The Taming of Dr. Alex Draycott (17 page)

Alex was shocked. ‘What man? What happened to him?’

Callum laughed softly. ‘He was young, apparently, and he was buried here some nine thousand years ago. His skeleton was found intact, and they’ve even managed to extract DNA from his tooth cavity, to show that he still has relatives living in the area.’

‘You’re joking!’

‘No, it’s true, believe me.’

She smiled. ‘That’s some family history—if you were searching for your ancestors, you’d hardly expect to go so far back, would you?’

‘You wouldn’t.’ He held her close, walking with her back through the caves, until they emerged out into the sunlight once more.

She handed him his jacket. ‘Thanks for that,’ she said. She was reluctant to let it go. It had been warm from his body, and it had bought her nearer to him than she had been for what seemed like a long time.

He slung it over his shoulder, holding it with one hand, while he clasped her fingers with the other. ‘Shall we walk by the river for a while?’ he suggested.

‘Yes, that sounds good.’ She looked up at him. ‘Somehow, I don’t want the day to end. I know it must, eventually, but it’s been so good, I want it to go on and on.’

He laid his arm around her shoulders. ‘That’s how I feel, too, and I think it’s done you a world of good. You needed a break after all that’s been happening. You certainly look better for it. There’s colour in your cheeks and your eyes are sparkling.’

They walked towards the fields and the river, taking their time, ambling along and enjoying the lushness of nature all around them. By the riverside, Alex spotted a kingfisher searching for prey in the water, and further on there were two white egrets, shuffling their feet in the shallows.

It was glorious and so peaceful, and they stopped and sat for a while on the grassy bank in the shade of a broad oak tree, watching the sunlight playing over the water.

Callum eased himself closer to her. He looked at her, his gaze wandering over her features, over the smooth line of her cheekbones and the soft curve of her cheek. Then he bent his head and dropped a kiss on to her soft mouth, surprising her and starting up an array of tingling sensations that ran from her lips right down to the soft centre of her abdomen.

‘Oh,’ she said huskily. ‘What was that for?’

‘Just because.’

‘Because what?’

‘Because it was something I just had to do. Because your lips are soft and inviting and it’s all I can do to resist you.’ His fingers caressed her cheek. ‘Because I’ve been wanting to do that all day.’

‘Oh.’ She was finally speechless. She gazed up at him, loving the feeling of being close to him, of having his long body mesh with hers.

His blue eyes glinted, his gaze trailing over her as though he would absorb her features into his memory.

‘It’s been great to see you looking so relaxed. We’ll have to find more opportunities to take time out and explore different places together. I want to spend a lot more time with you.’

‘Funny, that…I was thinking the same thing.’

He nodded. ‘It doesn’t matter where…the beach, meadow walks, your place or mine…just as long as we’re together.’

She smiled at him. ‘It’s what I want, too.’ She was quiet for a moment. ‘Strange, isn’t it, that I’ve never seen your place? I was beginning to wonder if it was some kind of sacred bachelor pad…your very own sanctuary.’ Her expression became wistful. ‘You more or less said that’s what you intended when you bought it.’

His mouth made a crooked shape. ‘People change. I changed…at least, I changed when I met you.’ His glance flicked over her. ‘I’m not alone in that, am I? Hasn’t the same thing happened to you? You used to live in a rented place, and then you came down here and bought that rambling old property. I always wondered why you took it on, especially at a time when you had so much else on your plate. I think your subconscious mind was telling you that you needed to settle down, to be part of a family unit, and that house would be the one place where you sensed could be truly happy.’

‘You think so?’

‘Mmm-hmm. Though it’s going to be a little more crowded than you expected, quite soon, from the sound of things, when your brother and his wife move in with you. I think it’s great that you’re doing it, but are you going to be happy with that?’ He tugged her closer to him as though he needed to feel the softness of her curves against his taut, masculine body. His hands stroked the small of her back, moving over the swell of her hips.

