouth to hers, dropping a lingering kiss on her mouth. ‘Perhaps if I was a cool Englishman, none of this would have happened.’

‘If you were a cool Englishman,’ she muttered against his mouth, ‘I never would have married you.’

He lifted his head a fraction. ‘Is that true? I’m always very aware that I didn’t give you a chance to date other men and I confess I was worried about Jake.’

‘Jake has only ever been the very best friend to both of us. And I didn’t want to date other men. But what about you?’ She forced herself to ask the question she’d dreaded asking. ‘I was worried about Katya. I thought you might be interested in her…’ She left the statement hanging and his eyes narrowed, one ebony brow lifted in question.

‘Have I ever given you reason not to trust me?’

‘No.’ She shook her head. ‘But our marriage was on the rocks and—’

He placed his fingers over his lips. ‘Don’t say it,’ he breathed, ‘because it isn’t the truth and it never was. We are both stormy, passionate people and our journey through life is never going to be in calm waters.’

‘I thought you only wanted me to stay because of the children.’ Dizzy from his kiss and the hard press of his body against hers, she stared up at him and he shook his head.

‘Never,’ he said hoarsely, reaching for her hand and sliding the ring on her

finger. ‘I married you in haste and I’ve loved you deeply ever since. I wanted you to stay because I love you and I can’t live without you. And this is the engagement ring I should have given you twelve years ago.’

Her heart thumped hard against her chest as she stared at the ring in delighted fascination. It shone and sparkled on her finger. ‘I’ve never seen anything more beautiful in my life,’ she murmured, ‘but I still don’t understand one thing…’

His mouth was close to hers. ‘What’s that?’

‘If you love me and you want me to stay, why didn’t you say so when Pete rang, asking me to go back early?’

‘Because you’d accused me of being controlling! I was giving you a choice, querida.’ He gave a wry smile. ‘But you weren’t making the choice I wanted you to make. I assumed you’d only come home because of the children and with Christmas over you had no reason to stay.’

‘And I thought you didn’t want me. Alessandro, I came home for Christmas for me, not for the children. The children just gave me the excuse I’d been looking for.’

‘And you say we kids are complicated.’ A voice came from the doorway behind them, and they both turned.

Katy was standing in the doorway, arms folded and tinsel in her hair. Her eyes were on the ring that Christy was wearing. ‘Nice present, Dad,’ she said softly, and Alessandro gave her a slow smile, his arms still around his wife.