"My father..."
"Your father was obviously a very sick man, but I don't think it was a genetic iUness."
"I could..."
"No, you couldn't." She sounded so completely sure. Devlin stared at her, feeling her confidence nudge at the base of the fear lodged inside him. "I know all the statistics about abused children becoming abusive parents, but it doesn't happen every time, Devlin. You couldn't ever become a child abuser."
He shoved his hands into his pockets and half turned away, ashamed of the tears that bumed in his eyes. Once again, her belief in him made him feel strong and, at the same time, achingly weak.
AnnaUse watched him, feeling some of her pain ease in the face of his. He truly believed he could have it in him to hurt his child the way his father had hurt him. No wonder he'd been so adamant about never being a father.
He'd hurt her deeply with his accusations. That pam couldn't be completely wiped away because she now understood his motives. But her love for him couldn't be so easily destroyed, either. Through her own hurt, she felt his pain.
"Devlin, you'd be a wonderful father," she said softly. "I've always known that."
"Have you?" He turned to look at her. His eyes dropped to her stomach for a moment before lifting to her face. "Am I going to get a chance to find out?"
It was her turn to look away. She loved him. With all her heart, she wanted him to be a part of their child's life. A part of her life. But they couldn't go on
as they had been, playing at house without some sort of commitment. She wanted to bring her child into a stable home, full of warmth. Full of love.
The old saying about half a loaf being better than none might apply to bread, but it didn't apply to love. Not for her. She'd thought she could go on indefinitely, waiting for him to see what they could have together. Maybe she could have if she hadn't gotten pregnant. But the baby changed everything.
"I want it all," she said softly. "I want a commitment. I want to know that you'll still be here no matter how rough it gets. I want to know that... that you love me as much as I love you."
She lifted her chin, her eyes meeting his with fierce pride.
Devlin felt his heart stop. She loved him. She loved him. Suddenly his heart was beating much too fast, making him feel almost light-headed. He'd never realized how desperately he wanted to hear those three little words from her. He'd never let himself realize how much he needed her to say them.
"Annalise." He took a step toward her and stopped. He took his hands out of his pockets and reached for hers. She let him take her hands, but there was no give in her. He'd always known there was strength in her. It was part of what he'd admired from the start. It had never been more evident than it was at this minute.
"Annahse, I never planned on getting involved with a woman. I never thought I could... love anyone."
"Of course you can." Her fingers squeezed his. "If you'll just let yourself."
He stared down at their linked hands, searching for the words to make her understand. *'I care for you," he said slowly. "Wait." His fingers tightened over hers, preventing her from pulling away. "I know that doesn't sound like much, but it's more than I ever thought Fd feel for someone."
"I know," she said softly, without anger. "But I need more than that."
"I want to wake up beside you every morning," he told her. He lifted his eyes to her face. "I want to know that you're there when I wake up in the middle of the night. I want to watch your stomach grow with our child. I want to be there when that child is born. I want to know that you'll always be there, no matter what."
He drew her closer, desperate to make her understand how much he needed her in his life. "You have to stay, Annalise. Without you, I... don't know what I'd do."
She looked at him, feehng the last traces of ice melt from around her heart. The words he couldn't seem to get out were written in his eyes. He loved her. It was there in the way he held her hands, in the near desperation in his eyes.
She freed one hand, reaching up to lay it against his jaw. "You're talking about love, Devlin. You're talking about needing someone else to make your life complete. About wanting to share the bad, as well as the good. What do you think love is?"
"I don't know," he said simply. She knew it was no less than the truth. How could he know? There'd been so little of it in his life.
"Oh, Devlin." She leaned into him, resting her cheek against his chest, feeling the strong beat of his heart. His arms closed convulsively around her, and he bent to put his face against her hair.
"Teach me, Annalise," he whispered. "I don't want to lose you."
"You're not going to." She tilted her head to look up into his face. "You're stuck with me."
"We'll get married."
"I'd like that," she said, seeing some of the anxiety fade from his eyes.
He didn't need her to teach him how to love. All she needed to teach him was that he didn't have to be afraid to love. As long as she could see the love in his eyes, she could wait for the words. They weren't as important as feeling his arms around her, holding her as if he'd never let her go.
Love has a language all its own, and for centuries, flowers have symbolized love's finest expression. Discover the language of flowers—and love—in this romantic collection of 48 favorite books by bestselling author Nora Roberts.
Starting in February 1992, two titles will be available each month at your favorite retail outlet.
In February, look for:
Irish Thoroughbred, Volume #1 The Law Is A Lady, Volume #2
Collect all 48 titles and become fluent in the Language of Love. loli92
YOU'VE ASKED FOR IT, YOU'VE GOT IT! j^^ of
THE MONTH: ONLY FROM
^ SILHOUETTE
You just couldn't get enough of them, those sexy men from Silhouette Desire—twelve sinfully sexy delightfully devilish heroes. Some will make you sweat, some will make you sigh... but every long, lean one of them will have you swooning. So here they are, men we couldn't resist bringing to you for one more year....
