Epilogue #2
The music peaked, increasing in tempo, building with a force that matched the heat blazing through her.
Ramon twirled, stomped his feet, and clapped his hands.
When he arched his back, his maleness thrust forward, and a surge of dampness gathered in the place between her legs.
Unconsciously, her tongue touched the corner of her mouth, ran along her bottom lip, and Ramon’s eyes darkened with hunger.
There was no mistaking that look, not by anyone in the crowd.
He wanted her. It was the hunger of a man for his bride, and no one there doubted that Ramon meant to have her.
She might have blushed if she hadn’t been so caught up.
Instead, as the song came to an end, as his boots came crashing down with greater and greater speed and the crowd began to clap and shout in frenzied rhythm, she simply moved closer, her eyes still locked with his.
The final crescendo came, his heels came pounding down and his head snapped up, but his eyes never left her face.
He never blinked, never wavered, just stood waiting, beckoning her to come to him.
The crowd stepped back as she walked toward him, stopping just inches from his lean hard frame.
Raising on tiptoe, she slid her arms around his neck, felt a hand clamp around her waist, then he was crushing her against him, bending her backwards, taking her mouth in a fiery kiss that had all of them whooping and shouting.
She was breathless by the time he ended the kiss, barely aware that he was lifting her into his arms and striding away, carrying her off toward the house. She did blush then, the heat rising into her cheeks, but also rushing into the tips of her breasts.
“You were wonderful,” she whispered, “beautiful…”
“It is you who are beautiful, querida, and I am the luckiest man in the world.” He nudged open the door to the house with his boot and carried her into the entry.
It was lit by low-burning lamps, and the soft glow of candles beckoned down the hall.
He strode in that direction, entering their bedroom, which smelled of the fresh cut flowers sitting in the cut glass vase on the dresser. Petals were strewn on the bed.
Ramon pulled the pins from her hair, letting the heavy dark auburn mass cascade down her back. “Do you know how much I love you?”
Carly felt the sting of tears. “Yes, my beloved, I know. Tonight you have shown me how much.”
A corner of his sensuous mouth curved up. “I have only just begun to show you. It will be morning before you finally know the true extent of my feelings.” With that he began to undress her, but Carly eased gently away.
“First there is something I have to do.” Moving toward the dresser, she opened the drawer and removed a folded piece of paper. She returned to his side and held it out to him,
“What is that?” he asked.
“Tonight you gave me something more precious than anything I’ve ever owned. You made me a true de la Guerra; you gave me a place in your life.”
“I gave you only what you deserve. What I should have given you before.”
“No, you gave me more than that. You gave me friends who care about me. You gave me a family to love. You made me feel that I belong. Now there’s something I want to give you.” She nudged the paper into his hands. “Go on, open it.”
He carefully unfolded the stiff piece of parchment. GRANT DEED, it said in elegant ink blue script.
“This is the title to Rancho del Robles.” He looked up at her, dark turbulence gathered in his eyes. “The deed says the rancho belongs to me.”
“That’s right. It belongs to its rightful owner. That man is you.”
“I cannot—”
“Think of Andreas, Ramon. Think of your father.” She reached out and touched him, rested a hand on his cheek.
“I’m your wife. I’ll be here to share it with you, and soon I’ll give you sons.
But the land belongs to you, as it should have from the start.
” Tears stung her eyes, began to slide down her cheeks.
“Te amo, mi corazon. Te amo como jamas he amado.” I love you, my heart.
I love you as I never have loved before.
Ramon swept her into his arms, the muscles in his throat constricting, his heart near to bursting with love for her. Carly clung to him as he kissed the side of her neck, arched toward him when he slid his hands inside the ruffled emerald silk to cup and stroke her breast.
In minutes he had stripped off her clothes and his own, and carried her over to the bed.
He meant to take her gently, cursed when instead he found himself plunging inside her with fiery abandon.
Yet it seemed to be exactly what she wanted.
She begged for his bold caress, his driving heat and passion.
She demanded to be swept up in his hunger, that he satisfy her own.
When the fury of their lovemaking subsided, they lay quietly together, arms and legs entwined, listening to the sounds of laughter and music still throbbing outside their window.
Then he took her again, gently this time, arousing her slowly, then filling her again and again until she reached her peak and softly cried out his name.
Holding her into the circle of his arms, he watched the flush gradually fade from her cheeks.
“I love you,” she said on a slow breath of air.
Ramon stroked her hair, kissed the silky strands at her temple. “As I love you, mi vida.” My life. “Never once did I believe I would be such a fortunate man.” He smiled at her softly, awed by the incredible gift he had been given.
He had found a woman of strength and beauty to love throughout the years. The woman of his heart. She had seen his lands returned—Rancho del Robles would belong to his sons, and those of his sons after that.
He had found peace at last through the woman he held in his arms.
Ramon had finally come home.