Oh, that light in his eyes, darkening to a haze, giving her all the feels, all the happy tingles, making her lips curve, her eyes want to cry. ‘So, what did you have in mind for right now?’
He chuckled and then he was leaning in, lifting her chin with his thumb. ‘I have a notion to kiss the woman I love then take her to bed.’ His lips brushed hers, sending a tingle thrilling through her body. ‘What do you think?’
She closed her eyes. How could a heart feel so much joy and relief, so much love for one person? And he loved her too, and they were going to work everything out. She felt her lips curving, smiling into his mouth, felt him smiling back. ‘I think being kissed and bedded by the man I love with all my heart sounds absolutely perfect.’
EPILOGUE
Six months later...
‘WOULD THIS BE the moment to remind you that not every idea you have is a good one?’ Quinn was looking at him, half smiling, but also perturbed. ‘I mean, seriously, you want us to take a tuk-tuk ride when the Hotel Antonio opens in T minus ten seconds?’
He looked at Miguel. ‘She’s prone to hyperbole. We open in three hours, and we have staff in place.’
Miguel grinned then looked at Quinn. ‘Please get in, senhora?’
The perfect accomplice!
‘Fine!’
She got in.
He slid in beside her and then Miguel was taking off, hurtling the little vehicle down the narrow street.
He held in a smile. If he’d learned anything about Quinn over the past year, it was that she was a grafter. She couldn’t bear to take her hands off the wheel, even for a second, but it was all under control.
He looked over, catching her smile, feeling his heart flip and tumble.
Beautiful Quinn. Saving him. Filling his heart with happiness every second of every day. She was a primary colour. Like Pete. And soon, hopefully, she would be his primary colour. It was what this little excursion was about, because what better day to ask her than this one? The opening of the Hotel Antonio, named for Dad, of course. Because why wouldn’t they have called it after him? For all his faults he’d brought them together, and that called for some heartfelt recognition!
Quinn looked over. ‘Where are we going then?’
He glanced at Miguel. ‘Nowhere really. Just driving around.’
Her eyes narrowed. ‘Why?’
‘Because otherwise you’d be running around like a headless chicken, and you need to stop and breathe.’
‘In a moving tuk-tuk?’
‘Yes.’
‘Hmm.’
They were entering the Praça do Comércio now, approaching their destination. He felt his veins tingling. Time for part one!
‘Miguel, could you please pass me the bundle?’
Miguel obliged.
‘What’s that?’
He wanted to laugh. She was like a meerkat on fast forward. ‘It’s something I’ve been working on that I want to give you.’
Her eyes lit. ‘A gift?’
‘Sort of...’ He handed it over. ‘Open it.’
She lifted the flap, pulling the papers out of the envelope, scanning the pages, and then she was looking up, her eyes filling with tears. ‘You’re building a village for the homeless?’
He nodded. ‘That’s the plan.’
Her lips wobbled then stretched. ‘Why?’
He felt his own eyes tearing up. ‘Because there’s a need. And because I can. And because it means a lot to you.’
‘Oh, Will.’ And then she was launching herself at him, hugging him tightly. ‘I love you so much.’
And there went his heart, bursting again. He wrapped his arms around her, burying his lips in her hair. He lived for this, for pleasing her, because she pleased him all the time, blew his mind, all the time.
He breathed her in. ‘It’s not settled yet. I can’t put it into action until we’ve been running Antonio for three months and the will comes into effect, but the board is on board, so to speak.’
She took his face in her hands and kissed him. ‘It’ll happen, I know it, because you’re driving it, and you’re the best.’ And then she was smiling into his eyes. ‘Totally worth taking time out for. Thank you.’
And then she suddenly seemed to notice that they’d stopped. ‘This isn’t driving around. We’ve stopped.’ Her eyes narrowed. ‘Why have we stopped, Will?’
Miguel was turning in his seat, smiling fit to burst. ‘Because we have reached our destination.’
‘Arco da Rua Augusta?’
