Marriage? But—She hadn’t thought that far ahead! Was still trying to come to terms with the fact that Jack claimed to be in love with her!
She shook her head dazedly. ‘But you don’t even know me,’ she protested. ‘We’ve only known each other for—’ she did a quick calculation in her head ‘—for nine days!’
He shrugged. ‘I knew how I felt about you after nine minutes,’ he admitted. ‘I took one look at you when I visited the kennels last Sunday, and knew I had finally met the woman I’ve been searching for all my life,’ he said simply.
It had taken her a little longer than that—perhaps ten minutes or so!
‘As for knowing each other,’ Jack continued, ‘we have the rest of our lives together to do that. By the way,’ he added lightly, his eyes teasingly dark, ‘I should just tell you that I’m not really grumpy in the mornings; I just wasn’t too happy this morning because the time was rapidly approaching when I knew I had to say goodbye to you.’
Mattie knew how he’d felt!
Jack looked at her face concernedly, his expression softening to tenderness as he easily saw her shy confusion. ‘Let’s go and sit on that bench over there,’ he suggested gently, his arm lightly about her shoulders now. ‘We can tell each other our deepest, darkest secrets. And then I’ll ask you to marry me again. Okay?’
Mattie took a deep breath. ‘Okay,’ she accepted, already knowing what her answer would be; nothing Jack told her about himself could possibly change the fact that she loved him. Absolutely. Completely.
‘Do you want me to go first, or would you like to do that?’ Jack asked once they were sitting down.
Mattie gave a self-derisive grimace. ‘I may as well; it will probably be much shorter than what you have to say!’
He looked at her, arching an eyebrow. ‘I’m not sure I care for your inference, Miss Crawford.’
No, in retrospect, it had sounded a little—Well, after all, she knew very little about Jack’s personal life before the two of them had met—except for Sharon Keswick, of course, and that didn’t seem to have been too successful. But it was wrong of her to assume there had been lots of other women in Jack’s life.
‘Sorry.’ She made a face.
‘Apology accepted,’ Jack said, eyes gleaming with laughter.
‘As for me,’ Mattie went on, ‘there isn’t much to tell. I had a crush on the Maths teacher when I was at school—’
‘Male or female?’
‘Male, of course.’ Mattie frowned in mock reproval. ‘Then I had a couple of boyfriends during my university years—’
‘How many is a couple?’ Jack scowled darkly.
‘One or two,’ she answered breezily; Jack really cared that there had ever been any other man casually in her life! ‘One definitely, because we dated for a couple of months—just dated, Jack,’ she assured him hastily as his scowl deepened. ‘And the other one… We didn’t actually get through the first date together, so I’m not sure he really counts!’
Jack looked quizzical. ‘What happened?’
‘He seemed to think that buying me a pizza—a pizza, for goodness’ sake!—entitled him to sharing my bed for the night. I soon corrected him about that assumption!’
‘I’ll just bet you did.’ Jack chuckled. ‘Is that it? No big, dark secrets?’
‘Well…’ She hesitated briefly. ‘I did have a brief relationship last year that ended when the man in question confessed he was already engaged to someone else and the wedding was imminent!’
‘Ah,’ Jack murmured comprehendingly.
‘Ah, indeed,’ Mattie agreed. ‘No excuse, I know, but—I really am sorry about the mix-up with the cards on your sister’s flowers.’ She looked at him anxiously.
‘No real harm done,’ Jack replied. ‘And it would have taken me that much longer to meet you without it,’ he reasoned.
That was one way of looking at it…
‘Your turn,’ she invited warmly.
‘Hmm.’ Jack gave the matter some thought. ‘Well, I had a crush on the Games mistress when I was at school. Dated three girls during university—there wasn’t the time for any more than that,’ he insisted as Mattie looked sceptical. ‘Since then…I’ve had a couple of relationships in the last ten years, but nothing serious, and I’ve more or less managed to stay friends with both those women. And Sharon you know about,’ he admitted. ‘I haven’t so much as had a date since I went out with her a few years ago; she’s the type of woman to cure you of the idea of ever going out with a woman again, let alone having any fun with one!’
