Alex didn’t come home until after ten that night. He had phoned earlier to say there was a problem and he had to work late, but Olivia had heard voices laughing in the background and wondered if that were true. She wanted to believe him and for the most part she did, but memories of her ex-husband’s cheating kept flashing through her mind.
She knew Alex wasn’t like that. Alex had integrity and was honest and—
Was this the same Alex she now suspected might not even wait the twelve months before getting rid of her? The same Alex who might be plotting even now with his father and his brothers to find a way to end his marriage?
The same man who—
No, she was jumping to conclusions. She seriously didn’t want to believe any of that. Perhaps those voices had merely been his staff. There certainly hadn’t been any music in the background to indicate a bar, nor any woman’s voice specifically.
Still, when he stripped in the dark in the bedroom then went to take a shower, she found herself quietly sniffing the air for the scent of perfume. Thank God there was none. And when he joined her in bed ten minutes later, there was only the smell of Alex.
And it was wonderful.
And when he slid his arm around her and pulled her up against him, she waited for him to kiss her and make love to her. Only, he kissed the top of her head instead then promptly fell asleep.
Strangely, Olivia felt comforted and she must have fallen asleep, too, because the next thing she knew the telephone beside the bed was ringing. Her heart jumped in her throat and instinctively she reached for the phone in the pre-dawn light.
Her heart thudded with relief when she heard her mother’s voice. Felicia always got the time zones mixed up. “Mum, it’s five in the morning over here.”
“Darling, I had to call you,” Felicia said urgently. “I’m afraid the newspapers know.”
“Know?” Olivia’s forehead crinkled as she sat up in bed. “What do they know?” She still wasn’t functioning right.
“About you not being able to have a…a…baby.”
Olivia’s brain stumbled. “Wh-what?”
“It’s in all the newspapers over here today. And my phone hasn’t stopped ringing.” Felicia took a shuddering breath. “I’m so sorry, darling.”
“I don’t believe this,” Olivia whispered, vaguely aware of Alex switching the light on and coming around to her side of the bed.
“I don’t know how they knew,” her mother continued. “I certainly didn’t tell them. I hope you believe that.”
She was having trouble coming to grips with this. Why would anyone want to know about her and her infertility problems?
“Olivia?” Alex demanded, then when she didn’t answer he took the phone out of her hand. “Felicia, what on earth did you say to Olivia?” He listened, then his eyes shot to Olivia and his jaw clenched. “How the devil did that happen?” he growled. Felicia must have spoken as he paused, then said, “Yes, I’ll look after her.”
Olivia was only partly aware of him hanging up the phone.
“Olivia?”
She looked at him then. “How could they, Alex?” she choked.
His eyes darkened. “I know, sweetheart.”
She bit back a sob. “I don’t want the world to know about…about…It’s private.”
He pulled her into his arms. “Shh.”
She went willingly, leaning on him for a moment, accepting his strength, before giving a shuddering sob. She wanted to cry but wouldn’t give them—any of them—the satisfaction.
And then something hit her.
It was so obvious.
She pulled back, the words bursting from her, her nerves stretched to the limit. “I bet it was your father. He wants to get rid of me. He wants you to marry someone who can give you a child.”
His eyes narrowed. “Do you hear yourself?”
It suddenly seemed more than plausible. “You told him, didn’t you? You told him and now he knows and—”
“Don’t be bloody ridiculous. I didn’t tell him a thing.”
“Then it was one of your brothers. That’s why they were here the other night. You were telling them the whole thing, weren’t you?”
He shook her lightly. “Stop it! No one knew but you, me and your mother.”
She gasped, his shake hurtling her back to their surroundings. “Oh God, I’m sorry, Alex. I don’t know what came over me.” Heavens, she’d gone crazy for a minute there.
“It’s understandable,” he said, but there was a stiffness to his shoulders that hadn’t been there before. He got to his feet and stood looking down at her, keeping a distance now that she very much regretted.
She hesitated, measuring how to explain it all. “I wonder how the media found out about it? Someone had to have told them. My mother’s just as confused as we are.”
His brow rose. “Maybe someone from the doctor’s office in New York?”
“Yes, that’s possible.”
His eyes hardened. “Or your ex?”
She sucked in a sharp breath and considered the possibility out loud. “Yes…but why now? He knew it was unlikely I’d ever have a child. He could have told them about it years ago.” She shook her blond head. “No, he’d come out of it smelling less than roses. Eric wouldn’t want that,” she added cynically.
