‘Sí,’ she whispered. ‘I’m having your baby, Alej.’
She could see his throat constrict. ‘How far gone are you?’
‘Just six weeks. But we were so busy with the move that I didn’t notice at first.’
His gaze was much brighter than usual as he brought his mouth down to brush over hers, his deep sigh of contentment warm against her. ‘Te amo,’ he said, somehow both fierce and gentle, all at the same time. ‘Te amo, Emily.’
And when he entered her, with breathtaking eroticism and infinite tenderness, Emily cried out with love and with joy and, very soon, with fulfilment.
For a long time afterwards she lay there trembling in his arms, her head pillowed on the rapid rise and fall of his chest, while he stroked her hair.
‘It happened sooner than I thought,’ she said reflectively.
He gave a low laugh. ‘Judging by the amount of times we’ve been having sex, I’m surprised it hasn’t happened sooner.’
‘But we might not have been able to have children at all,’ she ventured.
‘Then we would have adopted. Or fostered.’
‘Yes.’ Her voice was still thoughtful. ‘But I still think we’ve been very lucky.’
His fingers tangled in the silken tumble of her hair, Alej looked up at the ceiling. Yes, she was right. Very lucky—that he had followed his instincts and sought her out, and that both their hearts had been big enough to forgive and to try again.
With his wife’s gentle persuasion he had managed to forgive his mother for what she had done, and to let all the bad memories go. Because one day he wanted to tell his children about a woman who had sometimes sung when she was planting vegetables and who made the best yerba maté of anyone he knew. Because nobody was all bad, he’d realised—just as nobody was all good. The only faint shadow in his life was his lack of success in locating his sibling, but at least now he had discovered a name.
Lucas.
Lucas.
His heart clenched. Strange to think he had a brother. That someone, somewhere in the world shared his gene pool.
‘Shall I get us something to drink?’ asked Emily, her soft voice breaking into his thoughts.
He shook his head. ‘You will do no such thing. From now on I will be waiting on you hand and foot, bella.’
‘I’m not an invalid, Alej,’ she scolded softly.
‘No, you are my wife and the mother of my child.’ He turned her face towards him. ‘My beautiful Emily, who has taught me the meaning of love.’
‘As you have me,’ she said shakily. ‘Just as you’ve taught me so much else besides. About acceptance and forgiveness. About strength in the face of adversity. And I love you too, Alej. I love you so very much.’
His arms tightened around her and the pounding of his heart threatened to deafen him. And as the setting sun turned the river into a ribbon of bright coral, Alej tilted Emily’s chin so he could kiss her again.
* * *
If you enjoyed Bought Bride for the Argentinian by Sharon Kendrick look out for the second instalment in the Legendary Argentinian Billionaires duet, The Argentinian’s Baby of Scandal, coming soon!
And why not explore these other Conveniently Wed! stories?
Crown Prince’s Bought Bride
by Maya Blake
Chosen as the Sheikh’s Royal Bride
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Penniless Virgin to Sicilian’s Bride