Claiming His Wife

And she didn't want him to see her in this state; overemotional, her face red and puffy from crying, her hair a mess, the linen jacket and trousers crum­pled, spotted with the coffee stains that had resulted from her tussle with the recalcitrant top of the flask Roy had filled for her.

'You stole my happiness,' he told her softly. 'My pride in my heritage—just about everything that made life worthwhile.' He took her hands in his, lift­ing them to his lips, his kisses as light as butterfly wings on her knuckles. 'And now you have brought it back.' He raised his head, his features solemn.

'And you are right again. I needed an heir. But that was not the reason I married you. I felt this great affection for you, my Cass. I had this huge urge to protect you and care for you. This I had never felt for any other woman. I knew—well, I hoped—that you had a fondness for me, too.

'But sexually, you didn't want to know. It used to tear me apart because at that time I didn't understand it. So I used to absent myself for long periods of time. It was only when you went away that first time that I realised how much I loved you—despite the way our marriage had turned out.'

'My fault!' she blurted miserably, hating her younger self. She'd been such a timid fool back then. But was she just as big an idiot now, going out of her mind, hearing things she so desperately wanted to hear? Or did he really, truly mean he had once loved her?

'No!' he countered vehemently. 'Mine entirely. But we're not going to argue about it. All that's over, it is—what do you say in your country?—water un­der the bridge. What matters now is what we make of our future.'

Cassie bit down on her wobbly lower lip, then asked bluntly, because she just had to know. 'You do want me, as well as the baby? You do believe I have never made love with any other man?'

'Cass—' He drew in a long breath. 'I believe you implicitly.' His eyes softened. They suddenly looked suspiciously moist. 'You were willing to make the biggest sacrifice a woman can make, for my sake,' he said emotionally. 'That told me how much you love me; it made my unworthy suspicions ridiculous. The depth of your love humbles me, querida.'

He stood up, his mood changing abruptly. 'You are exhausted, my Cass. I am going to take very great care of you. That is my first duty. Tomorrow, I will make an immediate appointment for you to see an obstetrician—one of the best. I will, of course, ac­company you. I will be with you every step of the way through this pregnancy. But now I will run a bath, and while you relax in warm water I will make you hot milk. And you will eat?'

His dark brows furrowed. 'In your mad dash around the countryside I don't suppose you thought of food,' he accused, planting his feet apart. 'You must take better care of yourself, and if you won't do it, then I must,' he-stated firmly. 'Teresa and Manuel don't return until tomorrow—a family birth­day celebration. She left me things that are probably too spicy for your condition. You will like a good plain omelette—'

'Stop!' Cassie wriggled round onto her knees, her eyes wet with emotional tears, her mouth curving in a tender smile. Roman had never looked or sounded so utterly Spanish as he did at this moment. And so determined to get things right.

'Pamper me if you must—I'm not complaining! But eating's low on my list of priorities at the mo­ment.' She held out her hands to him. 'Forget your duty, just for a minute, and come and talk to me. Tell me, did you mean it—about realising you really did love me when—?'

'When you left me. I was utterly shattered. I couldn't believe how empty I felt.' He sucked in his lower lip, and it was the first time she had seen him appear indecisive. 'You are sure you are up to more talk?'

He capitulated gladly at her bright-eyed nod and moved back towards her, his own eyes soft as he took her outstretched hands in his. 'My instinct was to drag you back, so that we could sit down together, somewhere away from my family, and try to find out what had turned our marriage into a disaster zone.'

Sitting on the side of the bed, he held her hands against his chest. 'But the sensible side of me said that would be wrong. From what I knew of your past, and my misguided handling of you during our mar­riage, all your life you'd been told what to do, pushed into being what other people wanted you to be. You needed time to get to know yourself.'

He smiled gently into her bright, tear-spangled eyes. 'I kept a watching brief—and one day I'll tell you how I did this—and told myself to be patient for one year. Then I would come for you, and bring you flowers and perfume and jewels. And my love. And woo my bride back to me.'

'But I came to you first,' she murmured thought­fully.

If Roy hadn't stolen that money, she wouldn't have gone to Roman; he would have come to her. To woo her back to him. She wouldn't have been able to resist him, she knew she wouldn't, because he had always been all she had ever wanted. So much misery would have been avoided.

'That was when the sensible part of me went on holiday.' He leant over and kissed the end of her nose. 'I'd expected to see a change in you, but the extent of it took me by surprise. You'd regained all that lost weight, lost the haunted look that used to worry me so much—you had poise, confidence. You did not look like a woman who would be easily wooed—not unless you wanted to be, and I was sure at that stage that you did not. So I got this crazy idea of using blackmail and later deeply regretted it. It was so unworthy.'

Cassie wriggled forward, snuggling into his side. She was home; she and her baby were loved and wanted. 'Which was why,' she said, smothering a yawn, 'you were so stiff and proper when you told me I was free to go. I thought—'

'I know what you thought,' he said gravely. 'But you couldn't have been further from the truth. I had to give you the choice—no pressure. I wanted, with all my heart, to hear you say you wanted to stay with me. And now I know you will.'

'Always,' she responded sleepily, her bright head drooping into the hollow of his shoulder. 'Tell me you love me.'

'I love you.' She heard the smile in his voice. 'So much so, I knew I had to go far away from memories if I wanted to stay sane,' he murmured against her hair. 'Now all that is over—and for you,' he went on briskly, 'bath, bed and food.'

He lifted her effortlessly and she looped her arms around his neck. 'No food. It's very late and I'm too sleepy to eat.' The truth was, she didn't want to let him out of her sig

ht. If she did, she would begin to think this was all a dream.

She gave an enormous yawn to prove her point and he shot her a frowning look of concern as he flicked on the light in the en suite and slid her down the length of his body, steadying her with one hand, turning on the taps to fill the bath with the other.

The water gushing, steam misting the marble walls, he slid her crumpled jacket from her shoulders, revealing the pretty lace bra that barely constrained her full, creamy breasts. She heard the rough, urgent tug of his breath and smiled softly as she suggested huskily, 'Why don't you join me?'

'Believe me—' he ran a finger slowly down the inviting indentation of her cleavage '—there is noth­ing in the world I would enjoy more.' There were pinpoints of searing light in the smoky depths of his eyes and a wry smile tugged at the corners of his long, sensual mouth as he added dryly, 'But it would be a very bad idea. You need to rest. One thing would lead to another and neither of us would get any sleep at all, you understand me?'

Only too well, she thought, already swaying on her feet as he turned off the taps and tested the water. But it would have been heavenly...

Cassie stirred lazily beneath the soft covers. It was dawn. A new day. A new beginning. A contented smile curved her soft lips.