Bound By Her Ring (16 page)

Her fingers gripped the reins a little tighter.

“Newlyweds, I remember those early days of married life.”

Jasmine laughed softly at the lady who spoke the words. If only she knew the truth, they were hardly newlyweds.

“What is that smile for,
tesoro mio?”

She started at Lukas’s voice, how did he get back to her so quickly? She turned towards him. “Nothing really, the lady in the blue shirt commented on us being newlyweds. I was just thinking how far from the truth that was.”

“You know, it’s more accurate than you think,” he mused as he pulled his camel to a halt.

Copying the action Jasmine did the same, waiting until the guide came to get her off. “Why?”

“Well, when your accident happened we’d only just married.” Lukas had slid off the animal and came to help her off. He let his hands loop loosely around her waist. “We haven’t been together for many weeks. This could, in fact, be our honeymoon.”

“Why Lukas, I never would’ve guessed you to be a romantic?” she teased, although even that wasn’t true. Everything he’d done on this trip had been designed for romance.

She wondered whether that had been his plan when he’d all but ordered her to accompany him, or had his plans changed after they’d arrived.

“You’ll find I can be quite romantic when it’s called for.” He took hold of her hand and led her over to where the rest of the group had congregated.

A short discussion ensued and it was decided they would all drive to the local hotel and have a drink. She looked at Lukas, the last thing she wanted to do was socialise. She just wanted to go back to the resort and lose herself in his arms.

Her desire was obviously evident in her eyes, as Lukas told the group they’d only be able to stay for one drink.

“Then you’re all mine,” he whispered to her.

She shivered and it wasn’t from the cool evening, it was from the knowledge of what was going to happen after that ‘one drink’.

The next half hour passed so slowly. She made idle chit chat with the other women in the group, not taking in half of what was said.

Finally Lukas said the words she wanted to hear. “It’s been lovely but we have to be going, we have an early flight to catch. Good night.”

She mumbled her goodbyes while assimilating the fact that Lukas mentioned they were flying somewhere. Did he just lie or was he telling the truth?

They got into the car where she blurted out the questions that were burning on her tongue. “Lukas, were you telling the truth when you said we had an early flight to catch, or was it a convenient lie so we could leave the party?”

Lukas steered the car safely onto the main road before answering. “I got a phone call while you were in the shower. Something’s come up with one of the Regent Hotels. We need to head back to Perth tomorrow.”

“And just when were you going to tell me?”

“As soon as we returned to the resort.” He reached over and taking her hand so it rested on his thigh. “I didn’t want to spoil the trek for you. I wanted us to enjoy our last evening here.”

She could see his point. If she’d known they would’ve been leaving before the trek she wouldn’t have taken in the whole sensory experience of a sunset camel ride.

“I think you like to bend the truth to suit you, Lukas Morelli.”

“Sometimes it’s better not to know.”

His reply was cryptic and she couldn’t help but wonder if he was referring to their argument about children at the beach. She didn’t want to rip open that wound again.

“Maybe you’re right,” she murmured.

She left her hand on his leg the rest of the journey. Upon arriving back at the suite she found out that Lukas had arranged for housekeeping to come and pack their bags for them. His intention clear…he wanted to focus solely on her. He didn’t want to be distracted with the menial task of packing. When he scooped her up in arms the moment the door shut proved her thoughts correct.

She really felt like a new bride. A jittery sensation took up residence in her stomach, like someone had set loose hundreds of butterflies.

How would she be able to hold back from telling him she loved him tonight?

No words were spoken as they undressed each other slowly, each coveting the other.

“You are so beautiful,” she whispered as she ran her hands over Lukas’s chest. “So strong, you make me feel so safe.”

Her words humbled him. How could this woman who was speaking from the heart, he was sure, be so callous as to take his child from him?

No, he didn’t want to think about that. Didn’t want to spoil their last night at the resort. Didn’t want to think about what would happen tomorrow when they stepped off the plane.