“No, I don’t suppose the bastard would.”
She was surprised by the comment yet not. The thought of Eric always set her on edge, too.
She mentally pushed Eric aside. “I just don’t understand why the papers need to print stuff like this. Why do they need to cause people pain? Isn’t it enough that we have to live it?” she whispered, then gave a ragged sigh. “I guess I should be used to it.”
He made a harsh sound. “Whoever leaked that bit of information had better watch out. I’ll hunt them down. They won’t do it again in a hurry.”
He looked so angry she was reminded of how fiercely this man protected his own.
“Alex, I know I got it all wrong about your father and brothers, but what were you and Nick and Matt speaking about the other night? You went to see your father yesterday morning, too. I heard you on the telephone telling him there was a problem.”
His angry expression faded and concern replaced it. “Dad’s not well. We were discussing how to push him gently into retirement.”
Her shoulders slumped. “Oh boy, I really got it wrong, didn’t I?”
He held her gaze for a minute, seeming to delve into her thoughts, but then he broke eye contact and glanced at the clock. “Speaking of my father, I’m going down to the study to call him. He needs to know. If we don’t tell him, the media will. No doubt they’ll be hanging around the office today.”
Dismay filled her. “That’ll mean they’ll be at the boutique, too.”
“Yes. Perhaps you should stay home today and not leave the apartment.”
She nodded woodenly. “Okay. And I’ll phone Lianne and tell her not to go into work either.”
“Don’t turn on the television,” he said, heading for the door. “Do some work or just try and relax. I know it’s hard.”
“Okay.” Her throat closed up and her heart cramped. “I’m so sorry for causing all this trouble, Alex.”
He stopped at the door and looked back. “Don’t be crazy,” he rasped, then left the room, taking her heart with him.
It was then she realized why he made her forget who she was. Why she found herself in him.
Oh God, she loved him.
Loved him more than life itself.
Oh my—she loved Alex. He had taken possession of her heart in a way she’d never thought possible. He filled her completely, making her come truly alive for the first time ever. For a moment she took hold of that love, celebrating its beauty, honored that it had come to live in her heart.
Then reality struck with a bang.
She had no idea what Alex felt for her, but it didn’t matter anyway. She couldn’t let it matter. Despite knowing he was the right person for her, this just wasn’t the right time or the right place. There could never be a right time for them. Not when she could only bring pain and heartache to him.
There was only one thing to do. She had to compose herself, somehow. She’d been given a beautiful gift that chose to rest in her heart, but showing him that gift of love would only cause more heartache.
Pain clawed at Alex’s heart as he strode to the study to call his father. The pain was for the anguish Olivia was going through right now, and for the strength she’d need to get through the next few days. He’d be there for her of course, but damn the media’s greed for a story—any story.
Damn them all.
He swallowed hard. Hell, she’d just apologized for causing him trouble. No apology was necessary for something like this.
In fact he wanted to apologize to her for putting her through all this. If he hadn’t married her, if he hadn’t tried to use her to help launch Valente’s Woman, then she’d be going about her own business, designing clothes and getting on with her life.
But no, he had to come into her life and make sure the one thing she wanted kept to herself was splashed through the papers.
Bloody hell.
Entering the study, he sat in his chair and reached for the telephone. It was early and his father was going to get a rude awakening. Good. Cesare Valente shouldn’t have started all this marriage business in the first place. If he’d just let things be…
Alex flinched. Then Olivia wouldn’t have come into his life. He wouldn’t have fallen in love with her. He wouldn’t have known what true love was all about.
He sighed. As much as it was painful for him, at least his love for her was something to hang on to.
It took a few moments for his father to answer the telephone. “Dad, it’s Alex.”
“Alex?” Cesare’s sleepy voice came down the line.
“Dad, I have to tell you something.”
“Son, it’s five-fifteen in the morning.” There was a pause as Cesare replied to something Isabel said in the background.
“I wouldn’t call if it wasn’t important. You know that.”
There was a grunt. “Let me just get comfortable, then you can tell me. I’m still trying to wake up.” There was the sound of movement. “Right. Now what’s the matter?”
Alex could feel his blood pressure begin to rise just at the thought of it all. “You’re going to read it in the newspapers soon, or someone will call you and tell you anyway, but…”
“But what?”
