The Acostas Box Set: The Shameless Life of Ruiz Acosta / The Argentinian's Solace / A Taste of the Untamed / The Man From her Wayward Past / Taming the Last Acosta / Christmas Nights with the Polo Pla

For that split second she thought Ruiz looked as vulnerable as she felt. ‘Who wouldn’t want you?’ she said. ‘Not that I’m giving you licence to find out.’

‘The only licence I want is one with both our names on it,’ Ruiz assured her.

‘Cheesy, but it might just work,’ Holly said, starting to smile. This was happening. This was really happening. Holly Valiant had a boyfriend. And he loved her.

‘It will work,’ Ruiz said with confidence. Drawing her into his arms, he stroked Holly’s hair back from her face. ‘When will you go public with this?’

‘In the column?’ She gave him a cheeky look. ‘You’ll just have to wait and see—’

‘This isn’t for the column,’ Ruiz said, turning suddenly serious. ‘I’m asking you to marry me, Holly.’ As he waited for her to say something he felt as if he were balanced on the tip of a mountain peak on one foot. ‘I want to be with you, and I don’t want anyone else,’ he said. ‘I want to share everything I have and everything I am with you, and I don’t want to waste another second of our lives debating this. I want our future to begin now—here—right this minute,’ he declared fiercely. ‘I’m asking you to be my wife, but to be your own person too.’ He stopped, knowing Holly’s answer would be final, and that nothing in his life had meant this much to him before.

‘Your life is so wildly different from mine,’ she said, managing to smile and frown all at the same time.

‘Wild is about right,’ he agreed. ‘But isn’t taking chances what life is all about? There never will come a point where things are easy and straightforward, but if we can work through the challenges together we can make this work. And hopefully, there are some problems you wouldn’t want to be without.’

‘Like you?’ she suggested.

‘I’d rather think of myself as a challenge,’ he teased her.

‘I agree. Life would be boring without challenges, but endless problems are depressing.’

‘Then let’s not make a problem out of this. Do you accept my challenge?’

‘I do,’ she said.

‘I love you, Holly Valiant.’ He folded her in his arms.

‘You love me?’

‘I love you.’

‘You love me,’ Holly repeated, as if testing the words and finding them, not only plausible, but gradually, slowly, oh, so slowly, believable. ‘You love me.’ This time she smiled as she looked at him.

‘Yes, I do,’ he confirmed. ‘Dios send an angel to help me convince you,’ he muttered beneath his passionate Latin breath. ‘And if it takes a lifetime to prove it to you, then that is what I will do, Holly Valiant. So,’ he said, ‘having got the main challenge out in the open and sorted out, have you worked out yet what the missing link is where your writing is concerned?’

‘I only wish I could,’ Holly admitted worriedly, raking her hair with frustration. Her mind was so scattered, she could hardly concentrate. He loved her?

Focus, Valiant, focus!

‘Let’s take a shower.’

‘Together?’ she said, frowning.

‘Is there any other way?’

‘Your writing will be fine now,’ he said later when they were both standing in front of the silent computer. ‘Before, you had just shut your mind to anything that frightened you, stifling original thought.’

‘And I suppose you’ve just done me a favour in the bedroom by opening it up again?’

‘It certainly helped,’ he said. ‘I think I can give you some further help if you need it,’ he added, glancing at the sofa.

‘Don’t you think of anything else?’

‘With you around?’ His lips pressed down. ‘Rarely.’ Grabbing her hand, he pulled her across the room. ‘I bet I can give that imagination of yours a real kick-start.’

‘I’ll try anything once,’ Holly said, gamely.

‘Excellent. First play and then work—’

‘If you think that’s the solution,’ she said, ‘We’d better get to it.’

‘I couldn’t have put it better myself. I think you’re going to write the best article of your life after this, Holly Valiant, and then I’m going to teach you to ride.’

She laughed. ‘And after that?’ she queried.

‘After that we’re going to show everyone how to dance the samba—’

‘You’re completely mad,’ she exclaimed as he lowered her down onto the cushions.

‘Mad for you,’ Ruiz agreed, unfastening his belt.

CHAPTER TWELVE (#ulink_24fb4d3f-aae3-55b2-9691-40b55fc91297)

WHEN Holly was lying quiet and contented in Ruiz’s arms, she asked him, ‘Did you mean it?’

‘Did I mean what?’ he said, opening one wicked eye.

‘You know,’ she prompted.

‘Say it, Holly.’ Ruiz raised a brow as he waited.

‘When you said … you love me.’

‘Of course I did—I do.’

With a hum she settled back in his arms again. ‘I’m glad you didn’t go riding right away.’

‘Oh, so am I,’ Ruiz agreed in a mocking tone and with a smile Holly didn’t see. ‘But I am going to try out a new horse in a while, so you’ll have plenty of chance to write your article.’

‘Slave driver.’

‘Don’t tell me I haven’t filled you with enough inspiration yet?’ Dipping his head, Ruiz stared with laughing eyes into Holly’s sated gaze. He knew this was the only way they could both be happy—if he let her be free to explore her talent and her career.

‘You’ve certainly given me enough to go on for now,’ she said, reluctantly staggering a little as she got to her feet and walked to the desk.

‘Just call me back if you need any more help,’ he said, springing up and adjusting his clothing.

‘Don’t worry, I will,’ she said, already logging on.