He froze to the spot, obviously not daring to believe what he was hearing. ‘You still love me?’

‘So much that it terrifies me,’ she confessed shakily, and he gave a disbelieving laugh.

‘I can’t believe I can be that lucky,’ he said hoarsely, ‘or that your father nearly ruined it again by making you believe that I was only marrying you out of revenge.’

‘I couldn’t see any other reason.’ She coloured slightly. ‘You hadn’t thought to mention that you were in love with me.’

He groaned and dragged her against him. ‘I thought it was obvious from the way we were together in Spain.’

‘Not to me,’ she said simply, and he stroked her hair away from her face with his free hand.

‘I was working so hard at getting back into your good books that I didn’t know what to do. I thought that even if I did tell you that I loved you, you were unlikely to believe me.’ He gave a wry smile. ‘And I have to admit that I’ve never been very good with the emotional stuff.’

‘That’s not true.’ She wasn’t letting him off the hook that easily. ‘I’ve seen you with relatives, Jago, and I remember how you were with me at eighteen. I know you have a sensitive side.’

He gave a reluctant grin that turned her heart upside down. ‘Just don’t tell anyone. Not that I’ll have any credibility left once Charlotte starts talking.’ His smile faded and he looked down into her eyes. ‘I have never stopped loving you, querida. But I thought that you had stopped loving me, and proud Spaniards are not the best at putting their hearts on the line.’

Stunned by his frank confession, she stood on tiptoe and kissed him. ‘I think we better have a rule that once a day we tell each other absolutely everything that we’re feeling, no matter how uncomfortable.’

He lowered his head with a groan and returned the kiss. ‘I think you might be right. So, does this mean that you will marry me after all?’

She gave a shy nod and his grip tightened.

‘I’m tempted to call the hospital chaplain and see if he can do it now, before your father comes up with any more of his inventive plans to keep us apart.’

She gave a shaky laugh and bit her lip. ‘I can’t believe that he said all that. Mum must have given him a real talking to, and she’s never done that before.’

‘Women can be scary when they’re crossed,’ Jago said, a hint of amusement in his deep drawl. ‘I should know. I’ll never forget your reaction when I told you about those photographs. I thought you were going to lynch me for being so stupid. And to think I once believed you were shy and gentle.’

She tipped her head on one side. ‘I’ve changed.’

‘But, thankfully, not that much, querida,’ he murmured, kissing her until her head started to swim. ‘You still love me.’