Sweet Silken Bondage (59 page)

"Sure, it is," he drawled derisively, remembering
all too vividly the little scene just a few hours before in her father's study.

"It is!" she insisted. "I love you, and if you love
me.. .really love me like you said ...I want to
marry you." She paused only long enough to draw a
deep breath before rushing on. "I know you don't
trust me, but if you'll just listen. I want to explain,
now, before this goes any further."

"Go on." Clay was fighting down the urge to take
her in his arms and kiss her. It was hard for him to
believe that she'd changed so completely, so quickly.

"I honestly didn't know about your friend being
in jail. My father just told me about that after
you'd left the ranch. See, I didn't think you loved
me, because you let my father take me from the
boat. I didn't know he was blackmailing you."

"I see."

He still sounded disbelieving to her, so she went
on, "I also didn't know how you really felt about me
until just a little while ago. I thought you'd only
proposed because you thought I was pregnant. I
didn't want you that way, Clay," she entreated,
boldly going to him and putting a hand on his arm.
"I didn't want to think that you'd been forced to
marry me. I wanted a lovematch when I married,
not an arrangement." She gazed up at him soulfully,
seeing a warming in his regard and feeling a first
bud of hope. "Clay? Can you ever forgive me for
sending you away? Can we start all over again?
From the beginning?"

"I don't think the beginning is a good place. I
don't think I'd want to be the cause of Sister Mary
Regina forsaking her vows."

Reina heard a note of humor in his voice and
smiled for the first time since she'd entered his
room.

"Maybe we could just start from here.. .from
tonight... from my love to yours?"

"From my love to yours, Reina. I love you, darling. I always have and I always will." His words
were a groan of deep emotion as he took her in his
arms.

Pushing the door shut behind them to ensure
their privacy, he bent to her. His lips met hers in a
deep, passionate kiss of promise and devotion, of
infinite tenderness and love everlasting. It was yesterday and tomorrow. It was the beginning and the
end.