Exactly how she had felt after going out with Richard! And Jack really didn’t like Sharon, Mattie realized happily.
‘Until you came along.’ Jack smiled.
‘There’s no doubting you had great fun then—at my expense!’ she acknowledged dryly.
He shook his head. ‘I think you gave back as good as you got.’ He laughed. ‘I had got to know you well enough by the evening we had dinner at the Eiffel Tower to think you might stab me with a steak knife, at least, once you learnt the truth about who Tina, Sally, Cally, and Sandy really are!’
‘You should have seen the look on your face that night!’ Mattie recalled, laughing. ‘You were trying so hard to tell me the truth—and being foiled at every turn!’
‘Families!’ he exclaimed disgustedly.
‘I think your family are all lovely,’ she defended. ‘And, as you’ve already pointed out, we may not have met at all if it weren’t for your sisters,’ she reminded him, still embarrassed at the part she had played in that particular situation.
‘I’m a great believer in the course of true love. Now, do you think we’ve told each other enough about our pasts for the moment? Because I really would rather just get to the part where I ask you to marry me,’ he told her, taking her hand lightly in both of his, his gaze darkly compelling on the paleness of her face.
Mattie began to tremble all over again, her shyness returning too. ‘I—’ She stopped, searching for the right words. ‘We’re so different, Jack—’
‘Well, I’m a man, and you’re a woman,’ he acknowledged. ‘But I’m told that’s the usual combination in a marriage!’
‘You know I didn’t mean that.’ She sighed shakily.
‘I know exactly what you meant.’ His hands tightened about hers, his expression serious now. ‘I just choose to ignore it. Mattie, surely all that matters is that we love each other? Although, maybe that’s the problem…?’ he concluded uncertainly. ‘Am I taking too much for granted here, Mattie? Don’t you—?’
‘Of course I love you!’ she cut in forcefully, knowing that was going to be his next question. ‘I just—’
‘Just nothing!’ Jack turned fully to pull her fiercely into his arms. ‘Mattie, if you want, I can be like Thom, and spend the next five years hanging around in an effort to convince you that I love you—but I would really rather not have to do that,’ he told her. ‘I want to be with you now. All the time. I want to wake up with you in the morning, have breakfast with you, have lunch with you if that’s possible, come home to you every night and have dinner with you before spending our evening together. I want to go to sleep in your arms every night!’
She wanted those things too. So much!
She swallowed hard. ‘But won’t you—won’t you get bored with that after a while?’ Bored with her!
‘Will you?’ he returned.
‘No,’ she answered him honestly, imagining nothing more wonderful than the life together he had just described.
His arms tightened. ‘You could never bore me, Mattie; you’re far too unpredictable to ever do that.’
She shuddered at the truth of that! ‘But what about your family—?’
‘What about them?’ He frowned.
‘Well, won’t they think—? They must know we haven’t known each other very long, won’t they think all this a bit—sudden?’
Jack shook his head, smiling. ‘Mattie, I hate to tell you this, but the fact that you ac
companied me to Paris at the weekend told them all exactly where I want our relationship to go. Deliberately so, on my part, I have to admit,’ he admitted.
He had known exactly what conclusions his family would come to concerning the two of them! In fact, that seemed to be exactly what he had intended all along…
‘In fact, if I know my mother,’ Jack continued dryly, ‘she’ll be going out tomorrow to choose her outfit for the wedding!’
‘Hmm,’ Mattie acknowledged slowly. ‘Talking of mothers…’
‘You don’t mind that your mother is going out on a date this evening, do you?’ Jack said concernedly. ‘She’s still a lovely woman, you know, Mattie, and—’
‘Of course I don’t mind,’ Mattie assured him sincerely. ‘In fact, I couldn’t be happier. I’ve been telling her for years that she ought to go out more, find someone to share the rest of her life with.’