Alex took a deep breath, his heart pounding in his chest. “Olivia and I can’t give you a grandchild, Dad. She’s infertile.” He hated saying the word. Hated having to tell anyone what was essentially his and Olivia’s private business. “And now, dammit, somehow the media have found out and it’s in all the papers in the States.”
There was nothing but the heaviest silence on the other end of the phone.
“So you’re telling me Olivia can’t have a child?” Cesare finally said, followed by Isabel’s gasp.
“Yes.”
It was hard to tell what his father was thinking and Alex could have kicked himself now for not going straight to his parents’ estate, rather than saying this over the phone. At least then he’d be able to try to read his father’s expression. He grimaced. And why the hell did he care what his father thought anyway?
“I’m sorry to hear that, son.”
“Yeah, so am I.” And that was the understatement of the century.
Time ticked by as though it was dragging its feet.
“You love her, don’t you?” Cesare said with what Alex thought was deceptive calm. His father was always the ultimate businessman and rarely gave anything away of his thoughts. On another level Alex was surprised by the other man’s perception.
“Yes, Dad, I do.”
Cesare made some sort of sound, but Isabel said something in the background over the top of it, and it was hard to tell what reaction his father had given.
Then, “What are you going to do, Alex?”
Alex’s hand tightened around the telephone. “The one thing I won’t be doing is giving her up,” he said in a warning voice.
“That sounds like an ultimatum to me.”
“You should know. You’re an expert at them.”
There was a heavy pause. “What do you want me to say, Alex?”
“Nothing, Dad. There’s nothing you can say that will change a damn thing.” Alex gave a short pause. “The only reason I’m telling you this is because we need to look at what the media will do next. They’re bound to be calling you for comment or coming to the office.”
“Maledizione,” his father cursed. “I’ve got better things to do than let them waste my time.”
“I agree, but we have to think about Olivia,” he reminded his father. “I don’t want anyone talking to them about her. She’s going through enough as it is.”
“Look, come and see me. We need to talk.”
Alex’s throat tightened with emotion. “I will, but don’t think I’ll be changing my mind.”
“Don’t jump the gun, figlio mio.”
Alex ignored his father’s further lapse into Italian. He’d go but he already knew talking would be a waste of time. And right now he really didn’t give a damn what Cesare Valente had to say.
Half an hour later Olivia had showered and dressed and, with a heavy heart, she went down to the study. Alex was sitting at the desk going through some paperwork. He looked up when she entered the room.
Her heart constricted. Dear God, she was breaking up inside, but she had to go through with this. She had to set him free so that he could make a life for himself with someone else, someone who didn’t cause havoc in his life, no matter how inadvertently.
“Did you tell your father?” she asked, watching his face, trying to see how it had gone.
“Yes.” His expression gave nothing away. “About half an hour ago.”
“What did he say?”
“Not much. He was still trying to wake up.”
She could imagine that Cesare Valente wouldn’t be pleased. He’d seemed to like her but now that she was stopping him—no, stopping his son—from carrying on the Valente name, things would change. It wouldn’t matter that Nick and Matt would undoubtedly have children of their own. Cesare was old-school and he would want his eldest son to have the first grandchild.
“I have an important meeting this morning, but my mother said she’ll call you later. She doesn’t want you to be alone. She wants to come over and spend some time with you.”
“There’s no need.” She didn’t plan on being here anyway.
“Yes, there is.”
“Alex, I’m okay. I don’t need Isabel to come over and stay with me.” She swallowed past her dry throat, steeling herself to tell him why. “Alex, I—”
The telephone rang, cutting her off.
He sat there, his stare drilling into her, as if he suspected she was about to say something important.
It rang again and she nodded her head at it. “You’d better answer that.”
His eyes narrowed. “It can wait.”
She’d lost her momentum now. How could she say what she had to say with a ringing telephone in the background?
“Alex, we can talk later. You should answer the phone.”
Frustration crossing his face, he grabbed the receiver and barked into it. Olivia dropped down on the couch, needing something to sit on while she gathered her strength again. As soon as he hung up she would have to speak up. There was no getting around it. Alex deserved better than—
All at once she noticed he’d turned pale with what looked like shock. Oh heavens, not more of this media crap? Didn’t they ever—
“I’ll be right there,” he muttered, then put the phone back in its cradle.
