Happy Mother's Day! (40 page)

He was absolutely the sexiest, sweetest, most gorgeous man she had ever known. Sexier even than Action James of the photos on top of the piano. She didn’t know that man. But this man she knew.
This
man she loved.

Without another word, she rushed to him, wrapping her arms about his neck as he enveloped her completely in his inviolable embrace. Her whole body shook as she let go, let go of all her hurt and pain and happiness and love in one great gushing stream of tears.

Only once her racking sobs had subsided did James pull slowly away, sliding his arms from around her so he could run soft fingers down her damp cheeks.

‘What’s with all the tears?’ he asked, a true smile lighting his beautiful eyes.

Siena sniffed and did her best to take a proper breath. But she couldn’t. His very presence had stolen her breath fair away. ‘I can’t … I can’t believe you’re really here.’

‘Ye of little faith,’ he chastised.

‘I hoped. I wished. I sent out as many happy thoughts as I could. But I never really thought it would happen.’

‘Tell me about it,’ he said, now running his hands lovingly over her hair. ‘I’ve spent months thinking those very same thoughts, all but convincing myself I could never possibly hope to feel this way about someone. Now it just pains me to think that if I hadn’t got here in time …’

Siena could feel the pain in his voice as he contemplated her leaving and not coming back.

‘What?’ she said. ‘Are you some sort of quitter?’

He raised an eloquent eyebrow, a hint of a sparkle in his eyes.

‘Would you not have chased me all the way to Melbourne?’ she asked.

He thought about it and then smiled. ‘Actually, I would.’

‘Well, it’s your lucky day. It wouldn’t have come to that. I’ve booked myself on a flight back here tomorrow afternoon as it is.’

‘A working flight?’ he asked, and she knew he still hadn’t realised that she had really gone ahead and chosen him over Rome.

‘As a passenger, of course! Because, now that I will be working here, I was thinking I might try to find myself a cute little apartment somewhere up this way. Something with air-conditioning, for sure.’

‘Don’t tell me you quit,’ he said and the sparkle had turned into the beginnings of a smile and Siena knew she was home.

She saw the wheels and cogs turn in his head as he computed what she was telling him.

‘Nah,’ she said. ‘I made Max an offer he couldn’t refuse. I was going to tell all when I turned up at your place as a surprise tomorrow night but now you’ve saved me the trip … I suggested that if he thinks I’m that fabulous at my job that I should stay here training all his new recruits to be just like me, making sure they know what MaxAir service is all about if they want to fly the grand overseas routes. Telling them the truth of it, preparing them for the joy and the sacrifices both. And he thought it a great idea!’

‘Of course I believe it. He would have been stupid not to think so. Though they couldn’t be just like you if they tried. Not one of them. Unless of course you did build an army of Siena-shaped robots to do the job—’

She glared at him and slapped him on the back. Then, before she knew what he was about to do, he grabbed her tight and twirled her in his arms.

Siena laughed out loud. She felt giddy, loved and wondrous, like someone in one of those romantic ads for telephone companies that made every girl on the planet cry.

He brought her back to the ground, hugging her tight,
whispering against her ear. ‘Don’t get an apartment,’ he said, his voice insistent, strong and determined. ‘Don’t?’

‘I meant it when I told you that you should stay. I was just too struck dumb by the image of you in those sexy-as-hell pyjamas to be able to find the words to tell you properly. But since this get-up does nothing at all for me …’

He paused, running his hands over her shoulders and down her back until they were tucked beneath the cropped jacket at her waist, thus utterly negating the words he had just said.

‘Siena,’ he murmured, loud enough for her ears only, ‘sweetheart, stay with me. Live with me. Be with me. Marry me.’

Marry me.
Had he really said marry me?

‘Did you really say …?’

He slowly brought a hand to either side of her face, making sure she was looking at him, into those deep grey eyes of his. ‘Siena, you must know how much I love you.’

I do now,
she thought, her mind and heart and soul reeling and tripping and giddy. But instead she said, ‘I love you too.’

Then, in one fluid movement, they moved to kiss one another.

And Siena knew that, after all her years of flying the world, she had finally come home.

All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.

All Rights Reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises II B.V./S.à.r.l. The text of this publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

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Mills & Boon, an imprint of Harlequin (UK) Limited,

Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! LOVE MILLS
& BOON © Harlequin Books S.A. 2011

Accidentally Pregnant, Conveniently Wed
© Sharon Kendrick 2007
Claiming his Pregnant Wife
© Kim Lawrence 2007
Meant-To-Be Mother
© Ally Blake 2006

ISBN: 978-1-408-93534-7