“I know, but did you get a chance to talk to her?”
“She did most of the talking. I listened.”
Hope spurted inside her for him. “And?”
His movements were still jerky as he paced to the window and back again. “Things aren’t as clear-cut as I thought. Look, I don’t want to talk about it now, okay? We have just over an hour before our guests arrive. We should be getting ready.”
His mother’s unexpected appearance had obviously upset him, and Belle wanted to comfort him. He tried to hide it, but his body’s tension and the taut blankness on his face belied his calm. Resolving to speak to him after the party, she left him in the lounge to go over last-minute details with Bertrand.
When she entered the bedroom ten minutes later, he was in the shower. Shedding her clothes, she entered the bathroom. He turned when she slid back the shower door, and for a split second, she saw a bleak look cross his face.
Without a word, he took her in his arms. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I don’t want you to be caught in the middle of all of this.”
“I’m in it for better or worse, remember?” He sighed and nodded.
“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked. “She seemed happy to see you.”
“Well, she’s good at that, at pretending like nothing’s happened. Like she can just waltz in and pick up where she left off twenty years ago. You know why? Because she’s married.Again. Her new husband probably wants to meet me. God, last year she was Amanda Oldfield, two years before that, she was something else. Do you know every man she decides to marry is alwaysthe one true love of her life? Of course, her so-called true love doesn’t stand the test of time, because the moment she feels unhappy, she hightails it to divorce court faster than a speeding bullet.” He stopped, sucked in a huge breath, and cursed. “Damn it, I wasn’t going to do this.
“Hey, I’m glad you did. She hurt you, and there’s no excuse for what she did, but perhaps if you gave her a chance to explain…?”
His smile was tight. “She did. And maybe it’s not even out of the realm of possibility that I buy her explanation. But rational or not, the ten-year old boy inside me isn’t ready to accept it yet.” The pain in his voice was unmistakable.
“I’m so sorry, darling.” She went into his arms and kissed him.
He pulled her closer, deepened the kiss. In uncharacteristic silence, he made love to her.
Afterward, Nick seemed restored to his old self.
“You look breathtaking.” He eyed her new layered hairstyle and the navy blue form-fitting floor-length dress with off-the-shoulder sleeves and plunging neckline she’d settled on.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” she smiled, her appreciative gaze lingering over the designer tuxedo he wore over his pristine, black-studded shirt.
“I have something for you.” He plucked the velvet case from on top of his drawer. He opened it, and nestling on the black velvet bed were a diamond and sapphire necklace with a motif depicting two lovers entwined, along with matching sapphire earrings in a bezel setting.
“Oh, my God, Nick, they’re stunning!”
“Not as stunning as you,matia mou. Nothing could ever surpass your beauty, and the joy I feel from knowing you’re my wife again,” he said huskily. “Turn around.”
She obliged and placed the necklace round her neck. She blinked back tears, along with the lancing pain she felt because the wordlovestill hadn’t passed his lips. This was enough…for now.
When she faced him again, her feelings were under control. Going to the bed, she fetched his gift and presented him with it.
He opened the oblong box that held a gold-embossed scroll, uncurled it, and read the words in silence.
I carry your heart.
“This is the e.e. cummings poem we read at our wedding,” he said in a hushed voice.
She nodded. “I’d planned on giving it to you on your birthday two months ago, but…” But they’d been apart by then.
He looked at her, a strange light burning in his eyes. “Thank you. It means more to me than you know,” he murmured.
Taking her in his arms, he kissed her long and hard.
She was halfway to melting against him when the peal of the doorbell interrupted.
Stepping back, Nick held out his arm. “It’s show time. Let’s go and greet our guests.”