She slowed her pace and gathered her thoughts, although she had no idea what she’d say. “Hey.”
He turned. “Hey, yourself.”
The moon and the stars danced over the ripples of the dark water. The sweet sound of a violin rang out across the night air, and the soft sounds of romantic chatter from the restaurant filled the evening.
But all that mattered was this moment.
And the man standing in front of her.
“What happened to your secret admirer?” he asked.
“I know it’s you.” She folded her arms across her chest.
“I see,” he said.
“Why put yourself through doing this, especially after you told me the truth?”
“For two reasons.” He held up two fingers. “The first being I needed to see how it felt to do the whole Valentine’s Day thing and the second being I wasn’t completely sure I could tell you the truth about my parents.”
“But you did tell me.”
He nodded.
“And how did it feel?” she asked, holding her breath. Not that his answer mattered at this point. If he was willing to give them a second chance, she’d take it, with or without the promise of Valentine’s Day or anniversaries.
“To be honest, really weird.” He closed the gap. “At first I didn’t like it. All it did was remind me of who my parents were. Then, after watching your response with the gifts, I started to realize that I could change my narrative, if I worked at it and if I had a little help from someone who I loved, and she loved me back.” He took her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “I love you, Shelly. I’ll do whatever it takes to win your heart back. And that includes going all out on Valentine’s Day.” Gently, he pressed his lips over hers in a tender kiss. “Come with me,” he whispered.
“Where?”
“My surprise.” He took her by the hand and led her down the docks.
As they walked in silence, she glanced at all the magnificent yachts. “Do you remember the week we went on the cruise for my birthday? That was amazing.”
“It was,” he said. “And I know you can’t just take off for a week right now, but this baby is ours for the next two weeks.” He pointed to an eighty-foot yacht named: Happy Right Now. On the back deck stood a waiter and a bartender next to a table decked out in roses. “I feel really guilty because I had to buy those flowers from your competitor.”
“Yeah, next time, don’t do that.”
He stopped just shy of the walkway and pulled her close. “So, you forgive me for being an asshole?”
“Can you forgive me for moving out and all the horrible things—”
He pressed his finger on her lips. “Nothing to forgive.”
“I love you, Axel. It’s always been you.”
About the Author
Thank you for taking the time to read It’s Always Been You. I hope you enjoyed it. Please feel free to leave an honest review.
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About Jen Talty
Welcome to my World! I'm a USA Today Bestseller of Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance, and Paranormal Romance.
I first started writing while carting my kids to one hockey rink after the other, averaging 170 games per year between 3 kids in 2 countries and 5 states. My first book, IN TWO WEEKS was originally published in 2007. In 2010 I helped form a publishing company (Cool Gus Publishing) with NY Times Bestselling Author Bob Mayer where I ran the technical side of the business through 2016.
I'm currently enjoying the next phase of my life...the empty NESTER! My husband and I spend our winters in Jupiter, Florida and our summers in Rochester, NY. We have three amazing children who have all gone off to carve out their places in the world, while I continue to craft stories that I hope will make you readers feel good and put a smile on your face.
Coming from Lady Boss Press in the Spring of 2020:
Melissa Belle: Easy Puck
Lea Coll: Easy Moves
JH Croix: Easy This Time
LP Dover: Easy Revenge
Anna Edwards: Easy Rumba
Bailie Hantam: Easy to Remember
Tracey Jerald: Easy Reunion
Stacey Lewis: Easy Spark
Jodi Linton: Easy There, Fireman
Bethany Lopez: Easy Risk
Kayti McGee: Easy Love Magic for the Modern Girl
S. Moose: Easy Fall
Lauren Smith: Boudreaux's Lady
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A Little Bit Cupid: A Collection of Short Stories Page 42