Lincoln framed her face with his hands and gazed into her eyes. ‘You were right about the way I conduct my relationships. It struck a chord when you said the loss of my biological mother at birth and then the sudden death of my adoptive mother had made me shut down the possibility of loving someone in a romantic sense. The threat of losing that kind of love was too daunting, too terrifying. I realise now I rushed our first relationship. I didn’t give you time or your own space for growth within it. No wonder you ran away. But I promise not to do it this time. We’ll be true equals, working together on everything. I want you by my side for the rest of my life.’
Elodie rose up on tiptoe to kiss him. ‘I want you by my side too. You are the only man I’ve ever loved. I truly was dreading going on with my life without you. I was considering a life of celibacy. I couldn’t bear the thought of anyone else touching me.’
Lincoln gathered her close, hugging her so tightly it almost took her breath away. ‘I’m the same. I spent a month in New York thinking only of you. I ached for you every night and every morning.’ There was a catch in his voice and then he continued, ‘I have another apology to make.’ He released her a little so he could meet her gaze once more. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t believe you about the engagement ring.’
Elodie’s eyes rounded to the size of baubles. ‘Morag told you?’
He gave a grim nod. ‘Yes—although I blame myself for the way I insisted on her removing everything of yours from the house. I even cut her off when she tried to tell me a couple of times, refusing to allow her to say your name in my presence. But the thing I find so touching is that you didn’t betray what she’d done to me once you found out.’
‘You’re not going to fire her, are you?’
‘Only if you want me to.’
‘No, I don’t. I think she got it wrong, but she did what she thought was best for you. She didn’t realise I loved you back then. She thought I was a star-struck gold-digger. And her keeping the ring hidden from you more or less proved it to you.’
Lincoln gave a rueful twist of his mouth. ‘The thing is, I think on some level I never believed you loved me. I’m ashamed to say I quite liked you being a little star-struck and infatuated with me. It fed my ego and allowed me to railroad you into marriage. But of course, that didn’t go to plan. And I’m glad now that it didn’t. I think we both needed time to let go of our baggage and come back to each other as fully mature adults who want to spend the rest of their lives together.’
Elodie smiled and tenderly stroked his jaw. ‘I promise to always be little star-struck by you if you promise to be star-struck by me.’
‘I’ll let you in on a little secret—I’ve always been a little star-struck by you.’
And he covered her mouth in a kiss that left her in no doubt of his enduring love and adoration.