She pushed herself to her feet. “What’s the matter?”
He didn’t answer, just sat staring at the phone.
“Alex?”
He blinked, seeming to come from a long way off. “Um…it’s my father. They think he’s had a heart attack. The housekeeper just called to say my mother’s gone with Dad in the ambulance.”
Olivia gasped. “Oh my God!”
He stood up and started toward the door, pale but focused now. “I have to go.”
She put her hand on his forearm as he passed, stopping him. “Alex, I’ll come with you.”
His brows drew together. “No, you stay here. There’ll be enough reporters at the hospital as it is.” And then he kissed her cheek and continued out of the room.
Olivia let him go, shaken by his comment. He hadn’t meant to be hurtful but it had cut her to the quick, showing her exactly how unsuitable and disruptive she was for him.
For his family.
She swallowed as a new anguish seared her. And now his father was having a heart attack and she was more than likely to blame for bringing it on. Oh Lord. She prayed Cesare would be okay. If he wasn’t…
No, she wouldn’t think about that.
She’d keep busy until she heard from Alex. He’d call as soon as he knew something, surely. For now, she’d go phone Lianne and explain it all. She was close to her business partner, but this wasn’t something she looked forward to doing. She didn’t want anyone’s sympathy. The only thing she wanted was Alex.
The telephone rang again and she rushed to the desk to grab it. Could this be news of Cesare so soon? Alex would only just be getting in his car.
It wasn’t.
It was a reporter and she hung up without answering his question. How do you feel about your infertility? She gave a choked sob. How the heck did he think she felt?
On top of the world!
Gloriously happy!
Ecstatic!
The phone rang again.
She froze. It could be Alex. Or Isabel. Or perhaps Felicia. With a shaky hand, she picked it up then dropped it back down just as quickly when she heard the same reporter’s voice. And then she disconnected it.
Damn them.
She’d turn her cell phone on so that Alex could at least contact her. Only, when she took it out of her purse, as soon as she turned it on it began beeping with messages. None of the numbers looked familiar and she soon realized the messages were all about the same thing. Her heart thudded. No doubt for some it was easy getting her number.
At least with a cell phone she could leave it on silent and still check the numbers in case Alex called. But first, she called him to let him know what was happening.
He swore. “Don’t answer any of them unless you see my number, okay?”
She was warmed by his response. “Okay.” She hesitated. “I’m so sorry about your dad, Alex.”
“So am I,” he muttered, then had to hang up because he’d just arrived at the hospital.
A sense of inadequacy swept over her as she walked back into the study and sat down at the desk. She couldn’t be there for Alex when he needed her. She couldn’t have his child. She couldn’t even give her mother a grandchild. What the heck use was she?
She shuddered. Oh God. This was crazy talk. She was feeling sorry for herself, that’s all. She had to stop it.
Right. She took a deep breath and gathered herself together. She’d phone Lianne shortly, but first she’d phone her mother just to let her know she was okay.
And she was, she told herself as she picked up the telephone from the desk and reconnected it, breathing a quick sigh of relief when she got a dial tone.
Surprisingly it was her mother who answered straight away, and not the housekeeper. Olivia briefly told Felicia about Cesare and promised to keep her up to date, then she told her about having to disconnect the phone temporarily and to call her on her cell phone if necessary. Her mother understood all too well.
Then, “Darling, I know who leaked the news. It was Brita.”
“Your housekeeper?”
“Yes. Just now I caught her on the telephone to a reporter. Apparently she heard us talking about it when you stayed here.” Her mother’s displeasure came clear across the ocean. “She’s packing her bags right now.”
Olivia was shocked. “But she’s been with you for years.” And lasted the longest.
“Five, but apparently she feels hard done by.” Felicia clicked her tongue. “It’s hard to get good staff these days.”
Olivia could have reminded her mother that even back “in the good old days” her mother had had trouble keeping her staff. It wasn’t that Felicia wasn’t nice to them, but more that she was too “precious,” as one of them had commented when Olivia had contacted her to beg her to come back.
“Darling, I’m so sorry about this,” Felicia said. “I don’t know how I can make it up to you.”
“Mum, you don’t have to do anything. It’s not your fault, okay?”
“Okay. Don’t forget to call me when you know something about Cesare.”
“I won’t.”
But as Olivia hung up the phone, she knew her mother was feeling guilty about it all, in spite of what she’d said.
