stopped dead when a figure hove into view.
He was astride his great black horse, a dark silhouette against the setting sun. But as he approached his features became visible; his face was as hard as if it had been carved from granite, the scar running down his cheek half hidden by his long dark hair. From the proud set of his shoulders and the arrogant angle of his head he might have been a king from ancient times, powerful, inscrutable and as uncompromising as the mountains behind him.
He halted on the path a little way ahead of Beth, and even from a distance she could see the fierce tension that gripped him.
‘You came back.’
The words sounded as though they had been torn from his soul. For a few moments he regarded her silently, before he dismounted and strode towards her.
Beth watched him—the master of the Castello del Falco, the only man she would ever love. She had planned to remain calm and discuss their relationship sensibly. But as Cesario came closer and she saw the haunted expression in his eyes her composure cracked, and with an agonised cry she flew along the path and into his arms.
‘Dio, if you ever leave me again.’ Cesario’s voice broke as he crushed her against his great chest and threaded his fingers in her hair.
His eyes blazed with an expression she was afraid to define. How had she ever thought them cold? she wondered. But then all her thoughts were obliterated when he claimed her mouth with savage possession and kissed her endlessly, passionately, and yet with such exquisite tenderness that tears slid down her face.
‘Tesoro…’ He tasted salt on her lips and his hands shook as he brushed away the trails of moisture from her cheeks. ‘Why did you leave? I was about to fly to England tonight to find you.’
His words brought Beth crashing back to reality and she pulled away from him. It was time to be honest. But her voice faltered when she spoke.
‘I got to the airport before I realised I couldn’t run away,’ she admitted.
‘Why did you feel you needed to run from me?’ Cesario demanded in a driven tone. ‘You told me I made you happy, and we both know you are incapable of lying, carissima. Are you really interested in the job as a nanny, or is there another reason you want to go back? Tell me, is there some man in England you care about?’ He voiced the jealous thought that burned like acid in his gut. ‘If so, then why did you choose me to be your first lover?’
Beth’s heart ached at the raw emotion in his voice. She stared at his scarred, beloved face and could not deny her feelings to herself or to him.
‘There is no one else. And there never will be—because I love you,’ she told him fiercely, ‘with all my heart. For the first time in my life I have felt special. I was always the care home kid—unimportant, unloved. But since I came to the Castello del Falco you’ve treated me with kindness and respect and trust. You made me feel beautiful and. and proud of who I am.’ Her voice shook. ‘For all those things, and more, I will love you for ever.’
Whatever else she might have said was lost beneath the pressure of Cesario’s mouth on hers as he held her so close that she could feel the thunderous beat of his heart echoing in time with her own. He kissed her until she sank weakly against him, parting her lips beneath his and kissing him back with beguiling sweetness, so that Cesario did not know if it was her tears he could taste or his own.
‘Ti amo, Beth. I love you with my heart and soul and everything I am,’ he said roughly, his voice shaking with the force of emotions storming through him.
He felt as if a dam had held back his feelings for so many years, but now the dam had burst open, allowing the healing power of his love for the woman in his arms to sweep away all the pain that had gone before.
‘You really love me?’ she whispered, and the half-wondering, half-fearful expression in her eyes made his heart clench.
He knew what it was like to grow up without being loved, and he vowed that he would tell Beth every day how much she meant to him.
‘Will you stay with me, carissima?’ He paused for a heartbeat and then, to her startled surprise, dropped down onto one knee. ‘Will you marry me, Beth Granger? I love you, and you love me, and we both love a little girl who needs us to be her parents.’
He felt in his shirt pocket for the little square box he had been carrying next to his heart, and heard her startled gasp when he opened the lid and took out the teardrop emerald surrounded by diamonds that glittered in the golden rays of the sunset.
‘With this ring, I promise to love you and cherish you for eternity,’ he said softly as he slid the engagement ring onto her finger. ‘I will repeat that vow in the chapel on the day you become my wife.’ He looked into her eyes, his own blazing with his love for her. ‘Will you, Beth?’
The faint note of uncertainty in his voice brought a lump to Beth’s throat. Beneath the strong and powerful man she glimpsed the vulnerable boy who had been taught that love was a weakness. She knew how hard he found it to reveal his emotions, but she would make sure he knew every day that he was loved.
‘I will,’ she assured him.
And there was no need to say anything more as Cesario swept her up and carried her back to the castle, pausing on the steps to kiss his soon-to-be bride—much to the satisfaction of Teodoro, who hurried to inform the rest of the staff to prepare for a wedding.
* * * * *
At Home With The Boss
The Secret Sinclair
Cathy Williams
The Nanny’s Secret
Elizabeth Lane
A Home for the M.D.
Gina Wilkins
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.
RAOUL shifted as quietly as he could on the bed, propped himself up on one elbow and stared down at the woman sleeping contentedly next to him. Through the open window the sultry African night
