As Luke turned those amazing eyes to hers she stepped away and paced to the fridge and back, wringing her hands. ‘Look, Luke, you say you love me now, but I don’t know if you are going to change your mind again. I don’t know if I can run that risk. I don’t know if my...’ She stuttered to a stop and then forced the words out. ‘If my heart can stand it.’
Luke looked at her, his face expressionless. Then, taking her hand, he yanked her towards the lounge and made her stand in front of the wrapped painting. He looked at her, a small smile on his face. ‘Somehow I knew that I would need a grand gesture.’
Jess was utterly bemused as Luke went to stand at the side of the package. Bunching the paper at the corner edge with his fist, he looked at Jess, his heart in his eyes. ‘This is my most prized possession—possibly the only material thing I’d try to rescue from a fire. And you fell in love with it a couple of weeks ago.’
Luke ripped the paper and revealed the enormous painting that graced the large space above his bed at St Sylve. The mountains jumped out at her and the mist glistened. Jess wanted to climb into the painting with Luke and make love between the vines.
Ignoring her galloping heart, she forced a shrug. ‘I don’t understand.’
Luke patted the frame. ‘This is, apart from you, my greatest treasure. If there was one thing I’d risk my life to save it would be this. I just want to know if I can share it with you.’
‘But why? Are you giving it to me? You can’t give it to me!’ Jess squeaked. ‘It’s one of only two paintings you have of your mother’s.’
Luke half smiled. ‘I can, because the same thing that calls to me in this painting calls to me in you. Your strength, your generosity, your utter courage and your bloody stubbornness. And because I love you. You’ve got to know how much I love you.’
Jess couldn’t help her knees buckling. She sat down on the edge of the couch and stared up at Luke, absolutely baffled. She felt Luke’s arm around her shoulder and instinctively dropped her face into his neck, winding her arms around his head in case he disappeared as quickly as he’d appeared.
Luke ran his hand over her hair. ‘Sweetheart, are you crying? Because if you are Nick will beat me to a pulp. Not that I don’t deserve it, but I’d rather avoid it if I can.’
Jess lifted her head and her eyes were clear, bright and happy. She hiccupped a laugh. ‘Do you mean it?’
‘Which part? The loving you or the Nick beating me to a pulp?’ Luke teased.
Jess slapped his chest and placed her thumb between her teeth. ‘Luke?’
Luke kissed her hair. ‘I love you, Jess, with everything in me. I think I probably fell in love with you eight years ago and never really stopped. I’m sorry I hurt you. Let me share your life, Jess. In Sandton, if you want to stay here, or at St Sylve.’
Biting her bottom lip, Jess stared at the painting and back at Luke, who suddenly didn’t look as confident as he usually did. Maybe she hadn’t loved and lost as she’d first thought.
Forcing her bubbling laughter away, Jess pursed her lips. ‘My decision rests on a couple of assurances from you.’
‘As much wine as you can drink, I’ll replace any thong I rip with two more, and my house and land and my heart are in your hands.’
‘Shut up,’ Jess ordered, her mouth twitching. ‘I want a child. Or two. Maybe three.’
‘Sold,’ Luke responded quickly, joy flooding his face. ‘What else?’
‘I want to go home—back to St Sylve—and I want the painting to go back into our bedroom. And I want you to marry me. So if you don’t think that might happen some time in the future maybe you should walk away now.’
Taking her chin, he lifted her face to look up into his. ‘I was made to love you, to look after you, to protect you, to make beautiful, beautiful babies with you. Will you marry me?’
Jess’s mouth fell open. ‘You’re proposing? Right now?’
‘That’s what “will you marry me?” means. Feel free to say yes any time.’
His eyes held an element of doubt and she reached up to touch his jaw with her fingertips. ‘I’ll marry you because my sun rises with you, because I want to carry your beautiful, beautiful babies, because I want to tell you every day that nobody will ever love you as much I do and will.’
Luke rested his forehead against hers. ‘Oh, Jess, you take my breath away. I don’t have a ring for you yet. I was focused on getting you back and hadn’t dared hope that you might consider marrying me. Maybe we could have one designed?’