‘Close your eyes,’ Nik instructed her huskily.
The sun was a warm caress on her face and another smile curved her generous mouth as he lifted her hand.
‘You can look now,’ he told her.
Feeling his tension, she gazed down in lively surprise at the ring that now adorned her wedding finger, and the diamond so dazzling it made her blink.
‘It’s an engagement ring…a proper one.’
‘Oh…’ Her throat convulsed, her eyes misted over. Once she had been a dreaming teenager who made a naïve romantic statement out of the prosaic presentation of a family ring and lived to learn her mistake. For that reason the significance of Nik’s gift of a ring touched her to the heart, for it had been chosen especially for her and it was being given with sincerity.
‘I had it engraved with our names…and the date our marriage was blessed,’ Nik imparted.
‘It’s amazing…’
‘Let it mark our new beginning.’
She gazed up at his lean, dark, angular face, as always arrestingly aware of the strong, classic planes and hollows of his fabulous bone structure. He was so incredibly handsome but even while she fought the breathless sensation he always induced she felt moved to say gently, ‘You can’t rewrite the past-’
‘But we don’t need to go there,’ Nik incised in the same authoritative tone that he might have employed to teach a stubborn child a safety lesson. ‘You’re my wife now in every sense of the word, thespinis mou.’
Her tummy muscles tightened at the mere vibration of his rich, dark drawl and his words released a shocking tide of intimate memory. In every sense, she conceded, her mouth running dry as she acknowledged the extent of his power over her. Hot-blooded, passionate and unashamedly masculine as he was, Nik had broken down her every barrier and taught her to crave him like a drug. And in his strength was a hard core of bone-deep arrogance and obstinacy. Even as his intense charisma held her fast, she knew that he believed that he could rewrite history.
His brilliant gaze fully trained on her, Nik scored a provocative fingertip gently across her lush pink lower lip. ‘And you’re happy, aren’t you?’
‘Yes…’ The sensual spell he cast made her downright dizzy with longing.
‘The past…what came before doesn’t count now, thespinis mou,’ Nik drawled with immense satisfaction.
Her mobile phone buzzed and she tore her gaze from his to dig into her bag. It was Leo. ‘I’ve got the job…I’ve finally got a permanent job instead of a temporary contract!’
Prudence grinned. ‘Congratulations. I told you that you could do it. When will you be starting at the new school?’
‘Next month. When are you coming home?’
‘Tomorrow.’
‘I’m going to ask Stella to help me find somewhere to live in London.’
‘That’s a good idea.’
‘I’ll be able to see a lot more of Stella and the kids when I move to the city,’ Leo pronounced with satisfaction.
Prudence almost suggested that he try to find out how Stella would feel about that before he made assumptions, but decided that it would be wiser to mind her own business. Tucking her phone back in her bag, Prudence noticed that Nik’s dark gaze was resting on her. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘We’re running late for lunch at the Donnington’s.’
‘Oh, dear, my fault…I took ages getting dressed!’
‘No problem,’ Nik murmured in his dark, silken drawl. ‘Where’s Leo’s new school?’
‘London.’
‘Nik…’ Prudence saw no point in pretending ignorance.
‘Nik Angelis is an extraordinary guy.’ Zoe’s husky voice made a suggestive meal of the statement and Prudence’s tension increased. ‘Quite unforgettable.’
‘Yes, he certainly lives up to his legendary reputation.’ Chantal rested spiteful green eyes on Prudence.
Although colour had blossomed over her cheekbones, Prudence just smiled as though she had the skin of a rhinoceros. ‘Doesn’t he just?’
‘When Chantal mentioned that Nik’s wife woul