She still loved him, she realized with painful insight. If she didn't, she wouldn't be so angry with him for leaving
While she was admitting a few things, she might as well acknowledge that becoming his wife might be the thing she wanted most in the world.
On the other hand, she didn't have to concede that to him, though she had the feeling he knew anyway.
Juliet lifted her chin. “My first request is obvious enough, Carlos. No more wars. No more leaving, period. If we are blessed with children, I want them to have a father. Agreed?"
"Agreed.” The reply was quick and without equivocation.
"I get to choose their names. I am thinking Bathsheba for a girl and Septimus if it's a boy.” She lowered her lashes a fraction and gave him an innocent look.
He hesitated, and then his lips twitched in amusement as he realized she was teasing. The tight line of his mouth eased. “Fine choices, both of them. Agreed."
"You have a pleasing voice. A lovely song like the one from last night would be nice once in a while."
He inclined his head. “A Spanish lullaby whenever you wish to hear one, my lady. Agreed."
There was a pause. Her throat felt constricted. “I want you to tell me you love me every single day. At least once, maybe more if the occasion warrants it."
The request would have been more effective if her voice hadn't wavered, betraying her emotion.
He straightened away from the wall, the stark reaction in his dark eyes sudden and palpable. “I'll start now."
In two long strides he was across the room and she was swept into his arms, up against his tall body, his mouth hovering over hers. “I love you,” he whispered. “I loved you when I got on that ship, during every cold night, during every miserable day. I loved you when cannons fired around me, when I was hungry, when men lay dying everywhere. I loved you when we lost ground, when we won battles, when we thought it would never end. Juliet, please understand, that never stopped, never faltered, never faded. It saw me through hell and it brought me home."
In answer she wound her arms around his neck and pulled him the fraction closer needed to kiss him, her heart pounding.
In tune with his, the steady thud a reminder he was very much alive and had come back.
To her.
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Epilogue
Lady Wilhelmina Woodhull waved her fan in long, languid sweeps. “Such a brilliant party, my dear Duchess. You have outdone yourself, if I do say."
"It is going rather well,” Mary agreed, her champagne flute dangling from her fingers, her watchful eye gauging the fullness of the buffet table and the efficiency of the staff as they carried trays of drinks around. However, she couldn't help it, her attention was drawn back time and again to the dance floor and a smug smile hovered on her lips.
The celebration was a splendid success, it was true, but her greatest triumph was currently waltzing to a popular tune. Even amidst the milling crowd the couple was striking, Carlos’ height and dark coloring a contrast to his wife's delicate blond beauty. They were both smiling, and as Mary watched, he leaned down and whispered something in Juliet's ear and she laughed.
Dear God, to see them both happy was definitely something to celebrate.
"Are you tearing up on me, your Grace?"
"A bit,” Mary admitted, plucking a handkerchief out of her sleeve to dab her eyes. “I am so delighted to have my son back."
Lady Woodhull shrewdly followed her gaze. “You are not the only one, it seems. They make a dazzling pair. Word has it Lord Drake is a bit put out over losing his perspective bride, but it won't last, I'm sure. When one is handsome, titled and rich, there is no reason to be unhappy for long, now is there?"
"Juliet has always loved Carlos. His absence was very difficult."
"Such a romantic story.” Wilhelmina sighed, still working her fan so small sausage curls moved on either side of her plump face. “The handsome soldier, his true love waiting patiently for his return ... it is like a fairy tale in some ways."
Well, Juliet hadn't exactly waited patiently and like all fairy tales there had been a price to be paid on both sides. Mary had found most things worth having in life were that way.
But, though Wilhelmina was often a silly woman, she was right, it was a romantic story now that it had a happy ending. Unable to resist being a little mischievous, Mary murmured, “He sings to her, you know."
Lady Woodhull's eyes widened with a gleam of interest at that juicy tidbit. “Really?"
"Love songs, I suppose. It is hard to tell for they are in Spanish. When the breeze is just so I can hear him, even though our suite is some distance from theirs. I must say I think he gets that romantic streak from his father's side of the family. My ability to carry a tune is appalling."
Carlos was going to throttle her when the gossip spread over that tidbit, she thought with an inner laugh.
"What a beautiful thing,” Wilhelmina said, a dreamy expression on her face.
Mary watched the couple on the floor, so content in each other's arms. “Isn't it?” she agreed softly.
