Page 55 of How To Tempt The Off-Limits Billionaire

He didn’t speak and she didn’t know how to broach the subject of their relationship—or current lack thereof—so Ro broke their silence by telling him that she’d taken a walk in the vineyard the night before.

Muzi frowned. “I’m not crazy about you walking the lands alone at night.”

Ro waved his concern away. “I was on a video call to my folks—and yes, they are still divorcing—”

“And how do you feel about that?”

Fine. Better than fine. “They explained that they still love each other but that their love has changed. They are still the best of friends and still plan to stay in each other’s lives so there won’t be any awkwardness or taking of sides. I’m grateful for that. And, of course, they still love me as much as they ever did.”

Muzi’s mouth lifted in that sexy half smile she so loved. “Of course they do.”

Ro waved her hands in the air. “But that’s not what I wanted to tell you. So, I was sitting there, in between the vines on the east side of the property where your guys have been working. And I was watching the moonlight on the vine leaves and, you’re going to think I’m crazy, but I think I might’ve found your cultivar. I saw some distinct differences...”

His expression didn’t change and Ro frowned. “Why aren’t you happy about this?”

Muzi shrugged. “I am, I guess. But, honestly, the C’Artegan cultivar is way down on my list of important stuff right now.”

Oh, man, this was bad. If Muzi wasn’t reacting to her news about finding the cultivar he was desperately looking for, then their night was going to go downhill fast.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to verbalize her thoughts. “Then what’s at the top of that list?”

Muzi sat down on the wall next to her and stretched out his long legs.

“Did you not hear me say that I want you?” Muzi asked, his tone gentle. He sighed and linked his hands behind his head. “God, could I be any worse at this if I tried?”

Before she could reply—not that she had a response to his rhetorical question—he spoke again. “Let me back up a bit and start with this... I’m so sorry you were hurt when you found out what Gil and Zia did,” Muzi quietly stated. “I thought you could handle the truth. But, in hindsight, maybe I should’ve protected you from that knowledge.”

“You were right to tell me, and the last of my illusions have fallen away. In my head, they are sperm and egg donors but not my parents.” Ro put her hand on her heart and smiled. “My parents are pretty damn wonderful, actually.”

“I’m sure they are. They raised an incredible woman.”

His words washed over her, but they weren’t enough, she needed more. “What are we doing, Muzi? Where is this conversation going?”

Muzi pulled his thigh up onto the wall and turned to face her, his expression pensive. “I didn’t plan for you, Roisin, I didn’t plan forthis.I was quite happy to be alone, content to have the occasional affair. I convinced myself that I didn’t need anybody, that love wasn’t worth the risk.

“And that I don’t need anybody...” Muzi added.

Ro’s heart, which had started to soar, stalled and plummeted back down to earth.

“But I do needyou,” Muzi said, his voice rough with emotion. “I know that you are still recovering from being in a long-term relationship, that another relationship might not be what you want but I’ll be here—I’ll take anything you can give me—hoping that you will love me the way I love you.”

Ah...what?

“You love me?” Ro squeaked.

Muzi rubbed the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable. “I wish what I felt for you was that simple. Yes, I love you but it’s more than that.” He hesitated and Ro held her breath, unable to catch her heart, which was on a death-defying roller-coaster ride.

“I’ve fallen into you...into a dream of a future we can have together. I can see us creating a life together, living and loving together, creating babies and memories.” He managed a small smile, moonlight in his eyes. “I’ve been scared before—scared that I’d be alone, abandoned by Mimi and the family—but losing you, it’s a level of fear that can drop me to my knees.Youdrop me to my knees...” Muzi added.

She wanted to reach for him, to tell him that she wanted what he did, but there was something she had to get out first.

“We both want, or wanted, guarantees that our hearts would be safe, that we won’t hurt each other but—” Ro hesitated, emotion closing her throat. She pushed the words past the tightness, and they came out a little rough. “But as I’ve recently discovered, love doesn’t come with a guarantee.”

“Iknow. And it’s so damn terrifying,” Muzi said, his hand coming to rest on her bare foot. “The thing is Ro, I’ll take you, I’ll take whatever you can give me. I choose you without any guarantee. That’s true right now and I have to believe that it’ll be true tomorrow and ten years, twenty, from now.”

His thumb brushed the instep of her foot and heat rolled up her leg. She lifted her head and stared at him, unable to believe that this reticent man was saying exactly what she most needed to hear.

That he loved her, that he wanted her in his life...

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