When he’d first arrived back, he’d been so sure his plan would succeed. So sure he would be able to resist her. Now his resistance to her was below zero. She was well on the way to weaving herself in his heart again.

He gave himself up to the moment and promised himself that he would make this a night to remember for Jasmine.

“No, your beauty outshines even the most luminous pearl,” he breathed the words against her lips.

He directed her to the bed and encouraged her to lay down. He wanted to take his time but the desire to possess her consumed him and he couldn’t fight the fire in his blood.

He reached down and tested her readiness. His fingers came back slick with her answering desire.

He groaned as he pushed into her, waiting a moment before thrusting fully in. She was so tight and warm and it was like heaven.

He couldn’t wait a moment longer, he started to drive into her with long, slow strokes, building up momentum until they both fell over the edge together.

The early fingers of dawn edged through the miniscule gaps in the blinds. With the early morning sunlight, came the realisation her time in paradise was over.

What would happen when their plane landed? Would Lukas want to stay with her? He hadn’t given her any idea that he could foresee a future together.

Jasmine wanted to believe with all her heart the tenderness with which he made love to her last night indicated he wanted to start over with her.

There was almost a desperation about Lukas the last time they’d made love. His touches, his kisses the way he held her close before finally letting his control go and let his release pump into her.

She shivered recalling the intensity of it all.

“Cold?” his voice sounded heavy with sleep.

“No, just remembering.”

He pulled her closer. “Sleep
tesoro mio
, we have plenty of time before we have to leave.”

The next time she awoke she was alone and a glance at the clock told her it was only eight, still early. She went to rollover and catch the elusive dream she’d been having. But the bathroom door opening and Lukas’s fresh scent wafting out to her had her fully awake in seconds.

She eyed him and wondered if she could tempt him back into bed with her.

“As much as I would love to take you up on the offer, we do have a plane to catch. Come on sleepyhead up you get.”

She shrieked as he pulled the covers off of her. Her shriek was quickly replaced to a moan of pleasure as he took her lips on a sensual ride.

When he released her she fell back on the pillows. “You now expect me to be able to walk to the shower?”

“I could always carry you if you like?”

The idea tempted her very much but reason took over and she dragged her body out of bed. “If you do that then we really will miss our flight.”

He laughed and dropped his towel; the sight of his aroused body almost had her reconsidering her noble intentions. In protest she threw a pillow at him and had the satisfaction of hearing him grunt when it connected with his chest.

“Breakfast will be here in fifteen minutes.”

She waved her hand to let him know she’d heard him. She showered in double quick time and was doing up the last button on her blouse, as the knock sounded at the door.

Would there be a little present waiting on the trolley today, she mused.

“As if,” she muttered out loud, as she gave her hair one last swipe with the hairbrush. “One multiple thousand dollar pendant is surely more than enough Jasmine Anderson.”

No, she wasn’t Jasmine Anderson, she was
Jasmine Morelli
.

She spoke the words out loud, liking what she heard. “Hi, I’m Jasmine Morelli.”

“Yes you are, and breakfast is getting cold.”

Mortification at being caught out had her ducking her head to let her hair cover her heated cheeks.

“I’m so embarrassed,” she groaned.

“Why?” he questioned. “After all this time of not knowing your married name, of course you want to hear what it sounds like.”

“I guess so.” She hadn’t thought of it that way. It did make sense, but it wasn’t the reason she was saying it, but she was willing to grasp at anything.

He held out his hand. “Come on, let’s eat.”

She grasped his hand and he led her out to the balcony.

“It’s such a beautiful morning I thought we could have our last breakfast here.”

She didn’t object, but his words last breakfast troubled her. Was that his way of saying not to expect too much when they returned to Perth?

A quick glance at the table confirmed it was just food and there was no sparkling gift sitting there jauntily waiting for her to open and reveal its treasure.

