She remembered only vaguely afterwards that he had carried her across the room to cradle her on his lap in the old padded armchair, and then he was kissing her gently, tenderly, but with a growing passion that demanded and found a willing response in her.
The bruising strength of his arms was a pleasurable agony she endured in silence until the deliberate sensuality of his hands on her body made her tremble with the storm of emotions that he aroused in her. She felt his heart thudding against her own, and when his lips finally sought the sensitive hollow of her throat she pushed her fingers through his hair and pressed her lips against the greyness at his temples as she had longed to do so often.
They were both in the grip of that sweet madness they had known once before, but neither of them made any effort now to hide what was in their hearts. She saw the leaping flames of desire in his eyes as his fingers fumbled with the tiny buttons of her blouse, and she felt her own desire mounting to match his when his hand gently clasped the soft fullness of her breast, then, with the confidence his love had given her, she drew his head down to hers once more and sought his mouth hungrily with her own.
'My God, I want you,' he groaned after a time, and then, with a supreme effort she had to admire, he controlled himself, and simply held her against him as if he never wanted to let her go.
'Adam…' she said after a time when sanity had returned and she was able to think coherently again. 'About Willa.'
'Willa has always been a good friend and neighbour, and nothing more,' he replied, fingering a silky curl that was tinted gold in the light of the desk lamp. 'I've certainly never committed myself to her in any way, by word or deed.' He raised her face from its hiding place against his shoulder so that he could look into her eyes. 'Do you believe me?'
'I believe you.'
He kissed her warm lips until they quivered responsively beneath his, then he lifted her on to her feet and stood up. 'Lisa my darling, I hate the thought of sharing you with everyone else just yet, but we'd better put in an appearance and inform our guests that this is no longer just a farewell braai for your mother and your aunt, but also an engagement celebration.'
'Adam, wait!' she pleaded, escaping from his arms to restore a little order to her appearance. 'You're going much too fast for me, and I would like to prepare my mother for this before you make such an announcement.'
'Your mother has been prepared for this since before her arrival.'
'What do you mean?'
He smiled down into her bewildered eyes with tolerant amusement as he took her hands in his and drew her relentlessly towards him. 'I mean, my little one, that I not only wrote and asked her to spend Christmas with us, but I also made my intentions quite clear.'
Lisa's expression became incredulous. 'You mean she's known all this time?'
'Yes,' Adam admitted. 'She gave me her blessing soon after her arrival here on the farm, and promised to try and find out if there was any hope for me, but both your mother and your aunt told me that you either became evasive, or shut up like a clam whenever they mentioned my name.' His eyes clouded, and his arms went around her almost convulsively. 'I've had some pretty anxious moments because of you, my darling, but I realise now, of course, why I could never get through to you before.'
'I thought you were just amusing yourself with me,' she whispered, an impish smile curving her lips as she leaned against him. 'I considered you an absolute rake.'
'A rake, am I?' he demanded with a harshness that no longer frightened her, then his lips took possession of hers in a punishing yet oddly sensual way that raised havoc with her emotions.
'When will you marry me?' he demanded after a considerable time had elapsed, and that square, resolute chin jutted out firmly. 'I might as well warn you, Lisa, that I have no intention of waiting several months. I want us to be married as soon as possible.'
'But Adam—'
'No arguments!' he silenced her, then his glance grew a little wary. 'I suppose you want a white wedding with all the paraphernalia that goes with it?'
'Not particularly, Adam. Not if you don't want that,' she assured him gently, fingering the cleft in his chin and tentatively tracing the outline of the mouth she had once thought so harsh and unrelenting. 'I would like to wear white, though,' she added, 'but nothing elaborate, and I would prefer it to be a quiet wedding.'
'That suits me,' he sighed with obvious relief as he caught her hand and pressed his warm lips into her palm. 'When?'
The banked-down fire in the eyes that regarded her so steadily sent a now familiar weakness surging into her limbs, and there was a tremor in her voice when she said: 'I'm beginning to realise it will have to be soon.'
'A week from today?'
'As soon as that?' she asked, a little taken aback.
'If you want to wear white, yes,' he warned, his warm glance sliding over her.
'Oh, Adam,' she laughed unsteadily, hiding her hot face against him, but Adam would have none of that.
'You look adorable when you blush,' he teased her softly, forcing her face out into the open and, forgetting her embarrassment momentarily, she marvelled at the change in his harshly chiselled features. There was tenderness in every line and angle of his face, and the wonder was that she had put it there.