‘I think so.’ She snuggled up against him, cherishing the moment. ‘I want to see Ross and his family reunited, and they need somewhere to stay while they recover from their injuries. Beth’s come on by leaps and bounds, and I’m sure she’ll soon regain her strength. I think Ross will take a little longer, and he needs to be perfectly fit before they can go house-hunting…unless Beth does it for them. At least his job is being kept open for him. The company wants him back.’

Callum smiled. ‘That’s good.’ He lowered his head to hers and kissed her once again, taking his time, exploring the softness of her lips, moving against her as though he couldn’t get enough of her.

Alex was in seventh heaven. This was way more than she could have hoped for, to have him kiss her and hold her and make her feel that she was everything to him just then. She ran her hands over his shoulders, his arms, trailing her fingers over the length of his spine.

‘That feels so good,’ he murmured, his voice roughened as he dragged his mouth reluctantly from hers. ‘But every time I hold you I think it’s not nearly enough. I want us to be together.’

She gave him a cautious look from under her lashes. ‘I’m not sure what you’re asking.’

He laid his cheek against hers. ‘Do you think you might want to move in with me for a while, once Ross and Beth are settled in your house? I know my apartment is a bit small, after what you’re used to, but we can at least be together, alone, private.’

She hesitated, drawing back a little and laying her palms flatly against his chest as she looked up at him. ‘You’re suggesting we live together?’ Was he saying he wanted just a casual fling, no strings attached? Her spirits plummeted. She wanted so much more than that.

He nodded. ‘Just until Ross and Beth find a place of their own. I mean, I really like the children, and it’s great having them around, and I’m sure I’ll get along fine with your brother and his wife…but I really would like to have you to myself for a while. I know it’s a lot to ask of you, but once they find their own house, I can put my apartment on the market.’

She frowned. ‘Why would you want to do that?’

‘Like I said, I’ve changed. Why would I need a bachelor apartment any longer? I’ve fallen in love with a woman who has the perfect family home. We could spend a lifetime together there.’

Her mouth dropped open a little. ‘Is this your way of telling me that you love me?’

He nodded. ‘I do love you, Alex. We’re like two opposite halves, but we fit together so well. I just know we could make it work…if you would agree to be my wife. After all, you said you didn’t want to be Miss Bean Counter, didn’t you? Mrs Brooksby has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?’

A soft sigh escaped her. ‘I thought you were asking me to move in with you, for us to live together without any kind of commitment.’ She looked up at him, her expression quizzical. ‘I thought you said you never felt the need to settle down, that marriage and commitment weren’t for you?’

He nodded. ‘That was all true…until I met you. Then after that everything was different. It took me a while to realise what was happening. I couldn’t believe that I’d fallen for someone who was so strong and career minded—the very opposite of what I thought I wanted—but you showed me that you know instinctively what’s more important. You showed it when you came down to Somerset to look after Sarah and James, and you showed it again when you took the time off work to be with them. I know things are going to work out just fine for us, Alex.’ He looked at her intently. ‘I just need you to tell me that you love me too, and that you want me as much as I want you.’

‘I do.’ She gave a soft sigh. ‘I never knew that I could feel this way. I never met anyone who could make me feel the way you do. You’re so calm and relaxed, you don’t let things throw you, and you know exactly how to cajole me into seeing what really matters. And at the same time you’re single-minded and so good at what you do. You’re the perfect man for me…the only man for me.’

She tilted her face to his and kissed him tenderly. ‘I love you,’ she murmured. ‘More than anything in the world. And I’d love to be your wife and move into your apartment…’ her mouth curved ‘…just as long as we get back to the farmhouse as soon as possible.’

He breathed a sigh of relief. ‘That’s just wonderful. For a long while, I’ve felt as though there was something missing from my life, but now I feel complete. Just as long as I have you, life will be everything I ever wanted.’

‘Funny, isn’t it?’ she said softly, reaching up to kiss him once more. ‘That’s exactly how I feel.’