The Right Side of Mr Wrong (17 page)

BOOK: The Right Side of Mr Wrong

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‘Okay, I’m going to have to come clean on that one.’ He pursed his lips, grimaced as he hesitated. ‘My P.A. booked you for that. I couldn’t bear to think of you being tied up elsewhere, and not being with me, and if all this had backfired, at least I’d have known you were working back at Edgerton, with plenty of excuses to drop in on you. I’m very thorough, and very determined. I had every aspect covered.’ He shot her a smile. ‘Not that I’m wanting you to work, but knowing how you hate having nothing to do, I was hoping you might like to come and sort out the building in London. It’s a converted warehouse with a penthouse flat, a few thousand square feet of bachelor chaos with my offices below, which hasn’t had the benefit of Mrs McCaul’s attention. There should be enough there to keep you going for years! And we can spend time at Edgerton too, obviously. We have such a great time when we’re there together, I’d love for us to live there and have some kids. Now see what you’ve done to the guy who wouldn’t leave London, and thought he could never change.’

‘Awwww, Brando. I do love you, very much.’ She added a hasty afterthought. ‘And not just because you’ve offered me endless amounts of organising to do. I’m not sure that you or Edgerton are ready for children though.’

‘I think we’re about to prove you wrong.’ He shot her a smile that flipped her tummy. Again. ‘One more thing. The reason I came.’ He fumbled in the pocket of his jacket, pulled out a postcard, and flipped it towards her. ‘Apparently Bryony’s Country House Crisis programme has been inundated with enquiries about you taking your talents to other stately homes. I wanted to make sure I got in first, before you had chance to consider the opposition!’

As she looked at the picture on the card her crazily wide smile, broadened further.

‘Awww, Brando! It’s Dali’s Mae West lips sofa! He made that sofa for the same patron he made the lobster telephones for. This card matches the one I sent in!’

He nodded at her knowingly, and winked.

‘That’s why I chose it, duh, although I never actually read what you wrote on your card at the time. Bryony tells me you claimed on the card to have no matrimonial aspirations, so I’m sorry I gave you such a hard time at first for you being a husband hunter. Turn it over, and read the message.'

‘Brando Marshall would like to be considered’ A sudden whoosh took her voice away as she read on. For a moment her nose stung horribly, and she bit her lip.
Keep calm and carry on.
Gulping down the spiky taste of tears she kept going. ‘ … would like to be considered for the position as Shea Summer’s husband … ’ She sent him a wavering smile, as she rubbed a tear from the corner of her eye ‘ … because he’s the only man for the job!’

‘The thing is I’d really like you to marry me, if you’d like to, that is?’ He shot her a wicked grin.

‘Awwwwww Brando!’ She leaned across and grabbed a handful of tissues from the coffee table, and blew her nose loudly. ‘I can’t believe you just asked me to marry you – my hair is all wet, I’m not wearing any knickers, and I’m crying.’

‘No knickers, I can definitely work with, once you’ve answered that is!’ His lips twitched in appreciation, as he raised one questioning, slightly impatient eyebrow. ‘So what do you say .… Shea, will you marry me?’

‘I’d love to, Brando!’ She flashed him a mischievous glance. ‘So long as you’re ready to do as you’re told. You do know how bossy I am when I’m not snivelling, that is.’

‘I damn well do! And right now, after two weeks without you, I’ll pretty much promise to do anything you say, so long as you let me take you to bed right now!’

In one leap, Brando was up, and she felt the room spin as he grasped her in his arms, threw her into the air, and whirled her around.

She let out one shriek of surprise, which happily, he ignored, and then she gave in to the delicious thrill, and pure exuberance of his raw embrace.

‘I’ve loved you since the moment I saw you and hauled you into the house the day you arrived by helicopter, and I’m going to carry on loving you. But right now I need to ravish you!’ He swept her across the room, and with one easy swing of his knee he opened the door.

‘Brando! That day, I knew the instant you picked me up that you were completely special, just from the way you made my stomach spin, and I guess that’s when I fell in love with you too. You turned my whole life upside down, and you’ve been shaking me every day since. You could say it was love at first lift.’ She grinned right on up at him, as his erection bumped on her bottom.

‘Sounds right to me.’ He looked down at her adoringly through sooty lashes, and made her heart squish again. ‘Now point me in the direction of your bedroom, and I’ll show you how much I love you!’

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