‘But you see, Mattie, she would never do that while she had you,’ Jack said ruefully.
‘I can see that now,’ she said. ‘Which is why I can’t help wondering exactly what it was you said to my mother when you came to see her that morning last week. If I’m not mistaken, it was enough for her to finally agree to go out with Michael Vaughan,’ she deduced.
‘Hey—’ Jack grasped her shoulders ‘—this hasn’t been some huge conspiracy, you know. What I actually said to Diana that morning was that my intentions were strictly honourable; she seemed content with that.’
Mattie smiled. ‘I’m not surprised; I’ve been rather a trial to her, you know.’
‘I can imagine,’ Jack acknowledged. ‘But I’m quite happy for you to be a trial for me now!’
‘In that case, we had better not disappoint my mother, or your family, had we?’ Mattie said huskily.
Jack’s eyes gleamed darkly. ‘Is that a yes to my marriage proposal?’
‘Definitely,’ she answered with feeling.
How could she do any other than marry Jack? He loved her, she loved him, and both families seemed to approve of their choice. Besides, she quivered all over just at the thought of being Jack’s wife, of spending the rest of her life with him.
‘You won’t regret this, Mattie,’ Jack told her fiercely as he pulled her tightly into his arms. ‘I’m going to spend the rest of my life loving you,’ he promised forcefully.
‘And I you,’ she vowed.
‘That’s all that matters,’ he accepted before his head lowered and his mouth took possession of hers in a kiss filled with tenderness and love.
It really was all that mattered, Mattie knew inwardly. The future—their future—could take care of itself.
* * *
‘Do you know, Mattie?’ her mother-in-law mused merrily, ‘You’re the only person I’ve ever known that’s been able to render Jack speechless!’ Betty looked at her son as he sat on the other side of Mattie’s hospital bed.
Mattie shot her husband a sympathetic look as he sat beside her, their hands tightly linked. ‘I have to admit to being a little stunned myself.’ She gave a bemused smile, looking past Jack to the two identical cradles that stood at the foot of her bed.
Two babies. Not the one they had been expecting. But twin boys.
Mattie had been as stunned as Jack when, their son newly born and nestled safely in his ecstatic father’s arms, her pains had started again, their second son born only two minutes after his brother.
There had been numerous examinations during her pregnancy, several scans, and at no time had anyone suspected that Mattie had carried two babies instead of one.
Mattie, once over the initial surprise, had been absolutely thrilled with their identical sons. Jack, as Betty had just pointed out, was still in shock.
They had been married exactly a year today, the advent of their first child together something they had both looked forward to. As far as Mattie was concerned, her euphoria had only doubled at the appearance of their twin sons.
‘What names do you have picked out for them?’ Edward Beauchamp asked.
Mattie gave a grateful smile for this change of subject. ‘We had chosen James Edward—James for my father,’ Mattie explained. ‘and Edward for you. But I think—perhaps we’ll just settle for James and Edward. What do you think, Jack?’ She looked questioningly at her still dazed husband.
‘Whatever,’ he agreed shakily.
‘Betty, perhaps we should just wait outside for a while…?’ Edward gave his wife a pointed look. ‘Give these two a little time together before Diana and Michael arrive to see their new grandsons.’
They were all one big family now, Diana having married her vet six months ago, the two older couples the best of friends, often having dinner together.
‘Yes, of course,’ Betty agreed instantly, bending to kiss Mattie warmly on the cheek. ‘Edward was just the same when Sally and Cally were born,’ she assured Mattie softly. ‘He’ll get over it.’ She looked affectionately at her son. ‘It’s just the shock.’
Mattie looked searchingly at Jack once they were alone; he didn’t really mind that they had two babies instead of the expected one—did he?
‘Jack…?’ she finally prompted hesitantly.
