“Your calls?” It was hard to miss the sound of relief and excitement in his voice. “Have you been trying to reach me?” He patted his pockets for a moment. “I must have left my cell at home. I took off in such a hurry to find someplace that might be open to rent me this thing. I won’t bore you with the details of the number of threats I had to make, just shy of needing you to come and post bail for me.”
So he hadn’t been ignoring her calls.
And he hadn’t heard her proclamation of love.
“But to answer your question,” he continued, “I’m here because I promised to escort you. And because if I didn’t tell you that going back to Michael would be the biggest mistake of your life then it would weigh on me the rest of my life.”
Her heart was about to pound out of her chest. “Oh, really? And why is that?”
“Because he could never love you as much and as devotedly as I do.” He leaned forward, a soft smile on his lips, his eyes holding a definite promise. He slid his fingers through a strand of her hair, almost caressing it, and she shivered. “I love touching you, and ever since that incredible night we shared, I’ve dreamed of many more nights like that. Of being able to memorize every mole and freckle on that amazing body of yours with my lips, my tongue, my fingers, and my eyes. Of learning every special touch that will leave you quivering with pleasure. But most of all, of being able to hold you in my arms, sated and happy. Knowing that I could repeat it all the next hour, the next morning, the next night…forever.”
It was almost too good to be true, as if she were in a dream, a fantasy, really. Because no man could be this good. This perfect. The tears she’d finally stopped earlier were now threatening again, and she didn’t care. She only wanted this moment to continue. This feeling, this euphoria, to last always.
But he wasn’t done, and his fingers now touched her bare shoulder, featherlight, and the goose bumps revealed his effect on her. “And I don’t care what you do for a living or what you aspire to be. As long as you include me in all that planning, I’ll be happy to be along for the ride. Because I know that no one will ever be a better fit for me than you.”
She closed her eyes, the tears slipping out. When she opened them, he was still there, smiling at her. How had she ever come to deserve someone like him? And why had it taken her so long to see he was the only man she could ever love?
He cleared his throat. “I’m hoping those are happy tears, because I don’t ever want to cause you to cry unless they’re tears of laughter. Or because I’ve made you the happiest woman alive.”
This time she did smile. “They are tears of happiness.” Her voice sounded mangled and not the clear, confident sound she wanted to convey. “I just can’t believe you’re here. And that this is real.”
“Because you’re completely in love with me and not because you’re mentally taking notes to file a restraining order against me, right?” he teased.
This time she did laugh and tilted her head against his shoulder. “Right. And yes. I’m completely, totally in love with you. If you knew the crazy thoughts I was thinking right now you might just file a restraining order against me.”
“Don’t bet on it.” His fingers touched her chin and tilted her head up toward him. A second later, he brushed his lips across hers, and she didn’t care if she was surrounded by a hundred different people who might all be looking scandalously at them, shaking their heads in disapproval.
The only person whose opinion she really cared about was holding her right now, his breath on her lips, his tongue even now teasing her mouth open. And giving her a full, languorous kiss that made her want to wrap herself around him and never let go. Naked, preferably.
But he apparently had the good sense to pull back and exhaled a loud sigh of relief. “I thought this was going to be harder,” he said and chuckled.
“Fortunately for you, I’d already reached the same conclusion. That you and I—we’re inevitable.”
For the first time this evening, he looked nervous. “Michael decided to stay with Nicole?”
“I couldn’t tell you. When I told him I didn’t love him earlier tonight, I didn’t bother to ask him what his plans were.”
His face relaxed, and his grinned again. “Really? I’m sorry I missed it.”
“Me, too. Dominic, I owe you an explanation and an apology.” She took in a breath. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking recently. About my priorities. And how freaking screwed up they were. What the flying fig do I care about the opinions of people who don’t respect me for reasons beyond my control?” She turned and glanced around the room. “I can’t control their opinion of me, and frankly, I don’t care anymore. Because I realize what’s more important is the people I surround myself with. The people who accept me for who I am, who are warm and loving. People like you.”
This time she reached her hand and held that strong chin in her palm, let her finger rub the smooth surface where he must have recently shaved.
“Growing up, I was so alone. I missed so many things, not having the love and support of a family—at least, not until my grams came into the picture. She loved me unconditionally. Kind of like your family does, I imagine, no matter what brainless thing you might do.” She smiled and felt more tears light her eyes. “And that’s what I want. This past week at work, I finally achieved everything I worked for—the job, the promotion, the house, and all the other materialistic things. Everything I thought I wanted. Before.”
His brows raised at this little correction. “Before?”
“Yep.” She nodded, feeling so deliriously happy at finally being free from her previous fears. “Before I met you. Because even when I finally achieved all those things, I still wasn’t happy. I felt hollow. Like something was missing. And I realized what it was. You. The someone who I had fallen in love with and who accepted me for myself. Who never make me feel like less of a person for what I didn’t have. If anything, you made me feel more loved and accepted than anyone. Oh, and I quit. I quit my job and told Tim just where he cou
ld take that promotion.”
This time he threw back his head and rocked out a hearty laugh. “You don’t do anything in half measures, do you?” He sobered then. “But what are you going to do now? What about your plan?”
“I’m making a new plan. Starting with you, and then I’ll work everything else around you. Around us. But no worries, I’m not exactly jumping without a parachute. I’m taking a position at my friend Jess’s firm. Less pay but more flexibility. I’m ready to find myself again. Find what makes me happy.”
The band started to play the familiar opening to Van Morrison’s “Crazy Love.”
“Stuff like that begs me to take you back to your place right now and show you just how much I love you. But then I’d miss this opportunity.” He stood and with panache, he swept his hand out. “Care to dance?”