believing she would intuit everything. Grimacing, he silently made a vow that he would never let fear and doubt stop him from confessing his true feelings to this woman ever again.
He touched his palm to her cheek and held it there, loving the sensation of her warm satin skin. ‘I want you to live with me because I’m crazy about you … crazy to the point of feeling like you’ve put me under some kind of spell. Even when I’m supposed to be working I can’t stop thinking about you. What I’m trying to tell you is that I love you, Layla. I love you more than I ever dreamed it was possible to love anyone, and I don’t want to blow my one chance at real happiness by letting you go. If you can’t live in London, and I can’t live here, then we’re just going to have to come up with some mutually agreeable compromise.’
Her beautiful dark eyes danced teasingly. ‘What makes you think I’d never consider living in London with you?’
Frowning, Drake rested his hands either side of her svelte hips and couldn’t resist the compelling urge to bring her closer into his body. ‘That low-life of a boss of yours must have hurt you badly with what he did. I perfectly understand why the memory of such a painful experience might put you off the idea of living there. I also understand why it means a lot to you to live here. For one thing, apart from the happy memories of your childhood, your brother’s here. Not only that, you’ve got a job working for him. I doubt that you’d agree to resign to come and live with me, would you?’
‘You seem to think you know a lot about what I want and don’t want, don’t you? Will you give me the chance to tell you what I want myself?’
‘Of course.’
Emitting a soft breath, Layla smiled. ‘First of all, I love you too, Drake … I didn’t know it at the time, but maybe it happened when your incredible grey eyes looked back into mine that very first time? I never dreamt I’d fall for someone so hard and so fast, and at first it scared me. It scared me a lot. But the truth is I’d live anywhere you wanted me to just so long as I could be with you. And as for Marc—I’m sure I can persuade him to rent out my flat to help him make some extra money to pay off his debts, and also to give the café some much needed redecoration.’
‘What about your job there?’
‘I was thinking I’d keep it until the town project comes to an end. I don’t mean I’ll stay living here, if you want me to move in with you sooner, but when the regeneration is complete I’ll get a job somewhere local to wherever we’re living.’ Pausing, she reached up to gently push some hair back from his forehead. ‘There’s one more thing I want to tell you. When I lost my life savings I didn’t really lose anything of value … at least not in the sense of true value. Even though I was upset and demoralised by it at the time, after I moved back here I started to realise I should be grateful for what I had … not mourn what I’d lost. And for me it’s always been the people I love that I value the most.’
Capturing her hand, Drake brought it up to his lips and planted a warm lingering kiss in the centre of her palm. ‘You are one incredible woman—you know that?’
‘No, I’m not. It’s you who’s incredible. To come back here and help bring hope and new life to the community by improving the town after your sad experiences growing up here … well, it’s beyond brave in my book. Why did you decide to take the commission, by the way? You’ve never told me.’
He thought hard for a moment, wanting to be absolutely truthful. ‘I suppose subconsciously I was looking to reinvent my relationship with the place … to bury my regrets and turn my memories into much more positive ones. When I was first contacted about working on the regeneration my instinct was not to touch it with a bargepole. But I forced myself to think more deeply about it, and in the end I decided to take it on for the very reasons I just explained. Seeing as that decision brought me to you, Layla, I’m guaranteed the good memories I always secretly craved. I never thought for one moment that I’d find the most beautiful girl in the world living here, and that I’d instantly fall in love with her, but I did … I did. It really is a dream come true.’
‘I’m just ordinary, Drake … hardly the most beautiful girl in the world.’
‘Sweetheart, you’re going to have to learn to take compliments if you’re going to be with me, because I plan to shower you with them every day throughout our long and happy marriage.’ He smiled.
This astounding announcement put Layla’s mind into a dizzying spin and made her heart clamour wildly. ‘You want to marry me?’ she asked incredulously.
‘Just as soon as it can be arranged—and I won’t be slow to pull a few favours from the official powers-that-be to help me achieve that, I promise you.’
‘There’s one more thing I’d like to ask you.’
‘What’s that?’
This time when he responded to the notion of her asking what might be another personal question he didn’t look remotely wary or defensive, Layla noticed. Instead his glance was infinitely warm and understanding.
‘Not jumping the gun or anything … but would you really consider us having children?’
‘Would you believe me if I told you that when I realised I might have made you pregnant I honestly considered asking you to go ahead and have the child if there was one? When you told me you’d taken that emergency contraceptive I felt like I’d been robbed of an incredible opportunity that I’d never even realised was important to me.’
Feeling her heart melt, Layla couldn’t disguise the wondrous happiness she felt at his words. ‘I’d love to have your baby—you know that? Because I know you’ll be the most incredibly loving and inspirational father. In which case I’m guessing I should definitely say yes to your proposal, shouldn’t I?’
She didn’t have a chance to say anything else right then, because Drake lowered his head to hers and kissed her with a hunger that wouldn’t be sated until they both capitulated to the desperate need to be even closer—a desperately wild and passionate need that would always be a feature of their marriage until they were old, Layla guessed happily …
Cathy Williams
CATHY WILLIAMS can remember reading Mills & Boon Modern Romance books as a teenager, and now that she is writing them she remains an avid fan. For her, there is nothing like creating romantic stories and engaging plots, and each and every book is a new adventure. Cathy lives in London, and her three daughters—Charlotte, Olivia and Emma—have always been, and continue to be, the greatest inspirations in her life.
To my three daughters,Charlotte, Olivia and Emma,and their continuing supportin all my endeavours…
SO IT WAS bad news. The worst possible. Damien swivelled his leather chair so that it was facing the magnificent floor-to-ceiling panes of glass that afforded his office suite such spectacular views of London’s skyline.
The truism that money couldn’t buy everything had come home to roost. His mother had been given the swift and unforgiving diagnosis of cancer and there was nothing a single penny of his bottomless billions could do to alter that bald fact.
He wasn’t a man who ever dealt in if onlys. Regret was a wasted emotion. It solved nothing and his motto had always been that for every problem there was a solution. Upwards and onwards was what got a person through life.
However, now, a series of what ifs slammed into him with the deadly precision of a heat-guided missile. His mother’s health had not been good for over a year and he had taken her word for it when she had vaguely told him that