He looked up at her, fazed. ‘I thought—’ He swallowed hard. ‘It was agony sitting here watching you go through those hours of labour and knowing there was nothing I could do to help you. If I could have had the pain instead of you, I would gladly have done so!’ He gave a shuddering sigh. ‘Then when the pains started again—! I thought something had gone terribly wrong,’ he confided shakily. ‘I thought I was going to lose you!’ His hand tightened on hers.
Mattie’s brow cleared at this further evidence of Jack’s love for her. ‘I admit, the labour pains weren’t pleasant, Jack. But the moment James was born, I forgot about them. And when Edward was born…! Aren’t they adorable, Jack?’ Her eyes swam with unshed tears as she looked across at their sleeping sons.
Jack stood up to sweep her fiercely into his arms. ‘Absolutely adorable,’ he agreed. ‘Damn it, woman, when are you going to stop surprising me?’
Mattie laughed. ‘Never, I hope.’
‘So do I.’ Jack laughed too, a light sound at the relief of danger having passed. ‘I love you, Matilda-May Beauchamp. I always will.’
‘I love you too, Jack,’ she answered unhesitantly. ‘Always.’
Always.
* * * * *
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CAROLE MORTIMER,
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Read on for the first chapter of
THE LAST DI SIONE CLAIMS HIS PRIZE
by Maisey Yates
the final part in the unmissable new eight book Presents series
THE BILLIONAIRE’S LEGACY
CHAPTER ONE
IT WAS RUMORED that Alessandro Di Sione had once fired an employee for bringing his coffee back two minutes later than commanded and five degrees cooler than ordered. It was rumored that he had once released a long-term mistress with a wave of his hand and an order to collect a parting gift from his assistant in the following weeks.
There were also rumors that he breathed fire, slept in a dungeon and derived sustenance from the souls of the damned.
So, when his shiny new temporary assistant scurried into the room with red cheeks and an apologetic expression on the heels of his grandfather—who appeared neither red-cheeked nor sorry for anything—it was no surprise that she looked as though she was headed for the gallows.
Of course, no one denied Giovanni Di Sione entry to any place he wished to inhabit. No personal assistant, no matter how formidable, would have been able t
o keep his grandfather out. Age and severely reduced health notwithstanding.
But as his typical assistant was on maternity leave and her replacement had only been here for a couple of weeks, she didn’t know that. She was, of course, afraid that Giovanni was an intruder and that she would be punished for the breach of security.
He saw no point in disabusing her of that notion. It was entirely possible she would spend the rest of the day deconstructing the meaning to his every glance in her direction. Likely, in the retelling she would talk about the blackness of his eyes being a reflection of his soul, or some other such nonsense. And so, his reputation would darken even more, without him lifting a finger.
“I’m very sorry, Mr. Di Sione,” she said, clearly out of breath, one palm pressed tightly over her rather unimpressive breasts.
He made a low, disapproving sound and raised one dark brow.
She was trembling now. Like a very small dog. “Should I go back to work, sir?” she asked, nervous eyes darting toward the door.
He waved his hand and she scurried back out much the same as she had scurried in.
“I see you’re up and moving around,” Alex said, not descending into sentimentality because his relationship with Giovanni didn’t allow for that. With each returned Lost Mistress, Giovanni’s health had recovered bit by bit.
“It’s been a while since my last treatment, so I’m feeling better.”
“Good to hear it.”
“The way you acted toward your assistant was not overly kind, Alessandro,” his grandfather said, taking the seat in front of Alex’s desk somewhat shakily.
“You say that as though you believe I have a concern about being perceived as kind. We both know I do not.”
“Yes, but I also know you’re not as terrible as you pretend to be.” Giovanni leaned back in his chair, both hands planted on his knees. He was getting on in years and after seventeen years in remission his leukemia had returned. At ninety-eight, Giovanni likely didn’t have many years left on the earth regardless of his health, but this had certainly added a bit of urgency to the timeline.
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