Page 63 of Robert

“Can you say the same for him?” The look on her face told him otherwise. “That answers my question. Now. If you will excuse me…”

“I am in love with you!”

He had turned away from her with the intention of leaving when she made the announcement, and he could not move. Everything in him went still and he could swear that his heart had stopped beating.

“I don’t know how it happened.” She continued huskily. “But it did. I think it started when we were at the cottage. I felt something for you then and when you made love to me…” “She took a shattering breath.

“I swore after my dad died that I would never open myself up to love again, because losing him was too painful. Mother was far from perfect, but my dad – he was my hero. And I told myself that I was not interested in falling in love and getting married.

Until you. God! I love you, dammit, and what you said to me in my office cut me like a sword. I was an uber bitch in high school and yes, I did some terrible things. Things I cannot go back and fix. But you…?” Her voice petered off and for a few seconds, she watched as he turned to face her slowly.

The expression on his handsome face made her weak.

“You love me.” He was not sure how he got the words out of a throat that was so swollen he could barely swallow.

“Yes.”

“You love me.”

“Damn you, yes.”

He swallowed then and even now, he could not do what his heart was prompting him to, and that was to sweep her into his arms and join his body with hers until they were one.

“I was on my way from a very successful negotiation, to tell you that we had acquired a cruise line. One I wanted to share with you, to bounce some ideas and get your feedback. I had plans for later tonight when we both got home.

Candles, roses, wine, seduction.” His eyes were burning into hers. “And on bended knees to tell you that I adore you. That I was so damned tired of trying to be macho and keeping it from you. That I wanted it out in the open.”

“Robert…” Her heart felt as if it was bursting.

“That I have loved you for almost twenty years…,” he smiled thinly when her dark eyes went larger as she stared at him in shock. “That I fell in love with you when you came to my rescue, and I have loved you ever since.”

“Oh God!”

He came to her then, but instead of sweeping her into his arms, he clamped his hands onto her shoulders. “Yes.” He whispered hoarsely.

“You are the only woman I have ever loved. I spent years trying to get over you – I took women to bed to erase you from my heart and it never worked. When I resigned myself to the fact that you were it for me, I worked hard to try and become worthy of you.

But whereas I was bold and risky in business, I couldn’t find the nerve to tell you how I felt. When you came to me wanting afavor, I figured that fate had interceded and given me a fighting chance.”

She could only stare at him, her eyes going moist. This powerful man, this wonderful man who had fought hard to get where he was, had been in love with her since they were teenagers, and it broke her into pieces that she had never noticed him.

“Robert.” Her hands lifted to curl into his wet shirt. “Robert.”

“You love me.”

“I love you.” Her voice broke and she swallowed the lump. “I love you so much and I didn’t know. Please forgive me. I do not deserve you…”

The rest was swallowed up by his mouth clamping down on hers. His arms were like steel bands around her waist, crushing her to him. All the tension he had been trying to get rid of was poured into that kiss.

He didn’t have to pretend or be careful anymore. She loved him. Christ Almighty! She loved him. She was his. Now and forever and the kiss told her that. It showed her that she would always be his.

Her mouth opened beneath his eagerly, her slender body arching, pressing against his. His body was damp, the moisture seeping through his clothing, but none of that mattered. What was important was the passion, the sweet intensity as he held her against him and ravished her mouth.

Dragging his mouth from hers, he held her against his wildly beating heart as he struggled for control. He could not very well push her down on the cold tiles so that he could have his way with her. This was a celebration and it called for tenderness and a bed. Their bed. With that in mind, he lifted her into his arms and carried her out.

*****

Placing her on the bed, he stepped back reluctantly. “I need to shower.”

---