Page 47 of Sweet Surrender

“I wasn’t trying to piss you off.” In a flash, he went contrite, his features pulling together in a pained expression. “I make smart-ass jokes when I’m nervous. In case you hadn’t noticed.”

“You? Nervous?” I found it difficult to believe. What mattered more just then was watching him squirm under my stare.

“You tell me how I should feel. Standing here like an asshole.” He spread his arms out to either side. “Hoping I can make you see how much you mean to me. I was stupid and wrong to push you away that morning at my place. It was a knee-jerk reaction.”

“It was a jerk-jerk reaction,” I muttered. The fact was, my indignation was melting fast, but I wanted to make him beg a little. It was the least he could do.

“Whatever you want to call it, it was a bad move on my part. I should have stuck by your side the way you stuck by mine.”

And now I felt slightly guilty in the face of his contrition. “I did try to walk away after your interview,” I reminded him in a softer voice. “But you wouldn’t let me get away with it.”

“I couldn’t let you go.” He shrugged, then jammed his hands into the pockets of his linen shorts. “I needed you. I still do. I always will.”

The nerve of him saying exactly the right thing at the right time. “Damn you.” Sand flew as I marched up to him, taking his striped button-down in my fists and yanking hard. “Damn you for thinking you can follow me out here and win me back with a video.” Standing on my tiptoes, I added, “Damn you for being right too.”

Understanding barely had the chance to dawn on his handsome face before I crushed my lips to his. His arms shot out and pulled me close, where I belonged.

Adrenaline raced through my system with every rapid, joyful beat of my heart. Who was I kidding? There was no fighting him. Not when my whole world had started revolving around us when I wasn’t paying attention. Somewhere along the way, I had started needing him. I didn’t know how to stop.

By the time the kiss broke and I buried my face in his neck, I was home. I closed my eyes, holding him, letting myself be held against his firm chest. “I’m glad you’re here,” I decided, smiling when his arms tightened.

“I hope you don’t mind everybody ignoring your calls after Rose sent you the link.”

“What?” My head snapped up, eyes flying open wide. “You set that up?”

“I figured sending you the video while you were thousands of feet in the air would give you time to think about everything.” He winced. “Risky, since you could’ve decided to tell me to fuck myself, but what’s life without a little risk?”

“You have a habit of doing that.” Letting him go, I folded my arms. “The way you told everybody to pretend they didn’t know about your stupid prank. You like to make these arrangements behind my back.”

“It was for your sake.” He shrugged. “So was this. It’s all for you. I’ll do anything to make up for the shit I put you through. Back then and up through today. That’s all I want.”

My smile was shaky, tearful. The world was in Technicolor again, bright and shining, and all thanks to him. The last man I would ever have expected to fit me like we were made for each other. “I mean, maybe don’t take credit for everything,” I reminded him because busting his balls was a habit I wouldn’t soon grow out of. “The resort is just the perfect backdrop.”

“Is it?” He turned partway, craning his neck to admire the sprawling villa. “Did I not tell you I’ve done business with the owner?”

“You have? Small world.” His strange attitude was making me suspicious, to put it mildly.

“You should check out the interior.” Turning back to me, grinning, he added, “Since it’s yours.”

This day was full of surprises. “Pardon?”

“Isn’t it what you said you wanted? A house in the Maldives?”

“When did I?” I had said that to him once, hadn’t I? Weeks ago. My heart swelled before I whispered, “You remembered that?”

“I do listen sometimes.”

“So you set all of this up?”

His head bobbing, he confirmed, “I coordinated with Jules. The fact that the resort is about to open was a coincidence. I can’t take credit for that.”

This time, when I threw myself into his arms, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him as hard as I could. He had remembered. He bought me a house in paradise and went out of his way to keep it a secret. All to make me happy.

I was weak and breathless by the time I came up for air. All at once, everything was right again. The world had found out about us and kept turning. I still had my business. His empire was intact. All I needed was to know he was totally with me. I didn’t know how to ask for that assurance.

As it turned out, I didn’t need to. “I want you to know something.” He brushed windswept hair away from my face, his dark eyes gleaming as he stared down at me. The hard, arrogant expression I was accustomed to had softened into something sweet but just as sexy. “You make me want to be a better man. The sort of man you deserve. Somebody who’s honest and owns up to his mistakes. You keep me in line and remind me of what’s important. Money, business… none of it matters as much as having you. I’ve been lost without you. Please say we can find a way to make this work because I love you. You’re part of me and always will be.”

A rush of joy stole every word I ever knew, leaving me sputtering helplessly before he captured my mouth again. This time, our kiss was tender, full of everything neither of us could put into words, sweeping me up into a whirlwind of emotion and sizzling sensation.

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