The Twelve-Month Mistress (17 page)

BOOK: The Twelve-Month Mistress
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‘And children,’ he said softly, almost reverentially. ‘So, my darling Cassandra, my love, my heart, my life, if I were to ask you again…’

But Cassie couldn’t wait. She didn’t need to wait to hear the words. She knew her answer, and she was impatient to get it out and let him know once and for all time that she was his and only his.

‘Joaquin Alcolar,’ she said with mock severity, ‘you really are making a meal of this. Are you trying to ask me to marry you yet again?’

‘That’s exactly what I’m trying to do,’ Joaquin told her sombrely. ‘And I’m trying my damnedest to get it right this time.’

‘Oh, Joaquin!’

It was a sigh of pure bliss, of total, perfect happiness, and her joy shone in her face, making her eyes gleam like the most brilliant sapphires in all the world.

‘You’ve got it right, my darling, believe me—you couldn’t get it more right if you tried.’

Reaching down, she caught hold of his hand and pulled him towards her, lifting him off his knees and into her arms, holding him as close as she possibly could.

‘And the answer’s yes, my love. Yes, yes, yes! So now will you please hurry up and kiss me before I die of impatience?’

Joaquin’s smile matched hers for brilliance as he looked down into her lovely face, and his jet eyes gleamed softly with the deep inner glow of the love that he felt in his heart.

‘Nothing would give me more pleasure,’ he assured her and bent his head to prove just that.

ISBN: 978-1-4268-5926-7

THE TWELVE-MONTH MISTRESS

First North American Publication 2005.

Copyright © 2004 by Kate Walker.

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

® and TM are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.

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