“My necklace is in…”

“Right here,” Lukas interrupted and extracted the delicate chain from his pocket. The sunlight glinted off the diamonds as it swayed from side to side in the gentle breeze.

“Will you put it on again for me?” she asked.

“It will be my pleasure,
tesoro mio
.”

And in a re-creation of the previous morning Jasmine held her hair up and out of the way to enable him to place it around her neck. The moment the heavy pearl rested against her upper chest she covered the pearl with her fingers.

“I wish we had more time to meet with the designer.” She wanted to ask how he came up with his unique designs.

“I’m sure during the negotiations between my corporation and Fierro’s something could be arranged.”

“That would be fantastic. I imagine it will be difficult to get him to agree to show and sell his pieces other than up here.”

Lukas sat back down and started eating. “I don’t believe it will be too much of a problem.”

Something about the way he spoke had her questioning him further. “You know him don’t you?”

“What makes you say that?”

“Well the supreme confidence with which you speak about him, as if you know him personally.”

“I could never keep much from you,
cara
. Yes you’re right, we are friends. We met when we were at college and we kept in touch.”

Triumph at being right sizzled through her. “Well I shall be the envy of many women. Not only do I have a Jeffrey Courteux original necklace, but my husband knows him personally.”

“Your necklace is not the only design by him you own.”

She sat back and thought for a moment about her jewellery at home. Everything in her jewel box she remembered purchasing. Was Lukas talking about a piece of jewellery he had possession of?

Then another thought hit her. She looked at the rings on her left hand. The rings she had refused to remove. The rings that connected her to the man sitting opposite her.

“Are you saying…?”

“Yes.”

“My rings.” She couldn’t help but ask the question she had to know. “Did I know that?”

“Yes.”

Jasmine glanced back at them, the enormity of the moment sinking in. Her rings just weren’t a generic design that any another woman could possess. Her rings were unique, designed especially for her. Had he told Jeffrey how he wanted them designed or did he choose them from an array of designs? As she looked at the ring on Lukas’s hand she had her answer. For the first time she noticed the matching etching on his and her wedding bands, the only difference was her band was interspersed with diamonds and his wasn’t.

Lukas was an enigma, she decided. It was hard to compare the man sitting in front of her with the one she’d first met only a few days ago. She couldn’t comprehend it all. They were two completely different men, and she knew which one she preferred.

The man sitting on the opposite side of the table.

“My rings were removed when I was in the hospital. When I was discharged they were handed back to me along with the rest of my personal belongings.”

The feelings she encountered then charged back through her veins now. The emptiness and loneliness and sheer panic competing with the complete sense of loss of not knowing her past.

“I had to put them on straightaway. The moment I did I felt calmer. They belonged there and I knew I wouldn’t take them off ever again.”

She looked up and noticed Lukas’s rigid posture. It was like he didn’t want to know, but once the gates had been opened on that day, she couldn’t stop the words from flowing out of her.

“I was so angry at the hospital for taking them off. I blamed them for my memory loss. I reasoned that if I’d still had them on, I wouldn’t have forgotten who put them there. I wouldn’t have forgotten my husband.” She finished on a whisper.

Strong arms enfolded her and just like the moment she put her rings back on, calmness stole away her aching loneliness.

“Nothing comes of remembering that painful time. Look forward,
cara
, look forward.”

But look forward to what, she wanted to ask. A future with him or a future without him?.

She voiced her concerns. “What do I have to look forward to?”

“So much more than just remembering the past.” He stood abruptly and glanced at his watch. “As much as I know you need to talk about this more we have a flight we need to catch.”

“Fine,” she threw her napkin on the table, stood and walked back into the suite to collect her bag.

Frustration vied with relief. Part of her wanted to know, the other part didn’t. She wanted to believe, at least until they returned to Perth, that this was more than just a casual fling, that the past few days together had been the ground work to building a new and stronger relationship between them.