His smile was both tender and a touch distressed. ‘You really do want to believe the best in people, don’t you?’
‘But isn’t it possible? Don’t you look at Luke and know that you would sacrifice whatever you thought was necessary to give him the best possible chances?’
Javier looked thoughtful. ‘Perhaps you’re right. I’d like to think you’re right. But I can never know for sure that’s what my father was thinking, Emmy.’
She nodded sadly. ‘Then know this—I love you. And I will never leave you.’
His kiss was so passionate it was almost violent but she melted into it, marvelling as she felt him shuddering with need and emotion.
‘Shower,’ he choked.
She held his hand and led him into the large bathroom suite. Javier swiftly flicked various levers in the massive shower space and, once satisfied with the temperature blasting from the several heads, he turned and led her under the warm streams of water. They leaned together beneath the fall. It was heavenly—as if all their old hurts were washing away. He lathered soap and rubbed her down and kissed her sweetly until it wasn’t just her skin that felt radiant and fresh and happy, it was her soul.
‘I was wrong when I said I didn’t care about what your family did. I care about the effect they had on you. How they made you feel. I’m sorry I didn’t listen well enough before.’ He held her tightly in his arms. ‘You know, if you ever want to go back and face them or challenge them or anything—even if you just want to return there for a while—I’ll go with you. I’ll always go with you—wherever you want or need to go. I’ll be there too.’
‘Right now I just want to be with you.’ She shook. ‘I need you.’
‘I need you too,’ he muttered. ‘I spent every second of these last few days wondering—what you’re thinking, whether you were still here, whether you missed me as much as I did you. Wishing you were right beside me so I could share something that just happened with Luke...missing this.’ He caressed her curves the way he knew made her tremble. But he didn’t stop talking, didn’t let the desire take over before he’d said what he needed to say. ‘I see now I didn’t want to let anyone get close. But Luke has my heart in his little fist and I’m a hostage to fortune where he’s concerned. But I’ll always be there for him.’ He held her hips and breathed right against her mouth. ‘But you have a power to hurt me like no one ever has. You annihilate me, Emerald.’
‘I wouldn’t ever want to hurt you.’
‘I know. Because I feel the same about you. I hurt you and it’s the worst. Trust me, Emerald. I won’t make that mistake again.’
Finally, finally she was beginning to believe it.
He must’ve read it in her eyes because he suddenly smiled—a light lifting his expression and making him more rakishly gorgeous than ever. ‘You know, you had me from that very first night.’
She chuckled. ‘I know I had a particular part of your attention.’
He framed the side of her face with his palm. ‘You had all of it, it’s just that neither of us was willing to recognise or accept it at the time.’ He drew in a breath and leaned closer. ‘But why do you think I went back to the island?’
‘For the same reason you went there in the first place. The same reason as anyone—to explore paradise.’
He shook his head. ‘Why do you think I invested in that particular property? Why that hotel?’
‘Because you wanted to refurbish it—you like building beautiful things in beautiful places.’
‘Why else?’
‘Because it’s in a place that’s part of your heritage. And you wanted to feel connected to the land?’
‘That answer is the one I’ve given to others as the most personal I could bear to utter before now. But why most of all?’
She didn’t speak; there was another lump in her throat making it impossible to.
‘You didn’t think that it was because I had the best night of my life there and I wanted to remember it? Because I wanted to make the property as beautiful as my memory of it was? Because it was the one thing from that night that I could capture? Because I’d lost you.’ He shuddered in her arms. ‘But it brought you back to me. You take photographs...but that place was my aide-memoire for you.’ He gazed down at her. ‘This is my home.’ He put his hand over her heart. ‘Right here. Wherever you are. With you and with Luke.’
‘He’s our treasure.’
‘Sure is.’ He breathed against her skin, his lips gifting little kisses as he told her his truth again. ‘And the beautiful dragon wasn’t protecting the treasure, she is the treasure. You’ve given me the greatest joy in my life and I know that there’s more to be had with you. I don’t want to miss out on you, preciosa. You’re the magic in my life.’
When he let go and dropped his defences, he really dropped them. And Emerald flew right into his embrace—right into his heart. She poured her soul into his kiss until he staggered and spun her back to the wall so he could brace them both.
‘I got hung up on things lasting—not lasting,’ he panted. ‘Forgetting that anything can happen at any time. And you were right, it was an excuse to be lazy. To avoid commitment. There’s only the now—the snap of this moment,’ he growled and thrust hard, claiming her again completely. ‘And I don’t want to have just this one. But all the moments I’m given, I want to share every one of them with you.’
Emmy fell dee
per into the well of his warmth. Shivers of delight—of certainty—wracked her body as she realised the absolute pleasure of loving and of being loved was finally theirs together. It was the sweetest relief ever. She’d never imagined life could be so very wonderful. But it was—and it would be, for every moment to come.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Three years later
EMMY HOISTED THE strap more firmly over her shoulder and walked down the corridor to the pool deck, pausing the second the occupants of the shaded sofa came into view. Her bones melted and she only just scraped enough energy to stealthily fish the camera from her bag to snap the moment.
Javier Torres and his mini-me, Luke, were sprawled across the soft navy cushions. Both wore swim shorts, their tanned, slightly sandy limbs akimbo, their dark lashes long, their breathing deep. The two of them were breathtakingly gorgeous in their own ways and causing serious damage to the regularity of Emmy’s heart. But she had time to take only the one picture before Javier stirred, somehow sensing he and Luke were no longer alone.
‘Hey.’ She lowered the lens and smiled at him.
The light that ignited in his eyes swelled her already full heart to bursting.
‘You’re back already?’ he whispered and carefully sat up so as not to disturb their sleeping son. ‘Did I sleep through the helicopter?’
Emmy nodded. ‘Shows how tired you are when you can sleep through that racket.’
‘Hell, yes.’ Javier stretched his back and gestured for her to lie with them. ‘It’s been busy. We swam for hours this morning.’
Luke had just turned four and he was a little sponge, soaking up the experiences they were so lucky to be able to give him.
‘Mamá?’ Luke stirred and blinked. ‘I saw a land iguana. There aren’t as many of those as the marine ones.’ He earnestly told her the most important things the second he realised she was there. ‘And there were lots of sea lions.’
‘Were there?’ She hugged him. ‘That’s wonderful.’