And perhaps that wasn’t such a bad thing where Felicia was concerned. It showed she was still growing and changing and becoming more aware of others. Olivia was relieved not to worry so much about her mother anymore. It was one less thing for her to think about.
Alex spent the morning with his brothers pacing up and down the hospital, racked with guilt. He shouldn’t have woken his father up so early. He’d known his dad wasn’t in the best of health and needed his sleep.
Not only had he woken him, he’d then gone on to hand Cesare a plateful of stress. Just the idea of all the hassle the media would cause was enough to stress a person out, let alone telling his father about Olivia being infertile, and worse, that he was sticking by Olivia’s side no matter what.
Not that any of this would change his mind. He still intended to stay with Olivia and love her as much as he could. But perhaps dumping all this on a man who’d come close to having a heart attack wasn’t the cleverest thing he’d ever done. He could have waited a few hours and gone over and broken it to his father more carefully than he did.
Just then Isabel came through the doors of the waiting room, and he held his breath, his heart thudding inside his chest. Then he saw she was smiling.
“He’s going to be just fine,” she told the three brothers quickly. “It was only a mild heart attack and they have every confidence he won’t have another one. That is, if he changes his lifestyle. I intend to make that happen.”
Alex felt sick with relief. His father was a pain in the butt at times, but this was his father and he loved him, dammit.
Nick and Matt started firing questions at Isabel. Alex listened while she replied as best she could, but he held back, taking it all in.
“He’s sleeping now, so why don’t you all go to work and come back later this afternoon? It’s no use just sitting here doing nothing.” She kissed Nick’s then Matt’s cheek. “Now I want to speak to Alex for a moment so you two go on ahead,” she said, shooing them out of there. “It’s nothing important.”
Alex stiffened, aware of the curious looks from his brothers before they left. Was there something more Isabel wasn’t telling them? Isabel said it wasn’t important but—
“Alex, I want you to know how sorry I am that Olivia can’t have children,” she said, giving his arm a squeeze.
Alex had been so involved in everything else over the last couple of minutes, he’d forgotten his own problems.
He nodded. “Thanks.”
“Your father asked me to give you a message.”
He tensed, feeling the blow already. “And that is?”
“He said he’s sorry. He said he only wants you to be happy, and that if you love Olivia then that’s enough for him.”
Alex gulped. “He said that?”
“Yes. And he told me everything.” Her mouth tightened. “If I’d known what he was doing I would have put a stop to it, believe me.”
His stepmother was a formidable woman when she got riled.
“Thanks, but if he hadn’t given me an ultimatum, I doubt I would have married her.” Or maybe he would have—though it may have taken quite a while. She’d caught his eye right from the moment he’d seen her.
“Somehow I think you would have still ended up together.” She kissed his cheek. “You’d better get home to your wife. She needs you right now.”
Alex nodded, then left with the promise to be back later. Now it was time for Olivia. He hated the media for what they were doing to his wife. It gutted him to see their private business in the papers, but it must go to the heart of her even more.
Olivia got up from the sofa and rushed toward him when he opened the door. “How is he?” she said, full of concern for the man who had done nothing but manipulate her life for his own purposes.
Hell, not that he had done any different.
“He’ll be fine. It was only a mild attack.”
“Thank God!” She threw her arms around him and hugged him.
Delighted to have her in his arms, he hugged her back, inhaling the scent of her, loving the feel of her body against his. He wanted this for the rest of his life. He wanted—
She dropped her hands and took a few steps away. “I spoke to my mother again. Alex, it was her housekeeper who told the reporters. Brita heard us talking about it.”
His brow furrowed. “Brita? I’m surprised. I would never have thought it.”
“I know.”
His brow cleared. “At least we know who it was.”
She nodded. “Mum fired her on the spot.”
“Good.” Thank God it hadn’t been someone close, he wanted to say but didn’t.
She must have sensed his thoughts. “Alex, again, I’m so sorry I accused your father of it.”
He had to be fair. “It’s not such a far-fetched conclusion,” he admitted. “Who knows what he would’ve done if I’d told him before the papers got hold of the story?”
Or before he’d told his father he loved her.
“Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt,” she suggested, making him love her all the more for her generous nature.
Right then, he caught something out of the corner of his eye. Turning to look, he saw two suitcases down by the bureau. The breath seemed to leave his body. “What the hell?”
