Chapter 25

Regine was dressed and stood at the window watching the waves roll toward shore. She sighed and, as though on cue, the door to the bedroom opened and Mason was standing there. He was dressed in a black button-down shirt with the top button undone. There were tired lines etched across his face. He looked as if he hadn’t slept in days, but he still looked good. She realized she was staring.

And he was staring back, his beautiful gray eyes lingering as if he were afraid she would disappear.

“Thank you for flying Farin in last night. She came in to see me before she left this morning. I think she was more excited about flying on the private jet than saying goodbye,” she said to break the uncomfortable silence that hung between them.

He closed the door and strolled to her. His hands were in his pockets but his gaze was riveted on her, so much so that it made her nervous. She didn’t know what else to say. Suddenly emotions overwhelmed her and tears slid down her face. She cried for him, for her parents who’d died before their time, for the mistakes she’d made and the loss of what could have been.

“Regine, don’t.” Mason reached for her and then dropped his hands to his sides. “When I saw you falling, I saw my life pass before my eyes. I rushed to catch you, hoping I could stop you in time.” He paused and cleared his throat. “When I couldn’t get you to open your eyes, I thought I had lost you.”

“Would it have mattered?” She watched him through her tears.

“Yes. Everything about you matters to me. I’m sorry you fell. I’m sorry I hurt you.”

She winced, remembering him with Sophia. She dropped her head against the force of the pain that washed her afresh. Then, taking a deep breath, she straightened her shoulders and shot him an unwavering look. “Sophia is the woman you want. I shouldn’t have come here. I should have realized when you left for California without telling me that it was over between us.”

“I don’t want Sophia. I never have.”

“But she wants you.”

He shrugged and moved closer. “What you saw was me letting her down gently. She did make me an offer, and I did think about taking it to help to shut out the pain of losing you. But I realized it wouldn’t work. That’s the truth.”

Tears slipped out of Regine’s eyes and rolled down her face. “After the argument, you and I made love. I thought everything was okay, but I called you and you ignored my messages.”

“I did, and I’m sorry. I decided we needed a clean break. I felt if you couldn’t trust me then we didn’t have anything. I didn’t intend us to make love that night, but I’m not sorry we did. I wanted the experience of holding you in my arms one last time.”

“I want to go home, Mason.” Regine’s voice cracked with emotion.

“Will you please listen to what I have to say?”

She wrapped her arms around her midriff, a chill running through her body. He moved closer but didn’t touch her.

“I love you, Regine.”

She gasped and her eyes widened, swelling with fresh tears.

“I have from the first moment I met you. I just didn’t know it at the time. All I did know was that something strange was happening to me and I didn’t understand it. I hated what I’d become through the years. When it came to women, I didn’t have a heart and barely a soul. Having one night stands was my way of not being involved. After the relationship ended with Megan, I didn’t have a heart. I figured I’d made a fool of myself. I refused to let that happen again. I knew after the first time we made love that I wanted permanency with you. It scared me because I was breaking my own rule to never fall in love.”

He touched her face and she reveled in the warmth of his fingers across her cheek. He wrapped his arms around her and said it again.

“I love you, Regine Thomas, with all my heart, body, and soul. I want you to be my wife, my partner, and the mother of my children. I want to declare my love for you before family, friends, and God. I pray you’ll come to love me as much as I love you. But right now I’ll take you any way I can get you.”

She looked at this strong man who’d just given her his heart. She kissed him deeply and drew back enough to whisper, “I love you,” before he claimed her mouth.