Bronwyn Scott's Sexy Regency Bundle (106 page)

74

Watching

embrace his life, she

could almost

her decision. He was happy.

Alejandro became absorbed in his life a pazo owner. He reacquainted himself with friends in the village, although he said he found them too self-centered for him these days. He enjoyed his work and he was highly competent at it. The fields were growing. The buildings were in good repair.

The grapes were thriving on the vine.

Their relationship was thriving as well. The eagerness of his lovemaking had not faded with familiarity but instead had grown as their comfort with each other had increased. She would never tire of waking up beside him to begin her day or falling asleep next to him, safe in his as the

day ended. She'd fallen shamelessly in love with him as she had feared she might.

But loving him was dangerous, as she couldn't predict the

Just how mad would

he be when he remembered who he really was?

Would he understand her motives and forgive her? Would he walk away and never look back?

She supposed she could tell him the now. But that would mean destroying the little bit of paradise she'd managed to eke out for herself.

She'd never been as happy as she was in his arms.

Telling him would destroy that and endanger the very security that she'd deceived him to protect.

Scott

She wasn't ready for that, not yet. She was entitled to her peace. And so she waited, opting to treasure each day of happiness while it lasted.

Alejandro reined in his stallion near a row of grapes in the vineyard. He bent to check a cluster, it all around, looking for any damage. The cluster looked healthy, but a dry summer would ensure a good harvest this fall and several barrels of the regional white wine in the bodega beneath the house.

Alejandro turned his horse around and caught a look at the exquisite vista of the village and sea below him. The pazo's vineyards were located on a hillside and the view below him was breathtaking. He steadied his horse and took a moment to appreciate what he saw. An assortment of fishing boats bobbed at their moorings. The town square looked colorful and busy. The little white stone church gleamed in the sunlight. On a cliff across the village, the lighthouse stood tall and ready to warn sailors away

the deceptive

coastline full of hidden dangers.

Everything looked so

today, it was

hard to believe the lighthouse was needed. But he knew firsthand how quickly the weather along the coast changed.

Alejandro ran a hand through his long hair.

He wished he remembered that night. He'd had

76

's Seduction

more dreams over the last month, all of them featuring the dark night his ship had gone down.

But despite the

of his dreams, he still

could not remember. It was the only blight on his horizon.

It was a selfish wish. But if he had his memory he might know why he'd

Elena and

not done anything to let her know he was well and safe

the

ship had gone down. She

seemed reluctant to talk about their marriage and he was so happy with their relationship at present, he didn't want to risk marring it by dredging up trouble. Perhaps such a choice was cowardly-but he was a man desperately in love with his wife and a boat can only be rocked so much before it finally tips over.

Regardless of what was the right choice to make, tonight would not be the night to bring up bygones. Tonight, he was escorting Elena to the celebration of St.

the patron saint of

In the village, there would be dancing and feasting. Elena had been excited over the prospect.

Out in the little harbor, a ship was coming in around the headlands. No doubt it held people coming from a neighboring village for the celebrations.

Scott

With a

Alejandro

his

face to the sky. It was clear and blue today with only the most

and pleasant of breezes. The

evening would be perfect for dancing with one's wife beneath the stars and celebrating the bounty of life. Oh how he wanted to celebrate that! His life was the

a man could ask for: an adoring

wife, the gratification of

his hand to the

soil for the success of his estate, the means to live comfortably doing what he loved. Sure, some of the pieces didn't fit perfectly, some pieces of his life were forced and other pieces were obscured by his

memory loss. But really, no

one's life was perfect. He knew no man should ask for more.