Did he love her?
The question was there—she had faced it, accepted she could have no answer yet. Perhaps he did, but did not yet realise it? Or perhaps he was still growing towards it? Letting it steal upon him as it had for her?
But he would come to love her—of that she was certain. Men took longer to realise their emotions—she knew that...everyone knew that. It was common knowledge. They told of their emotions in deeds, not words. And with everything Luke did, and the way he was with her, he demonstrated just how precious she was to him. After all, he’d asked her to travel with him, to stay with him...
She gave a sigh of happiness, wrapping her arm around his strong, lean waist. How gorgeous he was...how unutterably gorgeous. And how impossible it was, she thought, to be anything except blissfully, wonderfully happy! She and Luke were together. Building a life together—always together!
Nothing can part us now. Nothing.
The certainty of it filled her as she nestled into him, glowing with radiant happiness and love, revelling in the warmth of his arm around her back, folding her to him, and knowing with every fibre of her being how absolutely perfect her happiness was. And how she gloried in it!
She gave another sigh of bliss and pure, perfect happiness, then felt his arm move and reach out past her; heard the noise of his bedside table drawer sliding open. Her eyes fluttered open as she felt Luke shift position, drawing back so that he was half propped against the pillows. She raised her head to meet his gaze, which was drawing down towards her in the soft light from the lamp.
‘I have something for you,’ he said, and his smile was warm, his eyes warmer still.
He lifted the box he’d taken from the drawer, flicking it open with his hand.
Talia gasped. She couldn’t help it. Catching the lamplight, the ruby bracelet glittered with a crimson fire that seemed to burst from the heart of each precious gem.
‘For you,’ said Luke. A half-smile tugged at his mouth. ‘I would have given it to you at dinner, but it would not have matched that blue gown. But now...’ his mouth dipped to graze her shoulder ‘...it will suit you perfectly. Just as you are.’
He lifted her hand, took the bracelet from its velvet case and draped it around her slender wrist, fastening it.
‘It fits you perfectly,’ he said. He smiled again. ‘I had it delivered this afternoon. It’s the one from the hotel that you so admired. It’s yours. Yours to keep.’
He kissed her mouth, sealing his gift to her. Then he eased her body back against his. Her hand lay on his chest, glittering with the bracelet’s fiery gems. They seemed to glow against her skin.
The bracelet had been expensive—overpriced, he knew—but then it was priced for a hotel concession, and the impulse buys that men like him would be likely to make when on holiday with a woman they desired and cherished. He hadn’t cared about the mark-up—only wanted to bestow upon the woman he was going to take with him now wherever he went something she had shown she desired. To show her that he wanted to give her what she desired.
He heard her speak, and expected to hear an expression of delight. But it was not.
‘Why...why hav
e you given this to me?’
There was a note of incomprehension in her voice. Of doubt. He kissed her again. He wanted only to experience the joy of giving her something that showed her how precious she was to him.
‘To make you beautiful for me!’ he said lightly.
Then, knowing it was time to say more, he looked down at her, cupping her face with his hand. His voice would be serious now. He had to say what needed to be said—what had to be acknowledged if they were to continue together now.
‘Talia, I know how difficult it has been for you since your world crashed about you. Losing your father...’ His voice held an edge. ‘I think we both know he isn’t coming back. And even if he did—’ that edge was harder now ‘—he would be penniless. No use to you at all. But whether or not he ever does show up again, nothing can take away how hugely traumatic this time has been for you. I understand that.’
He took a breath, knowing it was time to confront the unspoken truths that lay heavy between them. If they were to make a life together they had to be addressed and dealt with so they could move on together.
‘You went from wealth to poverty overnight—the kind of poverty you were never equipped to deal with. You are the daughter of a very wealthy man, who doted on you and spoiled you, and I understand that the life you have been reduced to now is unimaginable for you. All your life you’ve been sheltered, as only the daughter of a rich man can be. And I know and I understand—truly I do, Talia—that your situation is something you find incredibly hard to accept. I want you to know that I don’t blame you for that. You are not responsible for your upbringing, nor for taking for granted the way of life your father’s wealth allowed you to have. It would be harsh of me—unfair of me—to judge you for that. You can’t help being the way you are, for being what you are—a rich man’s daughter who has had everything provided for her all her life. A life of luxury and ease. It’s no wonder you don’t understand how brutal and tough the world can be.’
His expression changed.
‘That day you came to me at my offices in Lucerne, expecting me to give you what you wanted, I was tough on you. I didn’t make allowances for you and I should have. But now I do make those allowances. And, just as it wasn’t fair of me to expect you to be able to do secretarial work for me, so it wasn’t fair of me to expect you to try and take on something as major as a complete hotel refit.’
He picked his words carefully, for he did not want to hurt her feelings.
‘I realise that your father let you enjoy trying out your design ideas on his properties, and that he indulged you in this, but I would hate for you to spend any more time with your paints and fabrics, however much you’ve been enthusing over them.’ He smiled at her with fond affection. ‘The hotel is a major project—a huge amount of work will be involved—and I’ll be hiring a firm of professionals at some point to take it on.’
He smiled again, trying to be tactful.
‘You don’t have to worry about it any more. Besides, you won’t have time to do anything like that—not if you’re going to be with me from now on. I’d far rather you spent all your time and energy on me!’ he said lightly, keeping his tone humorous, so as not to upset her.