'That was foolish.'
'Yes.'
'The mother superior loved you like a daughter, didn't she?'
Alesandra nodded.
'And you loved her.'
'Yes.'
A long minute passed in silence. 'With love comes responsibility,' she whispered. 'I didn't realize that truth until I saw how upset Mother was with me.'
'Do you love me, Alesandra?'
He'd cut right to the heart of the matter. She turned around to face him just as he pulled away from the doorway and started walking toward her. She immediately started backing away.
'I do not wish to love you.'
The panic in her voice didn't stop him. 'Do you love me?' he asked again.
It was a blessing there wasn't a fire burning in the hearth tonight. Her gown would have gone up in flames by now because she'd backed herself up against the stones.
Was she trying to get away from him or from his probing question? Colin wasn't certain. He was relentless, however, in his attempt to make her answer him. He wanted… no, he needed to hear her admit the truth.
'Answer me, Alesandra.'
She suddenly quit trying to get away from him. She folded her arms in front of her and walked over to stand directly in front of him. Her head was tilted all the way back so she could look into his eyes.
'Yes.'
'Yes, what?'
'Yes, I love you.'
His satisfied grin said it all. He didn't seem at all surprised, and that thoroughly confused her.
'You already knew I loved you, didn't you?'
He slowly nodded. She shook her head. 'How could you know when I didn't?'
He tried to take her into his arms. She quickly backed up a step. 'Oh, no you don't. You want to kiss me, don't you? Then I'll forget my every thought. You will answer me first,
Colin.'
He wouldn't be denied. He pulled her into his arms, nudged her chin up, and kissed her long and hard. His tongue swept inside to rub against her own. She let out a loud sigh when he finally lifted his head. She collapsed against his chest and closed her eyes. His arms were wrapped around her waist. He hugged her tight and let his chin drop to rest on the top of her head.
It felt so damn good to hold her. The end of his workday was now something he looked forward to, because he knew she would be home waiting for him.
It suddenly dawned on Colin that he liked having a wife. Not just any wife, he qualified to himself. Alesandra. He used to dread the evenings, and all because the pain in his leg was usually excruciating by then. His gentle little bride had taken his mind off his aches, however. She exasperated him and she enchanted him, and he was usually so busy reacting to her, there wasn't room in his mind for anything else.
And she loved him.
'Now I'll answer your question,' he said in a husky whisper she found wonderfully appealing.
'What question?'
He laughed. 'You really do forget your every thought when I touch you, don't you?'
'You needn't sound so happy over that shameful fact. You're above such behavior though, aren't you? Why, I imagine you're full of thoughts while you're kissing me.'
'Yes, I am.'
'Oh.' She sounded crestfallen.
'And every one of them is centered on what I want to do to you with my mouth, my hands, my…'
She reached up and clamped her hand over his mouth as a precaution against hearing something indelicate. Her reaction made Colin laugh again.
He pulled her hand away and said, 'You wondered when I realized you loved me.'
'Yes, I did wonder.'
'It was on our wedding night,' he explained. 'The way you responded to me made it obvious you were in love with me.'
She shook her head. 'It wasn't obvious to me.'
'Sure it was, sweetheart,' he replied. 'You couldn't hold anything back. Your every reaction was so damn honest. You couldn't have let yourself go that completely unless you loved me.'
'Colin?'
'Yes?'
'You really should do something about your arrogance It's getting out of hand.'
'You like my arrogance.'
She didn't reply to that outrageous remark. 'I won't interfere in your schedule, Colin. I promise you.'
'I never thought you would,' he replied, smiling because she'd sounded so fervent.
'You haven't changed your plan, have you? You still need five full years before you…' She didn't go on.
'Before I what?'
Before you turn your attention to falling in love with your wife, you dolt, she thought to herself. And children, she added. In five years he would probably decide to have one or two. She wondered if she would be too old to have babies by then.
She definitely couldn't have one now. A baby would put too much pressure on Colin. Why, look how his partner, Nathan, had changed. He was now willing to do something he'd found unacceptable before. Selling stock was certainly a last resort, and it was the birth of his daughter that had changed his mind.
'Alesandra, before I what?' Colin asked again. The wistfulness in her voice puzzled him.
'Before you reach your goals,' she blurted out.
'Yes,' Colin said. 'It's still five years.'
He made that comment on his way over to the bed. He sat down on the side and bent to take his shoes off. 'I didn't realize you were worried about my working for Richards,' he said, turning the topic back to that issue. 'You should have said something.'
He tossed his shoes and socks aside, then turned his attention to his shirt. 'And you were right when you said we're both responsible for each other. I haven't taken the time to consider your feelings. I'm sorry about that.'
She watched him pull his shirt out of his waistband and work it up over his head. She couldn't take her gaze off him. She hung on his every word, hoping he would tell her how he felt about her. She didn't have enough gumption to ask him if he loved her. Colin hadn't had any problem asking
She didn't know his.
She had to shake her head over her own fanciful thoughts. Men didn't think about such things as love, or at least she didn't think they did. If Colin hadn't taken the time to consider her feelings regarding his dangerous work for Richards, why in heaven's name would he take the time to think about loving her? His mind was already completely full with his plans to build his company into an empire, and there simply wasn't room for anything else.
Alesandra straightened her shoulders and her resolve. She reminded herself that she found her husband's dedication admirable. She could be patient. Colin would get around to her in five years or so.
He drew her attention away from her thoughts when he said, 'I've given my word to Richards I'd pass on a few papers for him.' He paused to toss his shirt on the chair and stood up. 'As for the other assignment I was offered, I'll let Morgan have it. In truth, I'd already decided against taking on the mission because it would have meant I'd have to be away from London for at least two weeks, possibly even three. Borders could have handled the office, of course, but I didn't want to leave you alone.'
She thought that was the sweetest thing Colin had ever said to her. He would have missed her. She decided she wanted to hear him say the words.
