Deadly Little Secrets Page 0,130

want to go. I’ll set my business headquarters up wherever you are.” He swooped in for a brief kiss, then leaned back. “I’m used to travel.”

“You’d go?” she spluttered, thinking of the stack of requests in that fat folder. “You’d really do that?”

“For you? Yes. I would.” He ran a finger down her cheek, just as he had done in Dav’s office, weeks—it seemed like years—ago. “Bromley men don’t marry early. It takes us a long time to settle down, find the right one. It’s my time, Ana. It’s you. You’re the right one.”

“Gates,” she said, feeling her heart melt within her, and joy begin to burst through. He was the one for her, too. Finally, she could let go the chains of the past, the agonies she’d kept in her heart since Rome, and since her parents had been killed. “What are you asking?”

“I’m asking if you’ll marry me, darling Ana. Make a life with me. Maybe…” he said with a twinkle in his eye. “Maybe even be my business partner.”

The idea of that took a few minutes to sink in. The whole of it.

“Marry?” Ana eased him back to look at him, look in his eyes, see if he was serious. What she saw there was love. Pure and simple. Respect. Trust. Everything she could have ever wanted.

“Yes,” he answered. “Marry me.”

“You?” She stuttered the word, trying to make her brain work, follow the patterns, and assemble the data.

He looked pained. “You make it sound so horrible. Yes, me.” Now he looked worried. “What do you say?”

All the data snapped into line. She loved him, he loved her. They were good together in every way. She knew the answer.

Careful of his healing side, she hugged him, stood on tiptoe to whisper one word into his ear.

“Yes.”

Epilogue

Gates strolled into the office where Dav sat, waiting till he got off the phone before moving forward to grip his hand, accept his brotherly embrace.

“You’re back!” Dav crowed, holding Gates at arm’s length for a moment before pulling him close for another hug. “I’m thrilled to see you. You enjoyed yourselves?”

Before Gates could answer, Dav laughed. “Wait, forget I asked that. Honeymoons are for enjoyment, and nothing else, so I’m sure that you made the most of it. Was the plane comfortable? The house in order? You found everything to your liking?”

“Dav,” Gates chided warmly. “The house could have been a wreck, for all we cared, you know that. That said, it was great.” He punched Dav’s arm with manly affection. “I don’t have to tell you that you didn’t have to kit it out with a year’s worth of gourmet food, but we appreciated it. Have to say though, I’d forgotten how beautiful the sea is off Mykonos.” He grinned and added with sly humor, “Not that I saw much of the sea or the pool or anything else.”

“If the wicked look you’re wearing is any indication, I’m betting you didn’t get much sun, eh?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Gates answered, still grinning. “That roof deck has a marvelous view. It’s very private too, but I’m sure you knew that.”

Dav laughed uproariously. “Good, good. Yes, I did know, but wonderful to hear that it was satisfactory for you and Ana-aki as well. Now, come sit down and tell me everything.” He motioned Gates to a seat at the table. “Well, perhaps not everything. Coffee?”

“Of course, and you can pour a cup for Ana, she’ll be along in moment. Her friend Jen called just as we pulled up.” Gates grinned again. Jen had been a hit at their wedding, dancing with everyone, saying it was her maid-of-honor duty. According to rumor before they left, she’d hooked up with a surgeon from Palo Alto and was still having a blast. “That will take a few minutes, I know. Then she wanted to talk to your landscaper about trees.”

“Trees? Never mind.” Dav waved the answer away. “I hope she gets a satisfactory answer. I wouldn’t like it if the gardener made her mad. When your lady gets mad, it is very impressive.” He set down two of his china cups and joined Gates at the table. “It’s also messy. I don’t want to irritate her.”

“You’re right,” Gates agreed, taking a cup, enjoying the warmth. It was cool in San Francisco after three weeks on Mykonos. “I also have to tell you, she’s got a hell of a sharp eye for a house too.”

“House? You looked for something in Greece?”

“No, not in Greece. Here. In