Forbidden Surrender

‘I like it,’ she shrugged.

Martha touched her arm. ‘You’ll have to get Dominic to bring you up to visit us some time. You’ll see, the North’s best.’

‘You forget,’ Sara said stiffly, ‘it’s my sister who is marrying Dominic.’

‘So it is,’ the other woman tutted at her stupidity. ‘Still, that’s no reason why you shouldn’t come with them. I have a son who would be just right for you,’ she added conspiratorially.

Sara opened the balcony doors for them to go back inside, laughing at Martha’s matchmaking. ‘Maybe,’ she grinned. ‘But would I be right for him?’

‘For who?’ Dominic asked sharply as they entered the lounge.

‘For my son,’ Martha told him as she sat down. ‘I’ve been trying to persuade Sara to come and visit us and meet my son John,’ she explained lightly.

Sara held her breath at Dominic’s darkening expression. ‘I doubt I’ll have the time,’ she put in hastily. ‘Although I thank you for the offer,’ she smiled at the other couple.

Jim looked at his watch. ‘Time we were going, Mother.’ He stood up, holding out his hand to a now standing Dominic. ‘We’ve had a grand time, lad. I’ll be in touch with you about that contract.’

Sara stood beside Dominic as they made their goodbyes, smiling to herself as she turned back into his apartment.

Dominic followed her, scowling heavily. ‘What’s so funny?’

She was laughing openly now. ‘I just wondered how long it is since you were called ‘‘lad”.’

He returned her smile ruefully. ‘At thirty-five I’m a little old for that, hmm?’

She sat down, curling her legs up beneath her on the sofa. ‘Not to a man of fifty-five,’ she grinned.

Dominic joined her on the sofa, his long legs stretched out in front of him. ‘We got the contract, by the way.’

‘I gathered.’

‘What was that about the Jarvises’ son?’

‘Just a mother’s usual interest in her son’s love-life,’ she dismissed. ‘No threat to you, Dominic, I can assure you.’

His eyes were deeply blue as he looked at her. ‘What does that mean, Sara?’ he asked softly.

She drew a ragged breath. ‘What do you think it means?’

He swallowed hard, a pulse beating rapidly at his jawline, his hands clenched into fists. ‘I—I’m afraid to think,’ he groaned.

‘Try,’ she encouraged throatily.

‘God, I love you!’ he burst out, straining her to him.

Sara froze. ‘Wh—what did you say?’ she gulped, not believing her own hearing, wanting to be sure she wasn’t hallucinating—could you get high on one glass of wine?

‘I love you,’ his lips were at her earlobe, nibbling along the sensitive cord in her throat. ‘God, how I love you!’ He claimed her lips in a fiery kiss.

Love—Dominic loved her! She kissed him back with all the love there was inside her, losing herself in the sensation of loving and being loved in return. Her mouth opened to his, their lips moving over each other’s as if starved.

‘Tell me,’ he groaned feverishly. ‘Tell me you love me!’

How could she deny the truth? ‘I love you,’ she breathed against his mouth. ‘I love you very much.’

‘Then that’s all that matters, all that can matter.’ He stood up to gather her in his arms and stride through to his bedroom. ‘I want you, Sara,’ he told her deeply.

Her head rested on his shoulder. ‘Yes.’

‘Yes—what? He seemed almost afraid to breathe.

‘Thank you?’ she quirked one eyebrow, trembling.

The tension between them didn’t lessen at her levity, more it seemed to deepen, as Dominic gently laid her down on the bed to look down at her almost reverently. ‘What do you want, Sara?’ The pulse at his jaw was beating even more rapidly as he waited for her answer.

‘You,’ she told him simply.

He closed his eyes, shuddering as he fought for control. ‘Are you sure?’ he asked almost inaudibly.

She raised her hand to smooth the hair at his temple, saddened at the extra grey hair she found there. ‘I’m very sure, Dominic.’ She met his gaze unflinchingly.