A KNIGHT IN TARNISHED ARMOR by Ann Major in January
THE BLACK SHEEP
by Laura Leone in February
THE CASE OF THE MESMERIZING BOSS by Diana Palmer in March
DREAM MENDER
by Sheryl Woods in April
WHERE THERE IS LOVE by Annette Broadrick in May
BEST MAN FOR THE JOB by Dixie Browning in June
Don't let these men get away! Man of the Month, only in Silhouette Desire. mom92jj i
is pleased to present
A GOOD MAN WALKS IN by Giiina Gray
The story of one strong woman's comeback
and the man who was there for her, Travis McCall,
the renegade cousin to those Blaine siblings,
from Ginna Gray's bestselling trio
FOOLS RUSH IN (#416) WHERE ANGELS FEAR (#468) ONCE IN A LIFETIME (#661)
Rebecca Quinn sought shelter at the hideaway on Rincon Island. Finding Travis McCall—the object of all her childhood crushes—holed up in the same house threatened to ruin the respite she so desperately needed. Until their first kiss... Then Travis set out to prove to his lovely Rebecca that man can be good and love, sublime.
You'll want to be there when Rebecca's disillusionment turns to joy.
A GOOD MAN WALKS IN #722
Available at your favorite retail outlet this February.
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DONAVAN
Diana Palmer
Diana Palmer's bestselling LONG, TALL TEXANS series continues with DONAVAN
From the moment elegant Fay York walked into the bar on the wrong side of town, rugged Texan Donavan Langley knew she was trouble. But the lovely young innocent awoke a tenderness in him that he'd never known.. .and a desire to make her a proposal she couldn't refuse
Don't miss DONAVAN by Diana Palmer, the ninth book in her LONG, TALL TEXANS series. Coming in January. .. only from Silhouette Romance. Lni92
^ WHENAN ^
v^ AQUARIUSMAN
^ MEETS A LEO WOMAN ^
Unpredictable Aquarian Alex Sinclair liked his life as it was. He had his horses, his work and his freedom. So how come he couldn't—wouldn't—leave fiery veterinarian Katrina Rancanelli alone? The love-shy widow obviously wanted no part of him, but Alex was determined to hear her purr.... Lydia Lee's THE KAT'S MEOW is coming from Silhouette Romance this February—it's WRITTEN IN THE STARS.
Available in February at your favorite retail outlet, or order your copy now by sending your nanrie, address, zip or postal code, along with a check or money order for $2.59 (please do not send cash), plus 75( postage and handling ($1.00 In Canada), payable to Silhouette Reader Service to:
Please specify book title with your order.
Canadian residents add applicable federal and provincial taxes.
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from Lindsay McKeima
In a country torn with conflict, in a time of bitter passions, tliese brave men and women wage a war against all odds... and a timeless battle for honor, for fleeting moments of glory, for the promise of enduring love.
Ffebruary. RIDE THE TIGER (#721) Survivor Dany Villard is wise to the love-'em-and-leave-'em ways of war, but wounded hero Gib Ramsey swears she's captured his heart... forever.
March: ONE MAN'S WAR (#727) The war raging inside brash and bold Captain Pete Mallory threatens to destroy him, until Tess Ramsey's tender love guides him toward peace.
April: OFF LIMITS (#733) Soft-spoken Marine Jim McKenzie saved Alexandra Vance's life in Vietnam; now he needs her love to save his honor
SEM6-1
SILHOUETTE-INTIMATE-MOMENTS*
COMING NEXT MONTH
#417 WOLF AND THE ANGEL— Kathleen Creighton
Jack Wolf had never expected to be stranded with a truck full of bullet holes, an orphaned baby and goody-two-shoes—but incredibly appealing—Dr. Terry Duncan. But he was. Now killers were pursuing him andTevTy and the baby. Suddenly, revenge wasn't important. He had to get Terry and the baby back to the States—alive.
#418 PINK TOPAZ—Jennifer Greene
Maverick Cole Shepard didn't want to be anyone's hero. But then he found himself tangled up with Regan Thome, and no woman needed a hero more than she did! Could the hardheaded realist fight the attraction he felt for such an idealistic dreamer?
#419 THE FARRELL MARRIAGE—Dee Holmes
He'd been declared dead, but then Reid Farrell returned to the land of the living after going undercover for his agency. But his wife hadn't known his death was faked, and now his marriage was in danger of collapsing. Soon, Reid began to think that without Christine's love, he'd be belter off dead.
#420 SONG OF THE MOURNING DOVE— Lee Magner
After witnessing a murder, Quinn Danaker was thrown into contact with the victim's widow, Daphne Jamison. Feeling indirectly responsible for her husband's death, Quinn took a personal interest in Daphne and her son, Kyle, hoping to protect them from a similar fate. But the closer he got to Daphne, the more personal his motives became....
AVAILABLE THIS MONTH:
#413 JAKE'S WAY #415 FLAMINGO MOON
Kathleen Korbel Ann Evans
#414 EVERYTHING BUT #416 HATFIELD AND MARRIAGE McCOY
Dallas Schulze Heather Graham Pozzessere
Everything but the marriage Page 19