Читать книгу 8 Magnificent Millionaires - Кэтти Уильямс, Cathy Williams - Страница 18

LETTING the hardcover book she’d been diligently reading drop back onto the cornflower-blue silk eider-down, Liadan stretched her arms wide before falling back against the plumped-up pillows with a sigh. With a contented little smile playing around her lips, she reflected what a lucky, lucky woman she was. Six months married and she was enjoying the kind of life that she’d only previously believed was to be found in fairy tales, or romantic movies at least. She had a gorgeous, insatiably sexy husband who kept her in bed more than she was out of it. She lived in one of the prettiest cottages in the village—albeit with an acre of garden and a Victorian folly that Adrian had had renovated just for her—and now she was going to have a baby, too. Her hands going automatically to the slight swell of her previously flat stomach, Liadan stroked it gently, marvelling at the astonishing changes that were taking place.

In a week’s time she was going on a nationwide book tour with her famous husband, happy to be at his side and to show her love and pride in his success. He was a complex but wonderful, talented man who had successfully put some of his darkest demons behind him and had had the courage to start life anew, and she was so thankful he’d been able to do that. Happily contemplating the pretty blue and white bedroom of their large country cottage, Liadan sighed again and closed her eyes. When she heard the door open again a few moments later, her eyelids flew open and she pushed herself up immediately into a sitting position.

‘I finished the book,’ she announced breezily to the man who was purposefully approaching the bed with a glint in his eye that only his wife knew the meaning of.

‘Oh?’ The glint disappeared and warily Adrian rested his hands on his hips, his mouth in a straight, sober line. ‘And what’s the verdict?’

‘The verdict is…’ Throwing back the covers and scooting across to where he stood, Liadan threw her arms around her husband’s neck and stroked her lips tantalisingly across his. Immediately sensing his inevitable response, she drew back with a cheeky, coquettish grin. ‘The verdict is, my darling…that I’m going to keep you in this bed for a very long time. So long, in fact, that somebody somewhere might have to send out a rescue party.’

His hands caressing the irresistible shape of her hips and pulling her pelvis flush with his, Adrian’s dark gaze smouldered. ‘And what if I don’t want to be rescued?’ he asked gravel-voiced.

‘Then that’s okay. I’ll simply take care of all your needs.’

‘I have no problem with that.’ Barely able to think about anything else but the promised delights to come, Adrian nonetheless paused when Liadan would have dragged him into bed. ‘You haven’t finished telling me what you thought about the book?’ he reminded her.

‘You changed the ending,’ Liadan said softly, her lovely face unable to hide her intense admiration and love. ‘You made it beautiful, Adrian. You gave your characters hope even though they were in an agonising situation. I’m so proud of you.’

‘That’s all right, then.’ Unbuttoning his shirt with lightning fingers, he discarded it carelessly onto the floor and climbed into bed beside his wife. From now on, he would thank his lucky stars every day for bringing this beautiful, animated, loving woman into his life and giving him the possibility of a brighter future than he could ever have dared to contemplate. Whatever the years ahead had in store for them both, he would do his best never to be cynical about life again. Even if there wasn’t redemption for everybody, as Liadan believed…at least there was hope. Because if Adrian’s life could turn around on a heartbeat—as far as he was concerned—then so could everybody else’s. His lovely, vivacious, warm-hearted Liadan had taught him that.