Imitation of Love (15 page)

“Do you really think I’d trust anyone
but the Captain to keep you out of trouble?” he said, when he’d reluctantly
stopped kissing her. She clung onto him, afraid that she really might faint
then, even though the spinning in her head was a much more pleasurable sensation
than before.  “Darling Catherine, when I found out they’d taken you, and then
when you were ill, I thought I’d lost you before I could beg for your
forgiveness for how badly I treated you. I prayed to God every night you were
ill that he’d give me the chance to tell you how much I love you.”

“You do?”

“More than life itself. Why do you think
I wanted to stop doing the forgeries?”

“Because it’s illegal and immoral?”

“Well, yes, there’s that. Though looking
at you it’s hard to believe you’re capable of being either. But also because
Jimmy learned the hard way that not everyone can be trusted to be doing the
right thing. The thought of you being hurt … as you so nearly were…” He held
her tighter still.

“But when you kissed me in the garden at
Oakley Mansion, I thought you despised me because I let you.”

“No, I was disgusted with myself for
taking advantage of you. You’re so young Catherine, and Phoebe kept calling me
your father, which made me worry about the age difference between us. I wanted
you to have a chance to find someone of your own age.”

“I don’t care about the age difference.
I don’t want anyone else, Xander. Only you.”

“And I only want you, my love. I
realized that when I saw you walking away from Oakley Mansion. I told you I’d
only ever been in love once. I was talking about you, my darling.”

“Do you really mean that?”

“Every word. And because of that, I’m
not going to do anything to put you at risk again. The Captain has hung up his
mask. The war will be over soon anyway, so he isn’t going to be needed for much
longer.”

“I’m afraid the Captain might get bored
with me.” Catherine lay her head on his shoulder, feeling as if she’d finally
come home.

He kissed her forehead and chuckled. “I
have a feeling you’ll be one of his most challenging missions.”

“I fully intend to be,” she said,
smiling up at him mischievously. “To make sure you aren’t tempted again by the
Pheobe Sandersons of this world.”

“Never.” He stroked her cheek tenderly, and
then kissed her for a long time. Finally he raised his head slightly, and
murmured against her lips, “Why would I seek an imitation of love, when I can
hold the original in my arms?”

The End