Flora's Defiance

’Por Dios … very much,’ Angelo asserted in a low-pitched growl of confirmation that sent a shimmy of desire dancing down her taut spinal cord.

Her eyes had opened to their fullest extent. ‘But you haven’t even kissed me—’

‘You asked me to treat you like a housemate,’ he groaned.

‘You were supposed to argue with me when I said that but you didn’t, so I assumed it didn’t matter to you.’

‘Of course it mattered. I’m not a block of wood!’ Angelo exclaimed feelingly, releasing her fingers to cup her cheekbones and then lift his hands to run his fingers lightly through the fall of her hair. ‘Have you any idea how hard it’s been for me not to touch you?’

‘No …’

And then he kissed her and the amount of pent-up passion and longing he contrived to put into that single kiss almost blew Flora away. Reeling from the effect of it, she leant up against his lean, powerfully aroused body and smiled secretly against his shoulder. Now she believed him. Now she knew that she had been blind and it was one of those rare occasions when she was happy to have been proved wrong.

‘Even sharing the same bed with you would be an incredible thrill,’ Angelo confessed raggedly. ‘Nothing else is possible right now but that doesn’t matter.’

‘I thought “amazingly good sex” was my main attraction?’

‘I’ve gone way beyond anything that basic. If I had realised that I was your first lover, I would have been a lot more diplomatic. Unfortunately I was trying too hard to be cool,’ Angelo confessed with an almost shamefaced expression, pressing her in the direction of the house. ‘Are we getting married?’

‘Give me one good reason why,’ she urged, her lips still tingling from that passionate kiss. She was very much open to persuasion.

‘I love you. I love you so much that I can’t imagine my life without you,’ Angelo informed her as naturally as if he had already told her that every day for a year.

Flora turned shaken eyes on him. ‘You told me that you don’t do romance or commitment.’

‘Well, I should have added the proviso … at least not until the right woman comes along,’ Angelo incised silkily, closing an arm round her narrow spine. ‘And you are, without a doubt, my perfect match. I’m a strong personality but so are you. I don’t intimidate you.’

‘You do annoy me though,’ she muttered helplessly while trying to come to terms with the heady idea that he might love her.

‘We bring out the best and the worst in each other. We’re both stubborn, proud, impatient …’

Flora touched the arm he had curved round her. ‘Get back to the love bit!’

‘Equally bossy and we both like our own way.’ Angelo slung her a wolfish smile. ‘When are you going to answer me? I’m offering you everything you said you wanted.’

Flora came over all shy. ‘I’m thinking it over.’

Angelo dug into his pocket and produced a small jewellery box, which he flipped open. ‘Engagement ring.’

‘Wow!’ Flora exclaimed, watching the sunlight ignite a river of fire in the emerald and diamond cluster. ‘I love it!’

He came to a halt in the hall and lifted her hand.

‘It won’t fit!’ she wailed. ‘My fingers are swollen!’

With an air of solemnity, Angelo discovered that for himself and slid it onto her little finger instead. ‘I’d like to get married in the local church where my parents took their vows.’

‘When?’ Flora stretched up and pressed a kiss against the corner of his mouth before falling back from him again, prevented from staying close by the size of her stomach.

‘As soon as possible.’ His sapphire-blue eyes stared down into hers with flagrant anticipation. ‘I love you … I can’t wait to marry you.’

‘But I’m … huge!’ she lamented.

‘And supposed to be lying down and resting,’ he reminded her in a tone of suppressed urgency, angling her in the direction of the stairs.

Still in shock from having all her dreams come true at one and the same time, Flora allowed him to help her onto the bed and slip off her shoes. She admired her gorgeous ring. She admired Angelo and she smiled sunnily up at him. ‘I love you too,’ she said belatedly. ‘I’ve been madly in love with you for months.’

‘A fine way you have of showing it, querida mia!’ Angelo teased, folding down on the bed behind her and easing her into the possessive circle of his arms. ‘I was terrified you were going to move out as soon as the babies were born.’