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She hung, suspended for a moment in time and space, not wanting the moment to end, wondering if she could have imagined it. Dazedly she stared out over the lawn. Suppose she failed a second time? Suppose she could not make him happy as he deserved to be? The doubts that she had pushed out of her mind on previous occasions and refused to think about now whispered insidiously to her. So much could go wrong, that ugly little voice said. What
if ...

'Dani!' He swung her around to face him, his fingers digging into the soft skin of her arms, but she would not meet his eyes, dropping her gaze to his throat. 'You can't say no! Damn it, I won't let you!' Still she would not answer him. 'Dani . . .' His voice dropped to a low, caressing whisper. ' . . . are you scared? Don't be afraid, my love. I won't push you. If you want more time—if you want to think about
it. . .'

'No, I don't want to think about it!' The words flooded out of her. 'Only up until this moment I didn't have any doubts—and now I do.'

'About what?' His hands cupped her face, thumbs stroking the delicate skin over her cheekbones. 'About me? My God, I don't blame you! I don't. . .' The words began to tumble out of him.

'No, not about you.' She had to make that clear. She stretched upwards, drawing her finger along the frown fine on his forehead, trying to ease it away, and then she trailed it slowly down the side of his face. 'I love you so much. I . . .' What words could she possibly use to describe how she felt? She had dreamed of this moment, and now that it was here, she could not grasp it with both hands.

'Are you frightened to try again?' Dani felt her heart thump heavily with fear as she nodded. 'Don't be.' He captured one of her hands and held it to his lips. 'You were too young last time. You said so yourself This time it will be different. I promise you it will.'

There was such conviction in his voice, such confidence in the steady gaze of his green eyes, that Dani relaxed and the doubts were banished as if they had never existed.

'Of course it'll be different,' she said softly, and she smiled at the look of relief that came over his face. 'It's you, isn't it? And you are . . .' She searched for the right words.' . . . all I've ever wanted. I love you so much.'

'You'll marry me?'

'Oh yes, my love.'

'Dani-girl!' She was enveloped in an embrace that threatened to squeeze the life from her, but she did not care. He loved her, they were going to be married, and this old house—which had seen birth and death and joy and sadness—would see happiness once again. She buried her face into the side of his throat and was content, for just one moment, to be held by him and to listen to his quiet words
of love. He was her rock. She could anchor herself to him, be certain of him, and he would never let her down. It was all there; in his words and in the arms that were creating a safe harbour for her against his heart.

'Can we tell the others?' he asked. 'I can't bear to keep this to myself. I want the whole damn world to know.'

'Of course.' She raised her face and his eyes devoured her, alight now with a flame of desire that made Dani quiver with the knowledge that soon, very soon, she would know what it was like to make love with him. He would set her ablaze, consume her with racing, raging fire, lift her to heights of delight that she had never experienced before. Yet, unlike a forest fire, there would be no ashes and, like the phoenix, their love would never die.

Prentice kissed her and quicksilver flashed through her veins at the first light touch of his mouth. Her lips parted for him, offering and wanting and yielding, and his mouth moved passionately and thirstily over hers as if he could never get enough of her, never kiss her enough, and never bear to stop. Tender, greedy, loving and promising, the kiss bonded them together, turning their declarations of love into a golden chain of commitment that made Dani feel happily and contentedly shackled.

Every line of her body moulded itself to his, and she felt his vitality stimulate her nerve-endings until they crackled with energy. He would always be like this; volatile, fiery, and undoubtedly possessive too. Yet Dani suspected that for her sake he would be able to control his temper. Even if he could not, Dani smiled inwardly, well she would learn how to cope with it. Nothing was impossible.

'Look, my love . . .' He raised his head at last and turned her so that they could stand with their arms around each other and gaze out of the window. 'I'd give you the sun, moon and stars if I could, but it seems as if you already have your Christmas present.'

Dani laughed. Her Christmas present was safe within her arms in the shape of a tall, green-eyed man who would be the centre of her world for the rest of her life. And yet she knew what he meant.

'It's snowing,' he said softly and she nodded. It was snowing; great white flakes falling silently and relentlessly towards the ground. It was going to be a white Christmas after all.