Page 42 of The Venetian One-Night Baby

Hopeful.

His sexual response to her was a physical manifestation of what was going on in his heart. He was inexorably drawn to her warm and generous nature. Every time he touched her, he felt a connection that was unlike any he’d experienced before. Layer by layer, piece by piece, every barricade he’d erected had been sloughed away by her smile, her touch. Her love. How could he let her walk away without telling her the truth? The truth that had been locked away until now. The truth he had shied away from out of fear and cowardice.

He loved her.

He loved her with every fibre of his being. His love for her was the only thing that could protect her. Love was what had kept his family together against impossible odds. Love was what would protect their baby, just as he had been protected. His and her parents were right—he and Sabrina were perfect for each other. And if he didn’t exactly feel perfect enough, he would work damn hard on it so he did.

Because he loved her enough to change. To own the feelings he had been too fearful to name. Feelings that he needed to express to her because they were bubbling up inside him like a dam about to break.

* * *

Sabrina’s parents fussed over her so much each night when she came home from work that she found it claustrophobic. They were doing it with good intentions but she just wanted to be alone to contemplate her future without Max. Thankfully, that night her parents had an important medical function to attend, which left Sabrina to have a pity party all by herself.

The doorbell rang just as she was deciding whether she could be bothered eating the nutritious meal her mother had left for her. She glanced at the security monitor in the kitchen and her heart nearly stopped when she saw Max standing there. But before she allowed herself to get too excited, she took a deep calming breath. He was probably just checking up on her. Making sure she’d settled in okay.

She opened the door with her expression cool and composed. ‘Max.’ Even so, her voice caught on his name.

‘I need to talk to you.’ His voice was deep and hoarse, as if he had swallowed the bristly welcome mat.

‘Come in.’ Sabrina stepped away from the door to allow him to follow but she didn’t get far into the foyer before he reached for her, taking her by the hands.

‘Sabrina, my darling, I can’t believe it has taken me this long to realise what I feel about you.’ His hands tightened on hers as if he was worried she would pull away. ‘You’ve been in my life for so long that I was blind or maybe too damn stubborn to see you’re exactly what our parents have said all this time. You’re perfect for me. Perfect because you’ve taught me how to feel again. How to love. I love you.’

Sabrina stepped a little closer or maybe he tugged her to him, she wasn’t sure. All she knew was hearing him say those words made something in her chest explode with joy like fireworks. She could feel fizzes and tingles running right through her as she saw the look of devotion on his face. ‘Oh, Max, do you mean it? You’re not just saying it to get me back?’

He wrapped one arm around her like a tight band, the other hand cupped one side of her face, his eyes shining like wet paint. ‘I mean it with every breath and bone and blood cell in my body. I love you so much. I’ve been fighting it because on some level I knew you were the only one who could make me feel love again and I was so worried about letting you down. And then I went and did it in the worst way possible. I can’t believe I stood there like a damn robot instead of reaching for you and telling you I loved you that night you came home from hospital. Please marry me, my darling. Marry me and let’s raise our baby together.’

She threw her arms around his neck and rose up on tiptoe so she could kiss him. ‘Of course I’ll marry you. I love you. I think I might have always loved you.’

Max squeezed her so tightly she thought her ribs would crack. He released her slightly to look at her. ‘Oh, baby girl, I can’t believe I nearly lost you. I’ve been such a fool, letting you leave like that. How devastated you must have felt when you told me you loved me and I just stood there frozen like a statue.’

Sabrina gazed into his tender eyes. ‘You’re forgiven, as long as you forgive me for being such a cow to you for all those years.’

He cradled her face with his hands and brushed his thumbs across her cheeks. ‘There’s nothing to forgive. I enjoyed every one of those insults because they’ve brought us here. You are the most adorable person in the world. I wish I could be a better man than I am for you, but I give you my word I’ll do my best.’

Sabrina blinked back tears of happiness. ‘You are the best, Max. The best man for me. The only man I want. You’re perfect just the way you are.’

He gave her a lingering kiss, rocking her from side to side in his arms. After a while, he lifted his head to look at her, his eyes moist with his own tears of joy. ‘Hang on, I forgot something.’ He reached into his trouser pocket and took out her engagement ring and slipped it on her finger. ‘There. Back where it belongs.’

Sabrina smiled and looped her arms around his neck again. ‘We are both back where we belong. Together. Ready to raise our little baby.’

He hugged her close again, smiling down at her. ‘I’m more than ready. I can’t wait to be a father. You’ve taught me that loving someone is the best way of protecting them and I can safely say you and our baby are not going to be short of my love.’ He kissed her again and added, ‘My forever love.’

EPILOGUE

A FEW WEEKS LATER, Max stood at the end of the aisle at the same church in which he and his baby brother had been christened, and looked out at the sea of smiling faces, his friends and family. He saw Zack sitting with Sabrina’s family with a grin from ear to ear, having just got back from his honeymoon. Holly was the maid of honour so Zack would have to do without his new bride by his side while the ceremony was conducted.

Max drew in a breath to settle his nerves of excitement. The church was awash with flowers thanks to Holly. He couldn’t believe how hard everyone had worked to get this wedding under way in the short time frame. But wasn’t that what friends and family were for? They pulled together and the power of all that love overcame seemingly impossible odds.

The organ began playing ‘The Bridal March’ and Holly, as Sabrina’s only bridesmaid, and the cute little flower girl, the three-year-old daughter of one of Max’s friends from University, began their procession.

And then it was time for his bride to appear. Max’s heart leapt into his throat and he blinked back a sudden rush of tears. Sabrina was stunning in a beautiful organza gown that floated around her, not quite disguising the tiny bump of their baby. She looked like a fairytale princess and her smile lit up the church and sent a warm spreading glow to his chest.

She was wearing something borrowed and something blue, but when she came to stand in front of him he saw the pink diamond earrings he had bought her after they had found out at the eighteen-week ultrasound they were expecting a baby girl. They had decided to keep it a secret between themselves and it thrilled him to share this private message with her on this most important of days. One day they would tell their little daughter of the magic of how she brought her parents together in a bond of mutual and lasting love.

Sabrina came to stand beside him, her eyes twinkling as bright as the diamonds she was wearing, and the rush of love he felt for her almost knocked him off his feet. He took her hands and smiled. ‘You look beautiful.’ His voice broke but he didn’t care. He wasn’t ashamed of feeling emotional. He was proud to stand and own his love for her in front of all these people. In front of the world.

Her eyes shone. ‘Oh, Max, I can’t believe my dream came true. We’re here about to be married.’

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