She clung to him as he lifted her and waded through the shallow water to the beach. His body hardened with need for her as she nuzzled his throat, covering him with tiny, butterfly kisses. Okay, so she may not love him as he wanted to be loved, but he’d settle for this for now, he decided, lowering her gently to the sand, his hands caressing her slender frame.
To his surprise, she turned and ran across the beach disappearing through the trees toward the cottage. He guessed she was living her own romantic dream of when they were last here and their awareness of each other had consumed them.
When he walked through the open door, still hanging on by its rusty hinges, she was sitting in one of the old armchairs frantically leafing through a book.
“What are you doing, sweetheart?” He was intrigued.
When she looked up, he caught his breath. Her face was alive with an ethereal beauty he knew he would never forget no matter what the future might bring.
“You say I don’t love you, Jack” She held the book out to him. “Before you deny me yet again, I want you to read this. It’s my diary, and I wrote in it when we were here on the island after we’d made love that last night. I hid it under this cushion. When the police arrived, I was in such a state I forgot and left it here.”
He took the book from her, his gaze going to the words she had written many weeks ago when they had first met—first been intimate.
Whatever happens in the future, I shall never, never stop loving Jack. He is the man with whom I would want to spend the rest of my life, if I could. I have to find a way back to him, somehow.
The words danced before his eyes as he captured their meaning. She had written this believing him to be Jack Lucas, her fisherman. She had fallen in love with him then. He looked into her shining face alight with happiness and the tears welled in his eyes.
She removed the diary from his hands and placed it on the table. “I hope you believe me,” she said, and when he didn’t reply she continued nervously, “I know we’re from different worlds and our circumstances are extraordinary but I don’t think you would have been so determined to pay that money and take me away from Michael if you hadn’t cared about me.”
Still Jack was silent so she plowed on, her hands unconsciously twisting together as the tension shot up several more notches.
“What you need to understand is that I didn’t want to marry Michael. I don’t even like him. It was only when my parents told me about Carl’s debts, I realized I had little choice, and I swear I was only told on the same night you came to my room. I thought you didn’t want me, and I could hardly contain my joy when you said we were to be married.”
“Lara, I…”
“Shh. Let me finish or I’ll lose my courage. Then you became so hard and cynical and kept pointing out the differences between our worlds. I couldn’t understand why you’d want to marry me except for the prestige of a title and the right connections and…a good investment.”
“Lara. Shut up a moment.” He managed to speak at last, although he was still totally stunned. My wife loves me. She has loved me from the beginning. He wanted to climb on this cottage’s old roof and shout it at the top of his lungs so the whole world could hear. God, he felt good!
“Have you removed your ring since the wedding?” Two could play at the show and tell game.
She looked shocked and he noticed her bottom lip quiver. He was upsetting her—badly. It was time to come clean. Time to communicate and sort out their complicated emotions.
“No. Of course not. Why?”
“I suggest you take it off and read the inscription on the inside.”
He watched her fumbling and taking pity on her anxious state, reached for her hand, removed the ring and held it out to her. Her eyes widened as she twisted it around and read aloud To Lara—my love until the end of time—Jack.
“Oh my. Oh my,” was all she could say, her mouth forming a delicious o of astonishment.
Laughing, he drew her close. “I thought you might have noticed it much earlier than this, princess. Now, you know how much you mean to me,” he said, kissing her with great tenderness.
“Jack. You really love me.” Joy shone from her eyes.
“From the moment I first saw you, and I always will for the rest of our lives. Truly, madly, deeply, I worship you.”
“Even though I can be a snobby, royal pain in the butt?”
“Particularly because of that. I can’t believe we have wasted all this time and have gone around in circles, misunderstanding each other…hurting each other.” He was silent for a moment as the enormity of their love swept over him and the tension lifted from his shoulders.
Lara reached up, returning his kiss. “I’ve always known how much I love you,” she said with a cheeky grin. “It just took you a while to realize you love me. Quite understandable, under the circumstances,” she teased. “But, Jack, promise one thing?”
“Anything.” He rested his forehead against hers.
“To give up being a…a tuna cowboy?”
He hesitated for a second to keep her on tenterhooks before he said, “Yes. I promise. But I don’t promise not to go messing around in Jezebel.”
She laughed, her eyes dancing. “What a pity Jezebel isn’t here. She would complete our reunion.”
Jack took her hand and led her toward the door. “Come with me, sweet wife. I have an extra wedding present for you.”
Mystified, she let him guide her to the beach and there moored off shore was Jezebel. She shrieked with excitement as she saw the old boat’s now gleaming hull and strapped to it, as if gift wrapped, was the biggest pink ribbon bow she had ever seen. On Jezebel’s mast flew a majestic flag, carrying Challoner’s coat of arms, flapping in the breeze.
“I’ve had her completely refitted while we were in Europe. New interior, engine, decking—the works. I arranged for one of my staff to sail her here but keep her hidden until we were ready.” His heart swelled with pride at the look on Lara’s face.
“You did this for me?” she asked with wonder in her tone.
“Absolutely. Rather than stay in the cottage, I thought we might spend a few days on our boat. I had planned to bring you here anyway but not quite so soon.”
She hugged and kissed him as he carried her to the launch and ferried them over to the old boat.
“Come on, princess. Jezebel awaits your pleasure.” He helped her on board and laughed as she rushed to inspect the new decks and galley and the luxurious, if rather narrow, double bed.
~ * ~
“I love you so much, Jack Lucas.” Taking a sip of the champagne Jack had poured for her, her eyes said it all as she stood in the shelter of his arms.
“I adore you, Lara Lucas,” he replied, kissing her soft mouth. “I guess the next job will be to make Jezebel child-safe.”
“Pardon?”
“For all those babies we’re going to have.”
She eyed the bed and then determinedly removed his glass from his hand, placing it on the tiny table beside them.
“Time for practice,” she smiled.
About The Author
Christina Carlisle is a best-selling author of fourteen romance and crime novels. A full time writer, she lives in Adelaide, South Australia. She is also a leading public relations practitioner who has specialized in the health area. For ten years she lectured part-time in this field at the University Of SA.
Christina is a Board Director of Kidsafe SA, which is involved in the prevention of accidental child injuries and she is an International Ambassador for Variety – the children’s charity.
Visit our website for our growing catalogue of quality books.
www.champagnebooks.com
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Falling For Jack Page 16