[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
A fierce tremor went through him. Suddenly he clutched her in an embrace that hurt, until her ribs ached
from the pressure.
His hands slid over her body in a frantic search, while his breath shuddered in her ear. "You said you'd
never leave me." He
held her as if he feared she would be ripped away from him.
"I'm here now," she soothed. "I'm right here."
"Oh, God ... Sara ... I couldn't find you ..."
She brushed her palms over his cold, wet cheeks. He was off-balance, his considerable weight swaying
against her. "Have
you been drinking?" she murmured, pulling back to look at him. He shook his head, staring at her if she
were a ghost. She wondered how to take away the shattered look in his eyes. "Lef s find a place to sit
down." As she stepped away toward
the marble stairs, his arms tightened. "Derek," she urged. He went with her like a sleepwalker. They
settled on a step and
he hunched over her tightly, his arms fast around her.
"I love you," he told her, wiping impatiently at the tears that kept trickling down his face. "I couldn't say it
before. I couldn't "
He clenched his trembling jaw, trying to control the hot flow of tears. It only made them worse. Giving
up, he buried his face
in her hair. "Bloody hell," he muttered.
Sara had never seen him so undone, had never imagined it possible. Stroking his dark head, she
whispered meaningless words, trying to give comfort.
"I love you," he repeated hoarsely, burg against her. "I would have given my life to have one more day
with you, and tell
you that."
Watching the reunion from across the street, Alex sighed with tremendous relief. "Thank God, he
muttered, and went to his carriage. He couldn't wait to tell Lily the good news. In fact, he might decide
never to let Lily out of his sight again. He rubbed
his tired eyes and spoke to the coachman. "Well, Craven's got his second chance. As for me ... I'm going
home to my wife
now. Step lively about it."
"It's like that, is it, m'lord?" the coachman asked cheekily, and Alex gave him a wry grin.
"Let's go."
* * *
Murmuring quietly, Sara kissed her rumpled hair and his neck. He held her for a long time while the
shaking in his limbs
gradually subsided.
"Is Worthy all right?" Sara asked. "Was anyone hurt?"
"They're all fine."
"Derek, we'll build another club. We'll do it all again, I promise "
"No." He said it with such vehemence that she was quiet for a few minutes, continuing to stroke his hair.
He lifted his head
and looked at her with bloodshot eyes. "It'll never be what it was.I'd rather remember the place as it was
than build an
imitation. I ... I want something different :now."
"What is that?" she asked, her brow wreathed in tender concern.
"I don't know yet." Derek gave a short laugh and hauled her close again. "Don't ask a man questions ...
when he's had the
scare of his life." Uncaring of anyone who might see them, he cupped his hands around her head and
kissed her. Her mouth
was bruised from his desperate, punishing ardor. Sara winced and murmured softly, trying to gentle him.
She wasn't aware
of the exact moment when he returned to himself, but suddenly his skin was warm and his mouth was
once again familiar
as it moved tenderly over hers.
After a while Derek ended the kiss and laid his cheek against hers, breathing deeply. His fingers traced
the moist curve of
her face, the fragile juncture between ear and jaw. "When they said you were dead ..." He paused while
a tremor took hold
of him and forced himself to go on. "I thought I was being punished for my past. I knew I wasn't meant to
have you, but I
couldn't stop myself. In my whole life you were what I wanted most. All along I've been afraid you'd be
taken from me."
Sara didn't move or make a sound, but she was amazed. For him to admit he'd been afraid ... She would
have thought no
power on earth or beyond could have elicited such a confession.
"And because of that I tried to protect myself," he continued raspily. "I didn't want to give you the one
last part of myself
that I couldn't take back. And then you were gone ... and I realized it was already yours. It had been
since the very
beginning. Except that I hadn't told you. It drove me mad, the thought that you would never know."
"But I'm not gone. I'm here, and we still have a life together."
He kissed her cheek, his stubble scratching her tender skin. "I still couldn't bear to lose you." Suddenly
there was a smile in
his voice. "But I won't let the thought of it keep me from loving you with everything I have .. . heart, and
body ... and
whatever else I can find to throw into the offer."
Sara laughed. "Do you actually think you could get rid of me? I'm afraid I'm a permanent part of your life,
Mr. Craven ... no matter how many ex-mistresses you send after me."
He didn't share her amusement. "Tell me what happened."
