Nice Girls Finish Last (17 page)

‘Me, too. I've been waiting for ages for you to tell me again. To tell me you mean it.'

‘I do.' She threw her arms around his neck, desperation incarnate. But it was a delicious, mutual desperation.

It took nothing for him to scoop her into his arms and carry her to her door. Nothing for him to unlock her flat, nothing for him to sweep her dress from her body, his jeans from his.

But it took everything she had to accept how much he loved her. How truly. She felt it all—in the heated strokes of his shaking hands, in the fevered whispers of his hoarse voice, in the powerful demand of his big body.

In this other world, for the first time, Lena felt treasured, beautiful, adored—inside and out. She arched, her mouth sealed to his, giving and receiving so much—extreme pleasure and pure love. She loved him back—loved him with every cell in her body, with the light of her soul. This charming, gorgeous, strong man had taken her, he'd understood her, he'd accepted her. And he'd fulfilled her.

He rolled, lifting her above him so his solid chest cushioned her. ‘That day at the stadium I took one look at you and…'

‘Wanted to have sex.' She couldn't resist teasing him, loving it more now she felt the truth of his love.

‘Well, yeah, but there was something else I wanted just as much.'

‘What?'

‘You were laughing. You were leaning against that wall and you were laughing so hard and it was so husky and feminine and gorgeous. And my heart just…' He pressed
his clenched fist to his chest. ‘I've been trying to get you to laugh like that ever since. Don't hide your fun, Lena, be naughty with me. Be tart, be funny. When you laugh, it alters my reality, all for the better. I want that warmth.' He brushed his lips over hers. ‘That's what you are to me. Warmth and light and loving.'

How could she not cry then?

He cradled her, gently touching the plaster on her forehead. ‘First time in my life I regretted not going to medical school. I wanted to fix that myself. Didn't want a mark left on your beautiful face. Wanted to take care of you so badly. And you wouldn't even talk to me.'

‘I was scared. And sad.'

‘I'm scared, too, Lena. You were right about lots of things. About my being selfish. About my half-brother.'

Lena raised her head to look into his sombre eyes, to get closer to hear his almost inaudible words.

‘I read the letter. He's miserable.'

‘Are you going to get in touch?'

‘For all the good it might do.' He nodded very slightly.

She cupped the side of his face, feeling his strong jaw, the warmth of his roughened skin. ‘It might do a lot.'

His smile was crooked. ‘I need your support, Lena. For all my never-fails in the business world, my relationships have been total fails. Every single one. I couldn't bear to make you miserable like Mum and Dad made each other miserable.'

‘That would only happen if you left me.'

‘Well, that's never happening.' He shuffled down the bed so he brought his eyes level with hers. ‘You need certainty and security, Lena. And so do I. I need it a lot. I believe in you and I believe in us. While I've never believed that long-term commitment could work, in my heart I know it'll work with you. I want you to marry me.'

She was shaking her head before he'd finished speaking. ‘You never wanted to marry.'

‘You were right on that, too. I needed to meet the one woman who'd sink those rubbish ideas of mine. It's you, Lena. It's you. I don't want to be alone any more. I want to be with you.' He pressed his mouth to her neck briefly. ‘And you know you're not leaving this bed until you agree to marry me.'

She gazed at the intense, focused expression in his blue eyes and felt her thread of wickedness tighten.

He saw. He smiled.

So did she.

‘Going to be a good challenge,' he murmured.

‘Oh, yes.' Her laugh came husky and free. Because Lena agreed to it all. ‘Yes, yes, yes.'