Island of the Heart (23 page)

feeling as if I'm under sentence of death—and praying to be

pardoned, or put out of my misery? Because it's you I want,

Alexandra, as my wife, now and forever, as long as we both shall

live.'

She said simply, 'And I want you, more than anything else in the

whole world,' and kissed him.

A long, slow, sweet time later, he said lazily, 'Are you sure you

don't mind not being a concert pianist?'

Curled up on his lap, wrapped warmly and securely in his arms,

Sandie smiled into his eyes. 'That was an ego trip I recovered from

long ago, darling, and you know it.'

'But now you have this teaching career planned. Your mother was

telling me about it. There might be some way you could go on with

it.'

'I can always teach our children.'

'So we're going to have children, then?'

'You know we are. And horses too. All the things you dreamed

about.'

'My only important dream has come true already.' Flynn's mouth

caressed hers softly, and she surrendered to his kiss with a sigh,

winding her arms round his neck.

When she could think again, and speak, she said, 'Flynn—will we

live at Killane?'

'I don't think so, sweetheart. I love the place, but until Magda's

prepared to relinquish her grip, I think we'd better find another home

to start our married life in.'

Sandie stroked his cheek. 'Then—could we haw the twins to live

with us? They need somewhere too—and someone they can count

on.'

'They've been in my mind as well.' He kissed her hair. 'We'll talk to

them—see what they say. And now that I'm courting you officially,

Alexandra, I'd better take you decorously home.'

She sat upright with a jerk, staring at him. 'You don't want me to'

stay with you? But you—we— haven't…'

'I know,' he said grimly. 'And I'm suffering the tortures of the

damned at this moment through wanting you. But I love you,

Alexandra, and you're going to be my wife, and I don't want even

the least shadow over that—no guilt, no furtiveness, and no

embarrassing your parents, who strike me as the old- fashioned

kind. So I'm prepared to wait for you until our wedding night.'

'Do you think your self-control will last that long?' Sandie asked

demurely. 'After all, a wedding takes months to arrange. The church

is always booked ages ahead, and there are the caterers, and my

dress...'

She broke off with a little squeal as Flynn's mouth came down hard

on hers.

'We shall be married,' he told her when he raised his head, 'by

special licence, my darling, as soon as it can be arranged. It's only a

formality anyway. Our real marriage took place on
Oilean an

chroi—
and you didn't bother with a dress on that occasion, or

anything else either,' he added, his hand tracing a delicate and

tantalising path from her breast to her thigh. Sandie sighed

unsteadily. 'First my career, and now my big white wedding! I can

see my life with you is going to be one long series of sacrifices,

Flynn Killane.'

'I'll try and make sure there's adequate compensation,' Flynn

murmured, his teeth tugging sensuously at the lobe of her ear.

'But there's one sacrifice we'll both have to make.' Her voice was

suddenly serious. 'Flynn, if we move away, we'll lose the island.

We'll lose
Oilean an chroi.'

'No,' he said. 'No, my darling.
Oilean an chroi
has served its

purpose. From now on, wherever we are together, that's where our

island will be.'

'In our hearts.' Her eyes shone at him with an abiding joy.

'You're right entirely,' said Flynn, and kissed her.