'I love you, Adam,' she whispered impulsively but truthfully, her eyes darkening with the emotions that were pulsing through her. 'I love you so very much.'
His chest heaved beneath her hands, and then she was crushed against him with a fierceness that was both an agony and a pleasure.
'You're going to have to put up with a lot of loving from me,' he warned, his voice vibrating with emotion. 'Do you think you'll be able to take it?'
'I'll manage, I think,' she smiled dreamily, drawing his head down to hers until their lips met in a long, satisfying kiss.
Lisa felt as if she was walking on air when they finally left the study, but as they walked out on to the verandah she drew back nervously.
'Adam…' She bit her lip as she glanced up at him. 'Must you make the announcement now?'
'The sooner the better,' he said adamantly, placing a protective arm about her and drawing her towards the circle of people seated about the fire. 'May I have your attention, please?' he began, and the conversation ceased abruptly. Lisa was unaware of the curious glances directed at them as she glimpsed the cold, hard suspicion that began to glimmer in the green depths of Willa's eyes moments before Adam said: 'I'd like you all to know that Lisa has just consented to become my wife.'
Pandemonium seemed to break loose after Adam's announcement, and Willa was obscured from Lisa's vision as she and Adam became separated by the exuberance of the well-wishers. Her mother was tearful but happy, Aunt Molly was positively gloating that her suspicions had been confirmed, and Erica Vandeleur gathered Lisa into her arms and declared openly that she could not have chosen a better wife for her impossible son.
Willa and Lisa finally came face to face, but, to Lisa's relief, there was no sign of malice on the other girl's controlled features as she graciously admitted defeat.
'You've won, Lisa,' she smiled faintly. 'No hard feelings, I hope?'
'Of course not,' Lisa assured her hastily and, despite the heartache Willa had caused her, she could not help feeling sorry for her, but there was no time to say more as Ken Rudman drew her aside.
'I was wrong about the boss, but I guessed right about you, didn't I?' he teased lightly, and when she nodded silently, he grimaced slightly through his boyish smile. 'I can't help wishing it was me, but congratulations all the same.'
He leaned forward and planted a kiss firmly on her lips just as Adam came up behind them. 'That will do, Rudman.'
There was no sign of anger in Adam's command, but the arm he placed about Lisa was faintly possessive, and Ken grinned a little crookedly as he shook hands with Adam.
Adam did not believe in wasting time, and it took him barely a few seconds to persuade Lisa's mother and her aunt to postpone their departure for a week
until after the wedding. Then he brought out several bottles of champagne from somewhere and, with everyone's glasses filled, Erica Vandeleur suggested proudly that they drink a toast to Adam and Lisa's future happiness.
When the glasses had been filled a second time, Adam came to Lisa's side where she stood behind her mother's chair and, when no one was looking, he slipped his arm about her waist.
'Come this way,' he whispered in her ear, drawing her away from the others.
'Adam…' she whispered back urgently when they reached the trees, 'where are you taking me?'
'Hush!' he ordered softly, then she was lifted in his arms and carried swiftly and effortlessly deeper into the shadows before she was placed on her feet again. 'I've got something for you. I intended it to be your Christmas present, but you were so cold and aloof at the time that it had to wait.'
'What is it?' she asked curiously as he extracted something from the pocket of his pants.
'An engagement ring.'
'Oh, Adam,' she exclaimed softly as he took her hand in his and slipped the ring on to her finger. 'I wish it wasn't so dark here beneath the trees.'
'You can look at it later,' he ordered, covering the ring with his hand and drawing her into his arms. 'Right now there are more urgent matters to attend to.'
'Such as?' she teased, but already her senses were responding wildly to his nearness and his touch.
'Such as you convincing me that I'm not just dreaming,' he announced hoarsely, his face a dark blur in the shadows.
'Adam… darling,' she murmured unsteadily, and the stars settled in her eyes as she raised her lips to his.
The night went silent about them as they kissed, and kissed again with a hunger that could not be assuaged. There was so much still to discuss, and so much she still wanted to say, but for now there was only the incredible wonder that Adam loved her and needed her. Her loneliness and despair was something of the past, and her cup of happiness was filled to the brim.
And things can never go badly wrong
If the heart be true and the love be strong,
For the mist, if it comes, and the weeping rain
Will be changed by the love into sunshine again.
Summer of the Weeping Rain Page 17