Regret filled her eyes and she straightened her shoulders. “I thought it only fair I wait to speak to you.”
His heart began to sink. “Wait?”
“I’m releasing you from our agreement, Alex.”
He swore. “What are you saying?”
“I’m offering you a divorce.”
His head reeled back. “Who said I want a divorce?”
Her blue eyes shimmered with sudden tears, but she blinked them away. “I don’t want you feeling responsible for me anymore. I don’t want you staying with me out of pity.”
“Who the hell said I’m staying with you out of pity?” he grated, his gut clenching and unclenching.
She took a shaky breath. “Accept it, Alex. This is the way it has to be.”
“No.” His chest tightened with emotion. How could she even think about divorce? Didn’t she know he loved her?
Oh Lord. No, she didn’t know that. How could she? He’d never told her of his feelings.
He opened his mouth, then as quickly shut it again. She’d never told him of her feelings either. To tell her he loved her, he had to know that her love would meet him halfway. He didn’t know that with Olivia.
In fact, he knew she didn’t love him. That was the one thing he would have sensed. A woman in love wouldn’t even think about divorce…about walking away from her husband. A woman in love would sacrifice herself for…
His heart jolted.
Wasn’t she sacrificing herself right now by releasing him from their agreement? Could she actually love him? The thought of it captivated him, just as her beauty did. If that were the case he had to tell her, had to let her know. If she were afraid of love he’d help her through it.
“I love you, Olivia.”
She went perfectly still. “Wh-what?”
“I love you, darling. You can’t leave me.”
Olivia fumbled for words as she looked at Alex. They were words she longed to hear. Words she dare not consider. “But I can’t give you a child.”
His gray eyes softened. “I didn’t marry you for an heir. I married you for my father’s sake and for the sake of my family’s company.” He paused. “And then I fell in love with you. You are everything I’ve ever wanted, ever needed. I don’t want anything more than you.”
Her chest tightened with emotion. “Oh, Alex,” she whispered. If only she could believe it didn’t matter. But she knew it did.
“Do you love me, too, Olivia?”
She hesitated. “Family is important to you,” she said, ignoring his question. “To both of us. I—”
“Do you love me, Olivia?” his words cut across hers, a muscle ticking in the side of his cheek, making her realize he wouldn’t give up until he knew.
“Yes, I do, but—”
“No buts.”
Oh God. She couldn’t let him fool himself. “No, Alex. I would always feel like I’ve cheated you by not giving you a child.”
“No,” he ground out. “Absolutely not.”
“But your father…your brothers’ inheritance…”
He stepped up to her and cupped her face with his palms. “Look me in the eyes, Olivia. Look deep and see my love. It’s for you, for the person you are right now, the woman I fell in love with. Unlike our marriage pact, that love is unconditional. It has nothing to do with anyone else.”
“Alex, I…” She hesitated, choking up, tears springing into her eyes.
“Darling, I’m asking you to trust me totally this time. Trust that I love you. Trust that you are enough for me and always will be.”
It was that word—trust—that tipped the balance. All this time she’d been learning to trust him, but it was only bit by bit, no matter how much she fooled herself. Now she knew deep in her heart that she did trust him, fully, utterly, believably. She trusted what he said and the man he was.
“Yes,” she said, swaying toward him. “I trust you, Alex. I love you with all my heart.”
His gray eyes turned to dark silver and he pulled her close for a kiss. Her head swam as love passed between them. Love and infinite joy.
Afterward he released her just a little. “I want to kiss you until we grow old together, darling.”
She caught her breath. “Oh, yes.”
He grew more serious. “I didn’t want to say this before because I wanted you to make the decision, but we could always adopt.”
Her heart rose in her chest. “I didn’t dare let myself think about that option. Your father—”
“Is happy for us,” he said, startling her. “I told him how much I love you. I told him I wasn’t about to leave you and that the business could go to hell for all I care. My brothers would survive without it, just as I would.”
Her eyes widened. “You said all that?”
“We Valentes don’t mess around when we want something.”
“That’s true.” She looked up at him, letting him see the love in her eyes, no longer afraid of hiding it. “And seeing that I’m a Valente now…” She began undoing his tie.
“You want me?” he said huskily.
“No, I need you.” In that heartbeat, Olivia silently agreed that when it came to love there were no conditions.