The C.O.O. Must Marry
Page 12
Her heart began to wobble. “You want me to come back to you?”
His expression opened up fully for the first time ever. “How can I live in that great big house without the woman I love to share it with me?”
“Nick, are you—” She moistened her mouth. Dare she say the words? “Are you saying you love me?”
“Yes.”
Her heart jumped with joy but still she held back. She was too scared to believe it. There had to be another reason.
“Is this your revenge, Nick? Are you going to get me to admit I love you and then walk away?”
There was a flash of pain in his eyes. “No. The only direction I’m walking in is to you.” His steps did exactly that. And then he stood in front of her, his gaze achingly intense. “Do you love me, Sasha?”
She looked up at him and could fight it no longer. “Yes, Nick, I do. I’ve always loved you. I always will.”
He pulled her close. “Oh God, I love you, Sash,” he said thickly, his deep voice caressing her ears.
“Nick,” she murmured, love swelling within her.
He drew her close and kissed her. She inhaled him in like he was the very air, his heartbeat merging with hers, his touch purring along her skin, his scent mingling with her own. She’d never felt more alive.
Or complete.
He moved back but held her within the circle of his arms. “Last night I knew there was something going on with you, but I didn’t know what. And today, I didn’t know if you could forgive me.” His lips brushed hers. “I just have to say it again. I love you.”
“I’ll never get sick of hearing you say it,” she whispered, the love in his eyes stealing her breath. “I love you so very much, Nick.”
He hugged her tight for a short while, then eased back. “I had some bad moments on the way over here, let me tell you.”
“Perhaps I gave in too easily then?” she teased.
His lips twitched. “If you hadn’t, I’d be a nervous wreck by now.”
“You a nervous wreck? Never!”
“You’re right,” he said, making her smile at his Valente arrogance. “I’d never be a wreck because I wouldn’t have let you go in the first place.”
“I can’t fault that reasoning.”
His hands tightened on her waist. “Speaking of giving, you give so much of yourself, trying to balance it all so that no one will get hurt. Your parents don’t deserve you. I almost didn’t.”
“Nick, I should have told you as soon as I could, but I was torn. How could I be responsible for sending my father to jail?”
“You weren’t responsible for anything.”
“I was responsible to you as your wife. I should have made him tell you in the first place.”
His mouth tightened. “Your father is the one who should have been responsible.”
She winced, then, “You know, I’m glad it’s over now. It would have always been between us because I would have known.”
“I can guarantee it won’t be between us now.”
Her heart rolled over as she looked up at him. “Oh, Nick.”
“Call me darling.”
“Darling,” she murmured. Then she remembered something else. “What about your family?”
“They’ll know the truth by now. They won’t hold anything against you.”
“But Cesare—”
“Loves you like a daughter. It’s the reason he was so hurt. He will apologize and no more will be said about it.”
His words gave her joy. “I love your family, Nick.”
“As long as you love me more.”
“Oh, yes! Far, far more.”
He glanced at the bed. “Seeing that you’ve already paid for the room…”
She arched one of her eyebrows. “Are you suggesting I go to bed with you, Nick Valente?”
“Do you have a better suggestion, my darling?”
“Not a one.”
With their hearts finally open to each other, he drew her down on the bed beside him and at that moment she finally acknowledged something to herself. Loving Nick was no longer the worst thing that could happen in her life.
Loving Nick was the strongest part of her life.
Epilogue
N ick watched his very beautiful wife come toward him in the church and his heart swelled with love. He’d ruined Sasha’s dreams seven years ago, and then almost ruined them again more recently. This time he was going to make sure her dream came true.
A lump formed in his throat when he saw her blinking back tears during the service. He never knew life could bring such happiness as he’d had the last few weeks with Sasha.
“Darling, thank you,” she murmured after they walked back down the aisle past the Valente family, who were their only guests. “The church is so beautiful.”
He’d searched high and low to find the perfect church for her and finally found it up in the mountains. The historic church had stained glass windows that looked out over the valley to the ocean where the heart of Sydney could be seen many, many miles away.
Outside the church his family…no, make that their family…gathered round to congratulate them and have their picture taken for posterity.
“There’s one more thing I want to do,” he whispered in her ear.
“What’s that?”
“I’ll show you later, my love.”
And he did.
That night the moonlight shone over the silhouette of a couple kissing in the gazebo. And this time when Nick left to go back to the house, he wasn’t alone.
He had Sasha by his side.
As it always would be.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-2771-6
THE C.O.O. MUST MARRY
Copyright © 2009 by Maxine Sullivan
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*Australian Millionaires
*Australian Millionaires
*Australian Millionaires