She gave him her account of all that had transpired, while Derek grew increasingly tense. His face turned
ruddy with anger, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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A fierce tremor went through him. Suddenly he clutched her in an embrace that hurt, until her ribs ached
from the pressure.
His hands slid over her body in a frantic search, while his breath shuddered in her ear. "You said you'd
never leave me." He
held her as if he feared she would be ripped away from him.
"I'm here now," she soothed. "I'm right here."
"Oh, God ... Sara ... I couldn't find you ..."
She brushed her palms over his cold, wet cheeks. He was off-balance, his considerable weight swaying
against her. "Have
you been drinking?" she murmured, pulling back to look at him. He shook his head, staring at her if she
were a ghost. She wondered how to take away the shattered look in his eyes. "Lef s find a place to sit
down." As she stepped away toward
the marble stairs, his arms tightened. "Derek," she urged. He went with her like a sleepwalker. They
settled on a step and
he hunched over her tightly, his arms fast around her.
"I love you," he told her, wiping impatiently at the tears that kept trickling down his face. "I couldn't say it
before. I couldn't "
He clenched his trembling jaw, trying to control the hot flow of tears. It only made them worse. Giving
up, he buried his face
in her hair. "Bloody hell," he muttered.
Sara had never seen him so undone, had never imagined it possible. Stroking his dark head, she
whispered meaningless words, trying to give comfort.
"I love you," he repeated hoarsely, burg against her. "I would have given my life to have one more day
with you, and tell
you that."
Watching the reunion from across the street, Alex sighed with tremendous relief. "Thank God, he
muttered, and went to his carriage. He couldn't wait to tell Lily the good news. In fact, he might decide
never to let Lily out of his sight again. He rubbed
his tired eyes and spoke to the coachman. "Well, Craven's got his second chance. As for me ... I'm going
home to my wife
now. Step lively about it."
"It's like that, is it, m'lord?" the coachman asked cheekily, and Alex gave him a wry grin.
"Let's go."
* * *
Murmuring quietly, Sara kissed her rumpled hair and his neck. He held her for a long time while the
shaking in his limbs
gradually subsided.
"Is Worthy all right?" Sara asked. "Was anyone hurt?"
"They're all fine."
"Derek, we'll build another club. We'll do it all again, I promise "
"No." He said it with such vehemence that she was quiet for a few minutes, continuing to stroke his hair.
He lifted his head
and looked at her with bloodshot eyes. "It'll never be what it was.I'd rather remember the place as it was
than build an
imitation. I ... I want something different :now."
"What is that?" she asked, her brow wreathed in tender concern.
"I don't know yet." Derek gave a short laugh and hauled her close again. "Don't ask a man questions ...
when he's had the
scare of his life." Uncaring of anyone who might see them, he cupped his hands around her head and
kissed her. Her mouth
was bruised from his desperate, punishing ardor. Sara winced and murmured softly, trying to gentle him.
She wasn't aware
of the exact moment when he returned to himself, but suddenly his skin was warm and his mouth was
once again familiar
as it moved tenderly over hers.
After a while Derek ended the kiss and laid his cheek against hers, breathing deeply. His fingers traced
the moist curve of
her face, the fragile juncture between ear and jaw. "When they said you were dead ..." He paused while
a tremor took hold
of him and forced himself to go on. "I thought I was being punished for my past. I knew I wasn't meant to
have you, but I
couldn't stop myself. In my whole life you were what I wanted most. All along I've been afraid you'd be
taken from me."
Sara didn't move or make a sound, but she was amazed. For him to admit he'd been afraid ... She would
have thought no
power on earth or beyond could have elicited such a confession.
"And because of that I tried to protect myself," he continued raspily. "I didn't want to give you the one
last part of myself
that I couldn't take back. And then you were gone ... and I realized it was already yours. It had been
since the very
beginning. Except that I hadn't told you. It drove me mad, the thought that you would never know."
"But I'm not gone. I'm here, and we still have a life together."
He kissed her cheek, his stubble scratching her tender skin. "I still couldn't bear to lose you." Suddenly
there was a smile in
his voice. "But I won't let the thought of it keep me from loving you with everything I have .. . heart, and
body ... and
whatever else I can find to throw into the offer."
Sara laughed. "Do you actually think you could get rid of me? I'm afraid I'm a permanent part of your life,
Mr. Craven ... no matter how many ex-mistresses you send after me."
He didn't share her amusement. "Tell me what happened."
She gave him her account of all that had transpired, while Derek grew increasingly tense. His face turned
ruddy with anger, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]