She looked back at him with intensity and he couldn’t tell what she was thinking. Then an awful feeling of dread filled him as he realized why she was here.
It was to get her things. She came to get her things. He brought his hand up to his face and winced.
“Amy.” Emotion weighed so heavily on him that he didn’t know what to say first. So he started with the most pressing thing. “Please no, don’t tell me you’re here to get your things. You have to believe that I would never do anything to hurt you.”
She brought her hands together and held them to her chest. She nodded, but he still didn’t know what she was thinking.
“I know. You never would, and you never have,” she breathed, tears spilling down her cheeks.
Josh straightened up and gazed at her. Now he could see. Now he could see that she believed him. “You believe me?”
“Yes.” She pushed a wayward golden strand behind her ear.
“How come?” He knew he should thank his lucky stars that she believed him and not press with questions as to why. However, he wanted to know what had changed her mind. Did she speak to Allegra? Did someone else convince her of the truth? He wanted to know.
“I love you.” A tear ran down her cheek as she spoke. “I love you so much and I trust you. I trust you, Josh, and that is all I need to know that you were telling the truth.” The fifty-ton weight that had rested on him since this whole thing happened lifted off his shoulders.
As he took her words in, his lungs expanded, relieving the constriction he felt from fear and he could breathe again.
“Amy…”
It was the first time any woman, except his mother and Clarissa, had ever told him that they loved him. He’d never even been lied to because all the women he’d been with weren’t looking for love. Neither was he.
Until her, until Amy. He found love with her.
“I’m sorry. Please forgive me for not believing you straightaway when I should have.” She covered her mouth as she started to cry. He rushed over to her and pulled her in, holding her close to his heart. In that moment, he promised himself he would never let her go.
“There’s nothing to forgive,” he said against her hair, absorbing the sweet fragrance of her and savoring the feel of having his girl back in his arms. “I love you so much, and I want to tell you that every day.”
She pulled away so she could look up at him. “Josh, I have to tell you something.”
“What is it?” He looked down into her beautiful eyes wondering what she could want to say.
“I’ve loved you for a long time.”
He thought of the times when he hoped that she could love him and it warmed his heart to know that she did. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he breathed, stroking the soft skin along her jawline.
“I was scared, and I thought that it would scare you away,” she answered, trying to hold back tears. “I never thought that you could love me.”
“And all this time I did. Baby, why would you think that?”
“I just thought I’d never be enough for you.” She lifted her shoulders and pulled in a breath.
He shook his head at her. “Kansas,” he chuckled. He hadn’t called her that in awhile. She laughed and he relished the sound of her sweet laughter.
“Yes, your majesty?”
“Hey, I was never aware of you calling me that, but it does have a good ring to it. Amy.” He held her gaze. “You’re everything. My life doesn’t get much better than this. My life doesn’t get much better than you.”
As she smiled, he leaned forward to kiss her and immerse himself in the euphoric elation of having her back.
But…there was one last thing he had to do and he was feeling a lot better about doing it.
Amy’s skin tingled with happiness.
Finally, she’d faced her fears and could put aside everything she’d ever worried about. She knew now she’d never have to worry about suffering the same fate as her mother, because unlike her father, Josh loved her. And, like him, she’d tell him she loved him every day.
She melted into his kiss, and when he pulled away she saw the love that filled his eyes and melted even more. She remembered the day of the first game, when she’d thought she’d never have what Gage and Evie had. But she didn’t realize then that she did. She was just too scared to see it.
He took her hand, held it up, and shook it.
“I guess now we know what this is. This thing between us that’s kept us going.” He smiled widely.
“Yes, we do.” It was love.
“So, we should do something about that, right?”
“Yes, I agree. What do you have in mind?” She giggled. “We should write it down on paper and sign it, for references.”
“Exactly. But I have a better idea.” His blue-green eyes sparkled with delight as he stretched out her hand.
Amy stared at him waiting to hear his idea, and could have just about fainted from shock when she watched him lower to one knee and produced a small, pink, velvet box from the back pocket of his jeans.
She brought up her hands to her cheeks and drew in a sharp gasp.
Her heart pounded within her chest as she watched him open the box and reveal a tiny, ever so delicate ring with an oval-cut diamond centered in the middle, reflecting the light with brilliance and flashing a spectrum of colors as it sparkled.
“My Amy. You are my world. Please make me the happiest man alive by being my wife.”
She felt lightheaded, like she might faint, and her skin tingled as she continued to watch him.
As Amy gazed down at her dream man before her she felt like the luckiest woman alive. He was her angel and her world too.
“Yes… Absolutely yes.” She’d never agreed to anything so quickly in her life, and she’d never been happier. Not ever. The happiness she felt swelled within her in undiluted purity. It burst into spasms of joy as he slipped the ring onto her finger and picked her up to kiss her. She ran her hands through his thick, spiky hair and over him, appreciating that he was hers.
“Right, we have to go now to make sure we have enough time,” he suddenly declared, flicking her around effortlessly so that he could carry her.
She giggled against his lips and slipped her arms around his neck. “Enough time for what, Josh?”
“I plan to make love to you all night, and a few more times before Hilda gets here. We don’t want the poor thing to get the shock of her life if she walks in on us.”
She just looked at him, shook her head, and said, “Okay.”
Amy laughed as he carried her up to their room and into their new life, where they would love each other forever.
Other Books by Khardine Gray
I Only Have Eyes For You
Hearts Entwined
Complete Me
Shape of My Heart
Series
Vandervilles
Book 1: When Beauty Met the Beast
Book 2: Secrets and Lies
Book 3: Into the Rabbit Hole
About the Author
Khardine Gray is the author of such acclaimed romances as I Only Have Eyes For You, Complete Me, and Hearts Entwined.
She writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense.
Her books have drool-worthy heroes who will make you melt, and sassy, fun-loving, ambitious heroines.
She loves writing and simply adores her readers.
She’s from the Caribbean, but currently lives in England with her husband and two kids.
When not writing you can catch her ice skating or dancing at a Samba class.
Keep up with all the new releases by signing up to her mailing list at http://www.subscribepage.com/f4u3v9
www.khardinegraybooks.com
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Shape Of My Heart Page 24