Page 64 of Out of Office Nights
‘Yes. I care.’
With every bone in my body, her heart screamed. But her tongue remained locked, still in full self-preservation mode.
He let out a laugh charged with a thousand currents and a large dose of anguish. All warning her to leave this alone. ‘Pick a lane, Sabeen. You’ve been fighting so hard to push me away. What’s changed?’
Because you matter.
And he did. Maybe he always had. Maybe deep down she’d always feared offering her heart might be her greatest risk.
‘Because like you, I’ve learned a few things these past days.’
Shadows winged across his face. ‘And what are those things?’
‘That whether I’m pregnant or not, I don’t owe you authority over me.’ She forced her gaze from his, to the beautiful drawings she’d created. At least one thing had gone right. ‘You have my contribution to your collection. And hand on heart I can say it’s my best work yet, so you should be happy. I’ll be present at the launch, of course, and deal with everything that needs to be done leading up to it. But I need to know, is there anything more for me here if I decide to stay?’ The words nearly ripped her heart in two. But she didn’t take them back.Couldn’t.
He turned to marble, his eyes unblinking as he inhaled. Exhaled. And said nothing. As silence drummed a death knell. And she had no choice but to turn for the door, her soul shattering as he let her walk out of his studio.
She tore into her suite, her tear-filled eyes unseeing as she snatched her case and tossed garments in. She’d gambled again. And lost worse than before. She wasn’t entirely sure she could survive this time. But…
Her hand went to her belly, a feverish hope that the period that hadn’t made an appearance last night or this morning as anticipated would mean…
Dear God, she was unashamedly desperate to leave with a piece of the man she loved with her.
Please, please, please—
She whirled when he barged into her bedroom one minute later, silver eyes blazing with purpose. ‘You know something? Only yesterday—hell, this morning—I would’ve let you get away with that. Shrug off the rejection and carry on with my life. I was used to it, after all.’
Her throat closed. ‘Rejection? How is asking for more a rejection? I’m…’
His eyes narrowed, flipping from her open suitcase to her face in deep censure. ‘It’s pretty obvious it’s some sort of test! You’ve shed your baggage and are ready to fly free. Without me? Against my better judgement I agreed to you wanting to keep us a secret. Now you want more? More secrets? More denying?’ His gaze dropped to her belly and anguish tore across his face. ‘Not even the thought of our unborn child can sway you? Or would you like me to go one better and disavow being the father entirely? Is that how you wish me to prove myself—’
‘No! That’s not what I want at all!’
He speared frantic fingers through his hair. ‘Then, explain.Por favor. How do I prove myself?’
‘You claimed your child. But you didn’t claim me!’
His face clouded. ‘What?’
‘What am I to you besides a designer? If there wasn’t a possibility that I was pregnant, what would I be besides your bed warmer?’
He sucked in a harsh breath. ‘A fearless fighter? A strong, courageous woman who goes toe to toe with me and calls me out when I need it? A beauty so incredible she takes my breath away and makes me believe I’ll die happy if only I get to spend my last breathless moments with her?’
Sabeen’s mouth dropped open.
He closed the gap between them, gently nudged her mouth shut.
‘To preclude any doubt, that person is you, Sabeen. I haven’t been able to sleep in my bed because you’re not in it. I can’t stay in this house because I crave you every minute of every day. I filled my father’s ears with every crumb of my time with you, then swore him to secrecy because I was terrified it wouldn’t fall under your secrecy rule. That you would leave if you found out.’
Her hands rose, reaching for him. ‘Oh God, Teo—’
‘You want my full surrender? You want more? Well, here it is.’ His chest heaved as he stared deep into her eyes. ‘I love you, Sabeen. So much I can barely breathe. Can barely function with the thought of losing you.’
Her mouth dropped open again. ‘You love me? But…but you—’
He towered over her, a pillar of affronted masculinity, with a blaze in his eyes that snatched her breath away. ‘Tell me I can’t love you. I dare you. I know I’m unworthy of you. But I have a lifetime to work at rectifying that. If…you’ll have me?’ The river of self-doubt in his eyes made her want to cry.
A sob slipped free as she hurled herself into his arms. ‘Would you stop saying that? Everyone around you believes you’re morethan worthy. Especially me. God, I was ready to tell you that a long time ago. To tell you more than that. Because you’ve taught me to be bold. To be brave. To reach for what I want. And what I want, more than anything in the world, is you. I will have you, Teo. Because I love you, too. I think I’ve been in love with you for years.’
