He stretched out his hand to take hers. ‘I did tell you I loved you, didn’t I?’

‘Yes, you did.’ She felt suddenly breathless.

‘Good. And did you tell me you loved me, too, or did I just dream that bit?’

She blushed. ‘No. I do love you, Ben. Very much.’

His eyes held hers. ‘I started falling in love with you that day in Edinburgh, I think – only I wouldn’t admit it, even to myself. Hell, how could I ever have thought I had no need for romance? I need you quite desperately, dearest Megan. And I need our love, too.’

‘I think it started with me that day, too.’

He pulled her towards him. ‘You’d better give me a proper kiss, then, or I won’t believe this is real.’

He pulled her towards him and as he began to kiss her, the magic flared again.

‘Ben, darling,’ she murmured, able at last to speak the words of love that had been dammed up inside her for the past few weeks.

‘Dearest Megan, say you love me. I need to hear it again and again.’

‘Of course I love you.’

‘Don’t ever change. I love you, too. In fact, I’m going to fill your life with so much love you’ll not even notice there are other men in the world.’

‘Are there really any others?’

He gave her one of his sexy looks. ‘How soon can I go home? Go and tell that damned doctor I need to go home at once. We’ll find some way to make love.’

‘In a minute. Just lie there and rest for a while.’

Megan didn’t attempt to get off the bed, but snuggled her head against his shoulder, sighing happily.

The miracle she’d longed for had occurred. She’d found love. And it had been well worth waiting for.

A few minutes later, she raised her head as a thought struck her. ‘You know, your aunt’s a very wise woman. She said we’d suit.’

‘She’s even wiser than I thought, then.’

‘How could she tell we’d suit one another, though?’

‘Feminine instinct. Who cares?’ He felt a trickle of moisture on his hand and raised himself on one elbow. ‘Now what’s the matter with you, woman?’

She tried to sniff away the tears, but could not. ‘I always cry when I’m happy, so you’ll just have to get used to it. Unless you intend to make me unhappy.’

‘No. So I shall have to get used to you weeping.’ He stroked her hair, and as the tears wet his fingers, he chuckled in her ear. ‘Stop that bawling at once and kiss me again, dearest – darling – Megan.’

A nurse glanced into the room, grinned, and left them alone again. No need to ask Mr Saunders if he was feeling better.