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Born to an Air Force family at an Army hospital, Melissa has always been a little bit screwy. She was further warped by her years of watching Monty Python and her strange family. Her love of romance novels developed after accidentally picking up a Linda Howard book. After becoming hooked, she read close to three hundred novels in one year, deciding that romance was her true calling instead of the literary short stories and suspenses she had been writing. After many attempts, she realized that romantic comedy, or at least romance with a comedic edge, was where she was destined to be. Influences in her writing come from Nora Roberts, Jenny Cruise, Susan Andersen, Amanda Quick, Jayne Anne Krentz, Julia Quinn, Christina Dodd, and Lori Foster. Since her first release in 2004, Melissa has had over twenty short stories, novellas and novels released with seven different publishers in a variety of genres and time periods. Those releases included The Hired Hand, a 2005 Eppie Finalist for Contemporary Romance, and Tempting Prudence, a 2005 CAPA finalist for short erotic romance. Her contemporary, A Little Harmless Sex became an international best seller in June of 2005.
Since she was a military brat, she vowed never to marry military. Alas, fate always has her way with mortals. Her husband is an Air Force major, and together they have their own military brats, two girls, and they live wherever the Air Force sticks them. Which, she is sure, will always involve heat and bugs only seen on the Animal Discovery Channel. In her spare time, she reads, complains about bugs, travels, cooks, reads some more, watches her DVD collections of Arrested Development and Seinfeld, and tries to convince her family that she truly is a delicate genius. She has yet to achieve her last goal.
She has always believed that romance and humor go hand in hand. Love can conquer all and as Mark Twain said, “Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand.” Combining the two, she hopes she gives her readers a thrilling love story, filled with chuckles along the way, and a happily ever after finish.
Cheri has been reading romance since she was a young girl. In her twenties, she graduated from the sweet romances of youth to the steamier romances of adulthood. From then on, she realized the spicier the romance the better she liked it. So it's no surprise she likes to write as spicy as she likes to read.
Cheri is Cajun, born in the very heart of Cajun country down in Southwest Louisiana. Married to a military man for twenty-three years, she's lived in many places, but presently resides in Maryland.
I am of Irish, Scottish, and New Guinean descent. I was born in a small town called Longreach, which is located in Outback Queensland, Australia. Baptized Holy Roman Catholic, I have five siblings and am the proud mother of one teenage boy. I live on the east coast of Australia.
My first erotic romance was published in 2003. I write historical, contemporary, fantasy and paranormal sensual romance, erotic romance and erotica. I als
o write sensual, erotic and mainstream poetry.
I've written several #1 bestsellers, been nominated for two CAPA awards for historical works published in 2004, and am a 2007 EPPIE Award finalist—in the Erotic Romance Fantasy/Paranormal category.
Watch for my mainstream suspense and crime novels late 2008.
Visit my website www.monicammartin.com
Email me: [email protected]
Christy Poff lives in southeastern Pennsylvania with her husband and two kids—her teenage daughter (a college freshman) and her son who serves in the Army National Guard stationed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Previously, she wrote news articles for local newspapers and regional firefighting publications. With her articles, she added photography to her pieces. Writing for several years, she has a deep respect for the Civil War and has done extensive research into the times. This love and research have resulted in several Civil War novels including Chase For an Angel which was born from this love and released in March, 2006. Others will follow.
She loves old cities with history like Charleston and New Orleans, the wide-open spaces of Wyoming and the Dakotas, the beauty of a Maine sunrise plus seeing the rest of the U.S. and western Canada.
A volunteer firefighter for over twenty-five years, she's been able to use her experience in several published works for others and even in some of her own work.
People wonder what she writes to—Brooks and Dunn, Gary Allan, Linkin Park, Nickelback, Harry Connick or whoever strikes her mood at the time. She loves to watch Iron Chef on the Food Network, CSI:Miami and reruns of Nash Bridges, Miami Vice, Night Court and JAG.
Honey Jans lives in a small Midwestern town with her husband and true inspiration. She is a born romantic with an extraordinarily vivid yet kinky imagination. Honey loves writing erotica and hopes that her stories add a little spice to her reader's lives.
Emma Wildes is a #1 bestselling author at Fictionwise, the 2007 Eppie winner for best erotic historical, an RWA Lories winner for best novella, and a WisRWA Reader's Choice winner in historical romance. She is the author of over twenty-five novels and you can visit Emma at www.emmawildes.com. She also writes erotic suspense as Kate Watterson www.katewatterson.com, and futuristic as Annabel Wolfe www.annabelwolfe.com.
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