The Dog House (Harding's World of Romance) (25 page)

And smile at me like you did before
you cursed me and stomped out of my door.

So what could make a man like me
, who had no time for matrimony

Suddenly want to spend my days
beneath the critical power of your gaze?

I guess I just needed this shove
to make me say “I am in love.”

I don’t want to lose this love we’ve found
, so stay with me and bring that hound,

You may be quite angry still, but I love you, Fi, and always will.”

Fiona opened her eyes cautiously to make sure that it was over, and then removed her hands from her face, unable to prevent a wide smile from spreading ear to ear as she looked at Colin. He was right. He was never going to become serious in his demeanour or passionate in the way that she was used to, with flaming tempers and volatile emotions, but underneath his easy-going manner and affability was a human heart, capable of all the same feelings that she showed so much more easily. Even now, when he finally said the words she’d been waiting for, it was in doggerel rhyme, but it was so much his style, funny but sweet, that it made the words all the more genuine.

He stood looking at her expectantly, waiting for some sort of reaction. “I was actually going to mention heather in there as well somewhere, but the only rhyme I could find was weather, which seemed a bit cliché. By the way, I really did like your poem in there. Would I be presumptuous in hoping that you were referring to your feelings for me?”

Fiona smirked. “That was Campbell I was reading, not my own. Mine was pure vitriol.”

Colin looked crestfallen but he perked up again valiantly. “But you chose it for a reason. Hope, at least.”

Fiona smiled up at him. “I’m a romantic,” she shrugged. “I believe in love and the power of poetry to suggest potentials. Yours was very sweet, you know. Painful but lovely. So did you mean what you said about the dog being welcome?”

“Of course,” he scoffed. “He just needs a week of good dog-training, which my mother could happily provide. She’s itching for some
grandpuppies to take under her wing. Is his name really Livingstone?”

“I didn’t name him,” Fiona said defensively.

“Another friend with fierce Scottish pride, then?” he asked with a twinkle.

“Could have been worse.
There are all the inventors, for starters,” Fiona reminded him.

“I’d have chosen a whiskey, myself.
How about Islay?” He seemed to be relaxing, finally more sure of his welcome.

Fiona didn’t want to let the conversation get side-tracked into flippancy just yet. “Do you really think I should head back to Glen Murray just yet?” she asked seriously. “Don’t you think we should give this some time, see how we do?”

He shook his head firmly. “That’s what I was suggesting when you nearly bit my head off,” he reminded her. “If you want to see passion and conviction, let’s jump in with both feet. You’re the first face that I want to see in the morning and the one I want to kiss just before falling asleep. Just give me a try. I’ve never lived with somebody before, but I don’t think I’d be the hardest to get along with. And if it doesn’t work, there are lots of rooms where you could stash my body before anybody found it.”

Fiona was smiling broadly now. It was a step further than she had been thinking of, but suddenly it was all that she wanted. “I think I’m ready for you to convince me of your passion in your own way,” she told him shyly, and the kiss that he gave her
conveyed more love and conviction than any of the poets could ever express.

“I’ve got a lifetime of convincing you to do,” he eventually mumbled in her ear. “Let’s go home.”

Harding’s World of Romance

Harding’s World of Romance is a new series of love stories that take you around the globe in the footsteps of spirited heroines and sexy heroes on the trail of a happy ending. While love remains at the heart of each story, the setting is also brought to life as you are plunged into new places and lifestyles, adding the pleasure of discovery to the thrill of romance.   Follow your heart to a new destination and let yourself be carried away for a memorable romantic adventure into Harding’s World of Romance.

Titles in the series already available on Amazon (and in the Kindle Owner’s Lending Library):

Fire and Ice

Kate Finnigan has what it takes to be a good chalet hostess: charm, warmth and a false identity. Her contagious spirit manages to thaw even her icy Swiss boss, the handsome watch-maker Sebastien Pichard, but just as the flames ignite, he discovers the truth about her identity.

One Short Harvest

Alex Larousse and Nadia Fischer are complete opposites. She is a free-spirited and unconventional young woman looking for adventure, and he is a traditional, strong and arrogant vineyard owner, used to getting his way. When she comes to pick grapes on his
Burgundian estate, he asks her to pose as his fiancée with no idea of how this will wreak havoc on his ordered life, or on his heart. Will they be able to overcome their explosive animosity or to resist their equally explosive attraction in the space of one short harvest?

North of Superior

Naomi Miller has just returned to Thunder Bay with her ten-year old daughter, Cody, to help her ailing grandfather and to make a fresh start when her life becomes entangled again with the sexy NHL player, Erik
Landsverk. After he becomes Cody’s coach and renews his interest in Naomi, she learns the price of the secret she has been carrying, because he has no idea that he is the father of her child.

Love for Water (Harding’s World of Romance, available soon on Amazon)

Michael
Wilmshurst is a recently-appointed diplomat in drought-ravaged Sudan. Ill-suited to life in diplomatic circles, he is grateful for a chance to return to the field on a visit, where his life is turned upside down by a meeting with the passionate humanitarian worker, Carla Fernandez. She is prepared to do anything to bring water to the village where she works, even to play the dangerous seduction game, trading love for water. But her plan backfires when the game turns real as she discovers the rugged field worker that Michael actually is. He is caught in a position where he cannot be her lover and still help her project for fear of corruption charges. Now Carla may have to choose between her fight for water and the man she loves…

Look for the following upcoming titles by Nell Harding:

Sunsets at Simba Hill

Wildlife biologist Megan Hall thinks that she has landed her dream job when she is asked to remain in the Serengeti to run a luxury safari camp, until she discovers that she will be sharing the job with Jack Hamilton, the dangerously charming rogue who broke her heart two years ago. When neither will back down from this unique opportunity, the serious scientist and the irresponsible playboy find themselves battling their differences and their growing attraction in the heart of Africa.

Riding the Wave (Harding’s World of Romance)

Freelance photo-journalist Isla McGinnis is in Costa Rica on an assignment, writing an article to try to save a stretch of wild coast which is about to lose its protected status. When she takes a few days off to learn to surf, she finds herself swept away, quite literally, by ocean and emotion, becoming entangled with sexy surfer Scott Ford. It feels like the perfect tropical romance until she discovers that he is one of the developers bidding for this land, the enemy which she has come here to stop.

About the Author

Nell has always loved travel, and has lived and worked in exotic locations throughout Africa, Europe, Asia and Canada. Her passion for exploration is reflected in the settings of her novels which help you to discover fascinating corners of the world while followin
g the adventures of her memorable heroines.

To find out more about Nell Harding and her works, please visit he
r website at Nell Harding Books:

https://sites.googl
e.com/site/nellhardingbooks

Contact

Nell is always happy to hear from her readers. Please feel free to send any comments or suggestions to
[email protected]