Page 57 of Falling For The Enemy (The Gilbert Curse)

He reached for her hands then, taking them in his. “I’m sorry I did. I didn’t know how to tell you who I was, and that was before I knew that Dec had hurt you. I can’t forgive him for that. I don’t know how you could ever accept me into your life knowing he’s my brother.”

She turned her hands under his and pulled them back, and the hope that had been growing in his heart stuttered to a stop. But of course he’d respect her wishes. He might have to spend the rest of his life in unrequited love with her but he wasn’t going to be the second Orr man to take something from her that she didn’t want to give.

“When I look at you, Kit, I see a man who is so different from Declan. That night is such a foggy memory that it doesn’t have the power to hurt me. You are more real to me. I’ve never felt threatened by you. I’ve always felt safe,” she admitted.

“I’m so glad to hear that. Can you ever forgive me for lying?” he asked.

She just looked over at him with her eyes wide and serious. He didn’t know if words would be enough to convince her to believe him.

Kit got up and came around to her side of the table, dropping down on his knees next to her chair and taking her hands into his. He had always been afraid to admit how he felt, afraid to be vulnerable in a way that emotions always made him feel.

“I love you, Rory Gilbert, with my entire being. I know that it’s going to take time for you to learn to trust me again. But I will do whatever I need to in order to make that happen.”

She turned toward him but he stayed where he was. He needed her to hear this. He needed to tell her everything that was on his heart and mind.

“You might have asked me to help you take risks and learn to live again. But the truth is you were the one who taught me about living. You made me let go of the past and start to see myself—and the world—in a new light.”

“Kit...”

She put her hands on his face and brought her mouth down to his. Her kiss was soft and tentative at first and he let her set the tone, but she tasted so good and he wanted her. With every cell in his body. He wanted her love, her happiness and her forgiveness.

He wanted this woman in his arms and in his life.

When she lifted her head, he waited for the rush of lust to pass so he could talk.

“I don’t know if you can love me, but I am willing to wait as long as it takes until you do.”

Kit stood up and looked down at her. He remembered the first time he’d taken her for a walk in the rain around her backyard. The first time he’d kissed her. His life had changed in that moment. He hadn’t realized it then, because he had been too focused on trying to figure out how to keep Rory safe while bringing down Dash.

He should have known that there was no way he could hurt anyone she cared about. No way he could tear apart anything that mattered to her. She was the only thing that mattered to him. Her love and her happiness. He had to find a way to convince her of that.

She licked her lips and then stood up next to him. His heart was beating so loudly it was a pounding in his ears.

There was no doubting Kit’s sincerity. She just had to trust herself to accept him. To say yes to this. And it felt riskier than anything else she’d ever done. He loved her. That almost made her more afraid.

He loved her.

She had to repeat it to herself because it was so hard to believe that he’d said the words. And how they made her feel. She stopped thinking about all of the bad energy that had been surrounding her family, and Kit’s, since the night of the winter gala and the accident.

She stopped thinking about the fact that everyone thought there was a curse on her family and this town; and that the last person who anyone would have expected to break it were outsiders. But they had. Indy, Elle and now Kit had all done their part to bring love back into the lives of herself, Conrad and Dash. She knew that without love there could be no change.

Not for herself and not for Kit.

He’d dedicated his life to avenging his brother and father and when he’d realized he had the wrong idea, he’d changed. He’d started to question those long-held beliefs and he’d fallen in love with her.

But he was watching her and she remembered how she’d felt when she’d first learned he’d lied about who he was and why he’d come into her life. And as much as she’d wanted to lean into being angry and hurt and let that dominate her, she couldn’t. Because she loved this man more than she’d known she could love another person.

“Rory?”

“Kit.”

“Woman, you’rekillingme here. Did what I said mean anything to you?”

She put her hands on his face. She just liked touching him and holding him. “It meant everything.”

She took a deep breath and leaned her forehead against his. “I love you, too.”

The words, once they were said, weren’t as scary as she’d thought they would be. “I’m not sure how we move forward from here. But I want to.”

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