Page 78 of The Billionaire's Heart

As I caress his cheek, he leans into my touch. “I’m not, Ian. I’m willing to take what I can get from you because I’ve fallen in love with you, Mr. Gallo.”

His eyes widen as his hands wrap around my cheek. “Say it again.” He whispers, as if he doesn’t believe me.

“I love you.”

His forehead touches mine. “I’ve loved you forever, Mia McIntosh. I just didn’t know it for sure until last night when I found you in my bed.”

“Last night?”

As he nods, both of our heads move. “Last night for sure, but I’ve known since the moment you couldn’t open the door to my office that there was something so special about you that I had to be in your orbit.”

He kisses me gently and pulls back so that we can see eye to eye. “Mia, I can give you more. I’ve already taken steps to do just that.”

“What do you mean? What have you done?” I’m not sure what’s happening, but a small bit of fear is growing in the pit of my stomach.

“I know I work too much. As you said, it’s in my DNA.”

I try to interrupt him, but he places his finger over my mouth. “Hush. It’s my turn.”

I nod and let him finish.

“But every time I try to get lost in work, all I think about is you. What are you doing? Where are you? Who are you with? What can I do to make you smile?” He laughs, “It’s all I can do to just get through the day, and that’s when I realized I can’t do both.”

“Don’t, Ian.” I warn.

He shakes his head, mimicking me. “I’m not, Mia. But I am going to let things go a bit. It’s time for me to rely on my team, which is a great team, by the way, to handle some of the load.”

“What are you saying?”

He pushes some of my hair behind my ears. “What I’m saying is that I’m making the time for ‘more’. Actually, I’ve alreadystarted. Once this merger is signed, I’m handing the reins over to Michael Scott, one of my Vice-Presidents in the New York region. He’s a good man and has great business sense.”

“Really?”

“Yep, and I’m doing that to a lot of my businesses, and I got the idea from you.”

“Me? How?” I don’t remember ever talking about any of this.

“Well, you had mentioned the other day that you were going to give the students at the design college a chance to work with your shop, and that got me thinking. Why not do the same thing with my team? They’re all perfectly capable of handling a lot of the day-to-day stuff, and it’s not like I’m going anywhere. I’ll just guide them; mentor them. At the same time, let my ‘empire’, as you put it,” he uses air quotes, “build and diversify.” He shrugs his shoulders. “That’ll give me more free time I hope to be spending with you. What do you think?”

Ian looks nervous, and suddenly I realize that my opinion is really important to him. Just as his opinion matters to me. “You’re not doing all of this because of me, are you?”

“Nope.”

I release my breath, relieved. “Good.”

“I’m doing itforyou, Mia, for us. Because I love you, too.”

Chapter 36

Ian

Last night when I was working in my office is when the idea came to me. I want to spend as much time with Mia as I can; to have the type of relationship with her that my parents have with each other. To do that means either I need to no longer sleep or relinquish some of my control over what occupies my time. Gallo Enterprises.

If you’d asked me last year ago, or even last month, if I’d ever do this, I would have told you that you were crazy to even ask. But now? Now, all I want is to build a life with Mia. A life like I’ve watched my parents build, with kids, laughter, and love.

After I sent emails to the different executives in my corporations about their additional responsibilities, an enormous weight was lifted off my shoulders. It was quickly replaced by the weight of knowing that Mia may not feel the same way about me, but I would spend the rest of my life trying to convince her we were meant to be together, if that’s what it takes.

Finding her in my bed last night and the emotions that overtook me cemented my plan.

---