“Don’t.” She lifted a finger to his lips, and her smile was overbright. “For the rest of our lives, which I hope are long and splendid, I never want to hear another word of regret. I married you because I loved you. I love you because I realised I couldn’t live without you. And here we are.”
“Yes, here we are.” He looked around the room, still swarming with guests. With one small nod, he laid the groundwork for his next surprise. “There is one last part of the birthday celebrations.”
“Oh, no.” She closed her eyes. “The twins will be getting tired.”
“And the nan
nies will take them inside shortly,” he promised. “This is for you. The woman who brought them into being.”
She frowned. “What is for me?”
A curtain lifted, revealing a small orchestra, and at its front, Liam Marsh himself.
“Oh, Tamir, what have you done?” She asked, askance.
He put a hand beneath her elbow, and began to lead her to two chairs at the front of the lawn. “I missed the entire concert because I could not keep my eyes off you. I would rather like to enjoy it with you, this time. I want to enjoy it with you by my side.”
She shook her head on a small laugh. “It’s too much.”
“Nothing for you is too much.” He waited until she’d sat down, then moved to the seat beside her. He leaned closer so that he could whisper, “You do not know how jealous I was of Jack that night. The way you laughed at him and smiled at him. I wanted to be the only man who could bring that level of happiness to you.”
Her chest thumped with sensation. “You are.”
“I know.” He grinned, and laced his fingers through hers. “And you are the only woman who has ever driven me almost crazy with love. What do you think, Azeezi? Are we a good match?”
She nodded wordlessly. “A perfect match.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
The music played, and they enjoyed it together. But it was not the brilliant songs that made her smile shine with the power of ten thousand stars. No, only the man next to her could do that. She smiled, as she knew she would, for the rest of her life.
THE END.
Following is an excerpt from THE VELASCO LOVE CHILD by Clare Connelly, available to purchase or hire from amazon.com.
THE VELASCO LOVE CHILD.
BY
Clare Connelly
“To lose thee, sweeter than to gain
All other hearts I knew.
‘Tis true the drought is destitute,
But then I had the dew!”
-Emily Dickinson
PROLOGUE
It’s not like she actually had to sleep with the guy.
No amount of money would lower Maggie’s standards to that degree.
A lingering look would do. A hand on her back. Perhaps a kiss.