‘Because of your father.’
‘Yes, and every time I thought you were putting work ahead of me it was like facing his rejection all over again. It made me want to protect myself. But I don’t care about any of that now. I’ve had time to think about what it would mean to let you go and I don’t want to. Ever. If you want to go to London then I’ll go with you.’
Not expecting him to do anything like that for her, Ruby stared up at him. ‘You’d really do that for me?’
‘Ruby, don’t you know by now that I’d do anything for you?’ His eyes were full of love and heat as he looked at her. ‘I love you more than I thought it was possible to love anyone. That day at the beach house when I asked you to marry me—’
‘You were trying to get a rise out of me.’
‘I was.’ A wry smile tugged at his lips. ‘A little, but as soon as I said it part of me knew I was also serious. I want you, Ruby. I want to be the man who makes you smile first thing in the morning and last thing at night, I want to be the one who makes you happier than you ever have been before and I want you beside me. Day and night. I want to know that when I get home from work you’ll be there, and I have to believe that you want that too or I’ll go mad.’
Ruby bit her lip, hardly daring to trust that any of this was real. ‘Oh, Sam, I do. I do want that too, but—’
‘You’re scared.’ He gently smoothed her hair back from her face. ‘I get that, angel. I get that you have little faith in men and that I’m partly responsible for that, but let me make it up to you. Let me spend my days proving to you that men do keep their promises. That I keep mine.’
‘That wasn’t just your fault, Sam. You were right when you said I use work as a crutch. Work has always been my safety net. It was my vehicle to independence and self-sufficiency and it could never surprise me by wanting to move on when I least expected it.’
‘You don’t need a safety net with me, Ruby, because I’ll never want to move on from you.’
‘Oh, Sam, I love you so much.’ Unable to contain her joy a moment longer, Ruby threw her arms around his neck. ‘I think I fell in love with you right here two years ago because I could never forget you no matter how hard I tried.’
Sam shuddered against her. ‘And thank God for that because I couldn’t forget you either. Now, about London—’
‘I don’t really want to move to London,’ she interrupted.
‘You don’t?’
‘No. I put in for a transfer when you joined the firm because I didn’t think I could see you in the office every day and not want you. I didn’t think I could cope if you turned up one day with another woman on your arm.’
‘Little fool,’ he admonished softly, kissing her so tenderly Ruby’s heart felt as if it might burst out of her chest. ‘Once I saw you again there’s been no one but you. I love you, Ruby. Only you. I even bought the beach house near Miller and Tino because you loved it. It’s in your name. I wanted to give it to you tonight.’
‘What? That’s crazy.’
‘That’s how you make me feel most of the time. Crazy and happy and... Why are you crying?’
‘Am I crying?’ Ruby swiped her fingers across the tears she hadn’t realised were rolling down her face. ‘Oh, Sam, I’m so happy. I had no idea I could ever feel like this!’
‘As long as you only feel like this with me. For ever.’
‘I do. I will.’
‘Hold that thought.’ He gathered her closer and pulled a small box out of his pocket. ‘I saw this in LA and I can tell by the look on your face that you want to say no, but I want to marry you, Ruby. I want to marry you and prove to you that relationships are worth banking on. I want to show you how good we are together, and I want everyone to know that you’re mine.’
‘You’re wrong, Sam—I don’t want to say no, I want to say yes so badly I know that I shouldn’t.’
‘You definitely should.’ He flipped open the box to reveal an enormous diamond ring sparkling inside.
‘Oh, my...’