Page 163 of Along Came Amor
“In an ideal world, I’d take more time to think about what I want to say.” She grasped his hands in hers, her face earnest, even as her cheeks flushed. “I’d have a color-coded list in my planner, to make sure I say everything in the right order and don’t leave anything out.”
“It’s not too late to make a spreadsheet,” he teased gently, but she shook her head.
“I don’t want to waste any more time.” She gave him a small smile. “And anyway, I have a mental list with three bullet points.”
“Only three?”
“The last one has a lot of points under it.”
“Let’s start with the first,” he said gently.
Her expression turned serious, her full mouth tightening at the corners. Before he could give in to the urge to kiss her until she softened, she said, “Roman, I’m sorry.”
Shit, this was it. She’d brought him out here to let him down easy.
He took a moment to get his voice under control. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for, mi amor.”
“But I do.” Her tone was brittle, and her eyes took on a glassy sheen. “I’m so sorry for hiding you, and for treating you like you were something to hide. It was only ever because of my own fears and not because of you or anything you did. Please know that.”
He exhaled slowly. His chest cavity felt like it was full of shattered glass. “I know, Ava. I know.”
“I love you, Roman.”
Suddenly, all he could see was her face. The serious slant of her brows, the sweet curve of her lips, and her eyes—yes, that was love shining in them, even as tears glittered on her lower lashes.
She was still talking, unaware of the spell her words had cast upon him. “I want to be with you,” she said earnestly. “And I don’t care who knows it.”
“You—” Relief made him dizzy. And then he couldn’t keep away from her for another second. He tugged her closer, sliding his arms around her, and her fingers gripped the front of his shirt.
“I’m so sorry—”
“Shh.” He rubbed her back in slow, gentle strokes. “I understand.”
“I know you do.” She tilted her head to look at him. “You understandme. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to convey how big of a gift that is.”
His breath hitched. “See what happens when you let me give you gifts?”
She laughed, and her fingers flexed on his chest, right over his heart. “From the very beginning, you’ve given me the biggest gift of all.”
His lips twisted into a suggestive smirk, and she gave a surprised giggle. “Okay, yes, but I didn’t meanthat.”
He couldn’t resist teasing her. “If notthat, then what?”
“Yourtime, Roman. You’re the man who has everything, except for free time. But from the moment we met, you gave the gift of your time whenever I asked. And I know it wasn’t easy. I know you had important things to do. Whenever I reached out, I expected you to say no, that you were too busy, thus proving what I believed about myself, that no one would ever put me first.” She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. “But you never said no. You have always,alwaysbeen here when I need you.”
He lifted a hand to cup her cheek, his thumb stroking over her soft skin. “And I always will. For as much and as long as I’m able, I’ll be here.”
“I... actually believe that.” She leaned into his touch. “You said that when we’re together, you feel like you’re truly living.”
He nodded. “You’ve given me a gift too, Ava.”
She liked that, he saw. Her lips curved, and she pressed a kiss to his palm. “You deserve to rest,” she said. “You’ve worked so hard, for so long. It’s time to rest, Roman. Or to play. Whatever you want.”
“Only if I get to do it with you,” he said.
“Who else is going to make sure you don’t revert back to your workaholic tendencies?”
“I might have discussed some potential business ventures with Ashton and Gabe.”
