Page 74 of Suddenly Desired
He chuckled softly, shaking his head. “Not even close.”
That made her smile. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and propping her chin on her hands. “What happens now? What does having this evidence mean in actual terms?”
“It means exactly what you think it means,” he said. “It means everything.”
“It means you’re in the clear. Everyone will know that you didn’t write those things.”
“It means any court in the world will deny Josh if he claims he wrote LifeWrite,” Blake said. “It would deny Michelle and David the copyright. It’s yours.”
Ellie nodded, relieved, but her mind was racing. “What happens to them? David and Michelle?”
“They’ll lose everything,” Blake replied. “The board will kick them out, no question. Jail isn’t off the table either, not with the evidence we have.”
“Would you want that?” she asked, testing the waters.
Blake met her gaze, his jaw tightening. “They deserve it,” he said bluntly. “For what they’ve done, they deserve every consequence coming their way. They didn’t just try to destroy me — they tried to destroy you, Ellie. They went after something you built with your heart and soul. People like that don’t get my sympathy.”
She studied his face, the sharp set of his jaw, the flicker of anger still simmering in his eyes. This wasn’t the Blake she had met days ago. This was someone hardened by betrayal, someone who had fought to keep his composure while everything he’d built was ripped apart.
But when he looked back at her, the tension in his face dissipated. “Maybe I don’t want them to go to jail,” he said, the corner of his mouth twitching into a smile. “But when this all comes out, can we just let them stew about it for a little while?”
“Deal.”
Blake grinned, the spark in his eyes returning.
“And you’ll get it all back?” she asked. “You’ll get your company back.”
He nodded, but the expression on his face was almost one of disappointment.
“Doyou want that?”
“I honestly don’t know anymore,” he said. “I thought I did, but so much has changed since yesterday. Right now, the only thing I want is this.” He looked around him, then he looked back at her. “The only thing I want is you. I love you, Ellie Mae Woodward.”
Her lips parted, but nothing came out. Her hands moved on instinct, reaching up to cup his face, her fingers trembling slightly against the rough stubble of his jaw.
“Blake . . .” she whispered, her voice breaking. She stared into his eyes, searching for any flicker of doubt but finding none. “You mean that?”
“I’ve never meant anything more,” he said, his hand coming up to cover hers. “It’s not just that I want you, Ellie. It’s that I need you. You’ve changed everything. You’ve made me see who I could be, what life could be.”
Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it might leap out of her chest. She closed her eyes for a moment, leaning her forehead against his as tears slipped free and traced warm paths down her cheeks.
“You’re not the only one who’s changed,” she murmured.
She felt his fingers under her chin, gently tilting her face up. When her eyes fluttered open, his gaze was so full of love it made her breath hitch. Before she could say anything else, his lips were on hers.
The kiss wasn’t urgent or hurried. It wasn’t about passion or desperation. It was deeper than that. It was the kind of kiss that spoke of trust, of commitment, of for ever. She melted into it, her hands sliding down to rest on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath her fingertips. He held her like she was the most precious thing in the world, and for the first time in a long time, she felt utterly safe.
When they finally pulled apart, her forehead rested against his, both of them breathing heavily. Blake reached up and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering against her cheek.
“You have no idea how much I love you,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Ellie laughed softly, her thumb brushing against his chest. “I might have an idea,” she replied, grinning through her tears. “And for the record, I love you too.”
They sat back, listening to the farmyard sounds through the open window. The goats bleated and the cows lowed, and the world seemed alive with birdsong. It was as if it was Ellie’s first time in the countryside and she wondered why she had never appreciated the full extent of its beauty before. Why had she given this up for the smoke and bustle of the city? Why hadn’t she moved back out here a long time ago?
Because she hadn’t met the right person to be here with.
Her laptop fan kicked into gear, reminding Ellie that she had an important job to do before she got too carried away with the good life.
