CLOSE TO TEARS, Sadie left the stage, shaking her head at the other organisers as she hurried past. If she stopped to talk, she’d break down. She couldn’t believe Roman hadn’t shown up for his auction. Obviously she’d hurt him too much. Perhaps he’d already left for Ireland.
She’d missed her chance.
Biting back a sob of despair, Sadie left the backstage area as the auctions continued and exited the gallery into a dark staff corridor, the roar of pain in her head drowning out everything but her own words of recrimination.
He’d offered her a chance for them to be a family, offered her almost everything she wanted, and, instead of grabbing it with both hands, she’d succumbed to her cowardice and now she’d lost the man she loved.
Now that he was gone, she could see their relationship with alarming clarity. He’d shown her that he cared through his actions, he’d made her feel safe and cherished and desired. He’d been honest, and trustworthy and dependable, and she’d retreated, closed off, stayed safe.
Someone gripped her arm, spinning her around.
Roman was there, dressed for the auction.
Sadie gasped, clutching her crumpled ball of paper to her chest. ‘You made it?’
He looked gorgeous, the tux suiting his colouring, his blue eyes bright.
He gripped her upper arms, his thumbs gliding over her skin as if he couldn’t bear to keep his hands to himself. ‘Sorry I was late. I had to meet a friend at the station.’
He cupped her face, holding her stare captive. ‘That was some grand declaration you just made. I thought you hated those?’
His eyes burned into hers, the intensity breathtaking.
Sadie gripped his arms, worried if she didn’t hold onto him, he’d disappear. ‘You heard that?’
He’d been there all along? Her brain couldn’t compute why he was there, but her heart leaped at the sight of him.
He nodded, his smile indulgent. ‘Every amazing word.’
She smiled, eyes stinging with unshed tears, her legs jelly. ‘Well, I used to hate them, but then I met this man who showed me that sometimes you just have to be honest and say what you want. That some risks are worth taking.’
Before she could utter another word, Roman backed her up against the wall. Their eyes locked for a split second and then his lips descended, covering hers in a crushing kiss.
With euphoria spiking her blood, Sadie clung to his waist as she kissed him back. All of the pining and heartache of the past few days left her in a rush. He was there. If she held on tight, he’d have to stay.
When they parted for air, both panting, Roman rested his forehead against hers. ‘Sorry. I sensed another one of your nervous rambles and I’ve missed kissing you.’
‘Me too.’ She rested her head on his chest, felt the pound of his heart against her cheek. ‘I’m so sorry, Roman. I’m sorry that I pushed you away. I was scared. I doubted my instincts, because they’d steered me wrong in the past.’ She looked up at him. ‘But you helped me to see that the last time I’d tried to have a relationship, I’d still been grieving my diagnosis, grieving for that part of myself I assumed was out of reach. I ignored the warning signs that he wasn’t the man for me because I was grateful that someone wanted me even though I was broken.’
Now was her chance to tell him that she loved him, that she’d been stupid, that she wanted any sort of relationship he was ready for. ‘I meant what I said out there. I love you, and I’ll take any part of you I can have. I know what I want now. I want you. I want us. I want the three of us to be a family.’
He stared, fiercely, his eyes darting over her face, as if he was scared to trust what she said. ‘You really love me?’ he asked, his expression tortured.
‘Yes. How could I not? You’re kind of wonderful. I think I fell in love with you when you opened the office door that time I was stuck. I was just too stupid to recognise my feelings.’
He kissed her again, pressing her against the wall.
This time when he pulled back, he appeared resolved. ‘Sadie, it’s time to talk about the future.’
Sadie nodded, raising her chin. ‘I know, and I’m ready to lay myself open emotionally, to plan with you, to be the strong, unflinching woman you need.’
‘Sadie,’ he groaned, taking her hands and raising them to his lips, kissing her fingertips. ‘You always were. I’ve fallen in love with you, too. Can’t you see that?’
Sadie froze, spellbound. He loved her? Could it be true?
‘I should have told you that before,’ he rushed on, ‘but I was scared too. I’m a risk for you, because you’ve been let down before and because I’ll always carry a scar in here.’
He pressed a fist to his chest, over his heart.
‘It doesn’t matter,’ she croaked, dizzy with the love she felt for him in return, but he placed his thumb gently over her lips.
‘You know that I will always love Karolina and Miko,’ he said, sombre. ‘That’s a lot for any woman to take on. But if you can trust me, I’ll show you every day that there’s room in here—’ he grasped her hand and pressed it to his chest ‘—to love you and Milly, too. And I love you both, just as much.’
At his wonderful words, Sadie allowed the tears of joy to fall.
Roman cupped her cheeks, swiping them with his thumbs. ‘You asked me not to over-promise. But this is a promise I can keep: I love you. You’ve given me a second chance to be a dad, showed that I deserved a second chance to fall in love, and if you allow me to be a part of your life, yours and Milly’s, I promise to show you every day that you can trust me to love you for ever.’
‘Roman, I do trust you,’ Sadie whispered, her throat thick and hot. ‘Let’s go home.’
They took a taxi, kissing in the back seat, touching each other in reverent silence.
Milly was at her grandparents’ for the night, with Grace, so the minute the door closed, they kissed some more, tugging at each other’s clothes as they headed for the bedroom.
‘How can I have missed you so much in two days?’ he said, kissing a path down her neck, across her chest, sucking first one nipple and then the other.
Sadie tangled her hands in his hair, whispering, ‘I love you. I missed you too.’
Roman pressed another fierce kiss to her lips, holding her close. ‘Sadie...loving you, loving our daughter, has brought the unscarred parts of my heart back to life.’
He entwined his fingers with hers, his stare searing her soul. ‘I want you to wake up every day of our future and believe that, by being at your side, I’m exactly where I want to be. That I choose you. I choose us.’
‘I will.’ She nodded, reaching for his lips with hers, committing his promises to memory.
In the end, with the right person, believing in dreams was easy.
Pressing her hand to his chest, she rolled him over, straddling his hips so she could pepper his face, his neck, his chest with kisses.
Sadie stared into his beautiful blue eyes, getting lost and finding home. ‘When you look at me, when we’re alone, just staring, I feel loved for the person I am.’
‘You are loved,’ he said, drawing her back for another kiss. ‘How long have we got?’ he asked, curling his fingers through her hair as she pressed a path of kisses down his abdomen.
‘Milly will be home at nine, so until then, you’re mine.’
Things were just getting hot when he tugged her to a stop.
‘Wait.’ He drew her into his arms and rolled them, so he was once more on top.
With breath-stealing tenderness, he pressed his lips to hers. ‘Happy Valentine’s Day.’ His voice was low with desire, love shining in his eyes.
Sadie shuddered, everything she felt for this man welling up inside her chest. ‘Happy Valentine’s Day.’
‘I didn’t get you a card, or flowers,’ he said, pressing kisses of apology along her jaw and down the side of her neck.
Sadie cupped his face, staring deep into his eyes. ‘I don’t want those things.’
Now that she’d been brave enough to build a future with Roman, all the red roses and heart-shaped cards in the world meant nothing. She had something more important and precious: a family, a man she loved, who loved her in return.
‘You are the best Valentine I could ask for,’ she said, closing her eyes as he groaned and rained kisses on her face, losing herself in the love they’d found together, love that would always be enough.