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'What, then?'

'I don't understand what you want from me.'

'Everything.' She heard him move behind her, felt him behind her, although he didn't touch her. 'I want everything. You, a home, children, marriage, if you'll have me again.'

Annabel closed her eyes. 'Daddy would be over the moon to hear you say that,' she whispered. 'He's just about given up hope of ever seeing any grandchildren.'

'What about you?'

'I love you.' She'd started to shake again. 'I've loved you for nine years, including all that time you went away. That's a big chunk of my life, Luke. I'll always love you.'

'Then give me your trust,' he demanded softly. 'Annie, I made mistakes. I left you because I thought that was the right thing to do for both of us. I wanted the chance to achieve something in Boston and I wanted you to have your chance to reach the sort of height in your career that I aspired to in mine.

'I was wrong. I didn't see then that you were the most important thing in my life and I wasn't wise enough to understand that you could be happy meeting less than your full potential with your own career. I need you, Annie. My life has been incomplete without you, I just didn't realise it until I had the chance to fall in love with you all over again. I fought it at first but the night I sent you out with Geoffrey Clancy I almost went mad, waiting for you to come home. Forgive me. Take me back. Give me another chance to make you happy.'

She had no choice. She loved him too much not to trust him, but she also believed him now. 'Yes.' She turned around and flung herself at him. 'Yes,' she sobbed against him as his mouth came down onto hers. 'Yes.'

Some time late the following morning Annabel woke wrapped in Luke's warm arms in her bed. They'd been in too much of a hurry to draw the curtains the previous night and the room was full of summery light. She wiggled around and looked at him. He was beautiful and she ached with love for him. 'I thought I was dreaming,' she said softly when he opened his eyes and smiled at her.

He bent his head and bit gently at her ear. 'Was it a good dream?'

'Mmm.' She arched against him, smiling when one broad hand slid up from her waist to cup her bare breast possessively. 'Incredibly good. Thank you.'

'For waking you up?'

'For making everything wonderful,' she countered. 'For loving me again. For being so gentle.'

'But I still hurt you.'

'Only a little bit the first time, but not afterwards.' Annabel swivelled around to lie atop him, taking command now. 'I'm a bit stiff but that just means I need practice,' she told him confidently. He was already aroused and she came up onto her knees and gently straddled him.

Luke groaned as she took him into her. He curled his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her down to him, his mouth covering hers with a passion and urgency that set her blood racing again. 'I don't mean to rush you but I have to be at Heathrow to meet Mom in two hours,' he said hoarsely. 'Come with me and surprise her?'

Annabel stilled, abruptly shocked because until that moment she'd forgotten about Rosemary coming. She sank down against his thighs, her desire momentarily fading, although the , soft sound of protest Luke made at her stillness suggested his hadn't done the same. 'What will she say about me?' she asked quietly.

'Probably something like, "About time, idiot boy,'" Luke told her impatiently. 'Like your father, Mom gave up hope of grandchildren a long time ago. Around the same time I told her if she tried setting just one more of her friends' daughters onto me, I'd probably strangle her.'

Annabel's eyes narrowed. 'Were any of them beautiful?' she asked huskily.

'You think I cared?' Luke's hands fondled her breasts. 'It's a long, long time since I've had eyes for any women but belligerent redheads with big grey eyes. You're a pretty rare breed, Annabel Geddes.'

'Annabel
Stuart,'
Annabel reminded him breathlessly. 'Ah.' He tugged her down and kissed her again. 'Not for long, I'm afraid. In case you didn't notice, we didn't use protection just now. My mother would be horrified if the mother of her first grandchild was merely cohabiting with her son. And she hates flying. She has to see a therapist for weeks before she can get on a plane. To keep her sweet there's going to have to be wedding this week while she's already in town.'

'Just to keep your mother happy,' Annabel agreed, kissing him back. 'Of course, we'll have to invite Daddy and Harry and his wife and Geoffrey and Miriam Frost and then there's the. rest of the staff. Next week's too soon to invite Daisy, even though she's been secretly playing matchmaker, because she won't be able to leave hospital for another few weeks, but we could ask Harry to video—'

'Annie?' Luke's hands tightened at her hips and he rocked her forward urgently onto him, his eyes on her breasts, his expression preoccupied. 'My darling, much as I love your sexy little voice, can we talk about the guest list a little later, please?'

'Of course.' Annabel braced her hands on either side of his chest, bent her head and softly kissed him. 'Whatever you say. Even if I didn't love you with all my heart, how could I possibly argue?' She thrust forward gently, her eyes closing blissfully as he slid within her. 'You know you're the boss.'