Page 110 of Wilder at Heart
I didn’t realise how lucky I was. How obscenely, outrageously fortunate I was to find you. I was too fucking obtuse and wrapped up in my godforsaken plans to notice.
‘Shh.’ He silences me with a chaste press of his lips against mine. ‘You don’t get to say anything just yet. I need to explain.’
I raise my eyebrows at him before my eyes dart to the indecent house beside us. ‘Maybe start with why we’rehere?’
‘Patience, my little pocket rocket. All will be revealed.’ He sighs. ‘Listen. First up, if you get a call from Holmes, I need you to know I made a colossal mistake. I told him he should give it another go with you, try to give you what you want. But I’ve changed my mind. I want to fight for you. I’m sorry, baby, but there’s no way that twat gets to be the guy to make you happy. I know I can do it, and I’m going to prove it to you. So if he calls, tell him where to go. Okay?’
I let him get it all out, because I’m unfairly gratified by his words, but I need to put the poor guy out of his misery.
‘He came over.’
I release a hand from his hair and lay it on his chest, enjoying the way his eyebrows shoot up and his jaw clenches.
‘That fucker.’
‘Romeo. Relax. You’ll be glad to know neither Jonathan nor I have any feelings for each other. At all. Not sure who was most relieved.’ I reconsider. ’On second thoughts, it was definitely him. He actually saidthank Godwhen I told him I didn’t love him anymore.’
Theo blinks. ‘Seriously?’
‘Seriously. I’m not sure I’ve ever been so horrified as when I thought he was going to ask me to give us another shot, but he actually came to plead your case. It seems you made quite the impression on him.’
‘Fuck. He told you I cried, didn’t he?’
I grin, but it’s a tender grin. Loving. ‘He did, and it gave me hope that I might still be in with a chance.’
‘So much more than a chance,’ he mutters, and kisses me again. I return his kiss dreamily, my eyelids fluttering closed.
‘I should never have rolled over,’ he says when he releases my mouth. ‘I definitely shouldn’t have rolled over forhim. I mean,Jesus Christ. Because’—he strokes his thumb down my face, my neck, those eyes boring into mine—‘I love you so much, baby, and I need to be the one that gets to make you happy. No one else, okay?’
The utter relief of hearing those words from him makes me want to sag. Thank God. Thank God. Evelyn was right. If he loves me, surely it can all be okay? We can work everything else out?
‘Iloveyoutoo.’ I stumble over the words in my hurry to get them out. I need this man to know. Can’t leave him in uncertainty a second longer. ‘And I’msosorry I let you think anything else. I’ve been so stupid—I’ve been kicking myself. But if it’s okay with you, I’d like to go to New York with you, and?—’
He closes his eyes as if he’s in pain, before opening them. The light of love and tenderness shining in them is a miracle.
‘Nooo, sweetheart,’ he croons, shaking his head. ‘Not going to happen. New York’s not happening at all, in fact. Not for us, anyway.’
‘What the hell?’ I stare at him in utter confusion.
‘I’ve been a busy guy these past few days.’
He slides his hands up to my shoulders.
‘That’s why I’ve been staying away from you. I’ve been trying to sort everything out.’
Gently, he holds my shoulders and turns me around, pulling me in against him.
‘Starting with this.’
I sag into him and gawp at the vision in front of us.
He leans and whispers in my ear.
‘One Georgian rectory for the woman of my dreams.’
My entire body goes rigid. I jerk my head around so I can see his face, because I don’t understand.
‘What do you mean?’
