up a tissue and he crouched to catch her eyes with his own.
“Your turn. Tell me how you feel,” he commanded.
“Grateful.” It was a cowardly admission. A small, easy one because she didn’t have the courage to make a bigger one. It was true, though. “No matter what happens between us, I will always be grateful you gave me someone who will love me as I am.”
His expression altered. Torment seemed to grip him. “Pia, I’m that person. I love you exactly as you are.”
Her heart lurched and she felt so dizzy, she nearly fell off the rock. “You can’t.”
“Of course I can. That’s why I left. I couldn’t stand that I was doing it again, hurting someone I loved. It was terrible logic because I wound up hurting you anyway. I’m looking forward to you preventing me from being so stupid again.”
“But I’m not...lovable.”
“Of course you are. You’re funny and smart and kind and sensitive. Sexy as hell. Brave.”
“See, you’re lying.”
“Modest. Very beautiful, although I know you don’t care about that. Curious and warm.”
“Robotic.”
“Introspective. Affectionate.” He touched her knee where her jeans were soaked through.
She was starting to shiver, but not from the cold. She couldn’t hold her mouth steady. “Why are you saying all this?” He was inspiring such a depth of hope, but she was so afraid to believe.
“Because I love you.” His expression became very grave while her heart teetered and rolled. “I could not have gone through this without you, Pia. I couldn’t have faced my past and moved beyond it. I would have let it destroy me if I hadn’t been falling in love with you this whole time. I wouldn’t be capable of love if you weren’t here, inspiring it in me.”
“I don’t know what to say to that.”
“Tell me you love me. Please.” His used the backs of his fingers to gather the raindrops dripping off her jaw. He swiped his hand on his wet jeans. “I promise you I will believe you this time.”
“That word doesn’t seem like enough for the way I feel. It doesn’t seem like it matches all those wonderful things you just said. You’re—”
He cupped her jaw with his damp palm and his wet thumb silenced her lips.
“You don’t care about my past. That’s all that matters to me.”
Her chin crinkled under the line of his thumb while her insides were nothing but trapped birds flittering every which way.
“It can’t be this easy after it was so h-hard.” Her throat was tight, her voice a mere squeak. “For so l-long.”
“It won’t always be easy, mi amor,” he said with tender understanding. “Sometimes I will tell you to come in out of the rain and you’ll make me stand here and count chickens with you. Other times I’ll punish you by making you dress up in designer gowns and talk to strangers.”
“And you’ll still love me despite my petulant sighs?”
“I will love you because of them. Because they will remind me you’re there for my sake, not for designer gowns. It’s inevitable that we argue over the small nonsense of life, but it won’t compare to the harmony I feel waking next to you or holding your hand in mine.”
He took hers now, made a tiny adjustment to her rings. Brought her hand to his lips and kissed her trembling fingers.
“I want to build a life with you, Pia. Not one that seeks vengeance. One that fosters love. I need you in my life, every day, helping me do that.”
“I wanted this so badly and I’ve been trying so hard not to hope for it. It hurt so much when I was convinced it couldn’t come true. Now I’m afraid I’m going to wake up and find out I really am dreaming.”
He bit her knuckle hard enough to threaten pain.
“Ouch! Hey.” She scowled, trying to snatch her hand away in reaction.
He grinned and kept her hand in his as he stood. He gave a gentle tug. “Can we get out of the rain?”