“No, not at all.” Mark wondered if he’d fallen asleep at his desk and this was all a lovely dream, but he replied anyway, on the off chance it was actually happening. “I love children, and I think you’d be a wonderful mother. But are you certain you won’t regret it if you never experience pregnancy? If you never go through childbirth?”
She shook her head. “I’m sure those experiences are wonderful, but what I want is a family. Or at least the possibility of one. I don’t mind how I get it.”
Neither did he. The vision of a little girl, hand in hand with Clarissa, swam before his eyes. The little girl he’d always wanted and feared he wouldn’t have. He didn’t care how she came to him. Her very existence would be a miracle.
“What if I have a heart attack myself?”
“We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it.” She smiled. “I’m willing to take the chance if you are, and we can figure everything else out as we go along.”
Mark considered that. She’d echoed what his mum had suggested almost word for word, and after hearing that Rose had no regrets despite how things had ended with his father, he was far more open to the idea than he’d been previously. Especially since the cardiologist he’d seen yesterday had said all the evidence pointed to him having a healthy heart, which he could maintain by eating well and cutting back on wine. He’d booked in for an echocardiogram to double-check, but there was no reason not to be optimistic. There was no reason to push Clarissa away, if she was willing to take a chance on him.
And she was. She really, truly was. He pinched himself. It stung, and he grinned.
He was soaring, his decision already made. Everything in the world ceased to exist beyond him and the beautiful woman who was offering him everything he’d ever wanted on a silver platter. He'd hardly dared to hope he’d ever hear the sultry sound of her voice again, but here she was, bravely offering him her heart in a glass room surrounded by spectators. All she asked in return was that he be open to the possibility of raising a child with her who didn’t share his defective DNA.
She was so courageous. So generous. So lovely. He cupped her face in his hands and stroked her cheekbones with the pads of his thumbs. She shivered, her deep blue eyes holding his, and he couldn’t hold back the words bubbling up inside him.
"I love you," he said, vowing to himself to never give her any reason to doubt her choice. His life mission would be to make her the happiest woman alive. Nothing less would do. She deserved every bit of goodness he could squeeze from the world on her behalf. "I know it’s soon, but I think I've loved you since I kissed you at the wedding. You're unlike anyone I've known, and I want you in my life every day and every night."
Her eyes shone, and her lips curved up at the corners. "Will you hurry up and kiss me already?"
"Gladly." He kissed her again, his hands sliding down her sides, grabbing her ass, desperate to get closer. He plundered her mouth, reveling in her whimper of submission. But then he remembered where they were and why he couldn’t strip her naked on the desk like he ached to. He softened his mouth and kissed her again. Once, twice, sweet and undemanding. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
“Believe it.” Her tone was dead serious. “I’m not the impulsive type, so I don’t plan on disappearing anytime soon.”
He'd thought he couldn't possibly soar any higher, but he’d been wrong. His heart swelled with happiness. "Did I tell you that I love you?"
She laughed, but it subsided when he covered her mouth with his own.
A throat cleared. "Ahem." They turned to face Sterling, who stood in the door with a stony expression but lips that twitched at the corners. "Take the rest of the day off, Mark. You’ve worked enough overtime, and Clarissa deserves to be taken out on a date.” Then he winked.
By the time Mark’s shock had worn off, Sterling had gone. “I think that’s his subtle way of asking us to leave. Would you like lunch?”
She leaned closer. “Later. For now, take me to your place.” Her breath tickled his ear. “I want to be closer to you than I can get in public without being arrested."
A jolt ran through him. He grabbed her by the elbow and tugged her to the elevator. Once inside, he pressed her against a wall and imprisoned her between his forearms. "Have I told you how much I love you?"
She laughed, light and airy. "I'll never get tired of hearing it."
"I love you," he said, punctuating the statement with a kiss. "I." Kiss. "Love." Kiss. "You." Kiss.
"I'm so happy," she murmured into his mouth, looping her fingers at the back of his neck. "Promise me this is real, Mark. Promise me this is forever."
"I'll love you forever, sweetie," he vowed, eyes twinkling down at her. "I've never been so certain of anything in my life." He caressed the length of her throat, coming in for another slow, sweet kiss. "But this long-distance thing is going to be hard. I’ve missed your kisses. Your touch. I can’t be without you all the time. We need to think about how this is going to work."
“I’ll move to Auckland.” She sounded so certain, as if the decision wasn’t a difficult one, and he fell in love with her all over again.
“I can’t ask you to do that. Your whole life is in Dunedin.”
She shook her head. “My life is with you. At least, I hope it will be. I’m not suggesting I move now, but maybe in a few months, once we’ve seen where this goes.”
He grinned. “What did I do to deserve you?”
“You taught me to trust again. To believe in happy ever after.”
His heart sang. He dipped his head and kissed her. Each time, she tasted a little sweeter. He could never get enough. “Everything you worked for is in Dunedin.”
“It’s just a place.” She put her hands on his chest and pushed him back as the elevator dinged to signal they’d arrived at the bottom. They exited hand in hand, and he guided her to a corner of the lobby. “I can expand my business,” she continued. “Keep the Dunedin boutique but promote Leo to manager. He’d need some training, but it would be a great opportunity for him, and he’s been doing more and more on his own lately.”
She’d given this some thought, he could tell. “And you? Would you start over?”
“Starting over wouldn’t be as hard as starting from scratch.” She smiled, the expression full of mischief. “Besides, I’d have unrestricted access to one of the foremost legal authorities on small businesses in the country.”
“Ah, I get it.” He nodded knowingly. “You’re using me to further your career. Now everything makes sense.”
She swatted him. “Don’t be absurd. It’s a fringe benefit, but I want you for more than that.”
“I know, sw—”
“Shh,” she said. “Don’t interrupt.”
He mimed zipping his lips.
“If you'd asked me six months ago, I would have said I'd never trust a man again, but then you came along and made me question everything I’ve been telling myself for years. For some crazy reason, I believe we're meant to be together. I don't know exactly how it will play out, but I trust that we'll make it happen. I have faith in us."
He believed her. Because, God help him, he’d never been more certain of anything either. She’d talked about never expecting a happy ever after, but neither had he. He’d never imagined any woman would want him enough to compromise or that he’d accept her decision if she did. He’d always been the guy women loved to date but didn’t want to keep. And, yeah, perhaps some of that was his fault, for playing the part of the charming companion, refusing to let anyone too close because some part of him feared they wouldn’t want to take a risk on him. But here he was, madly in love with someone who’d been just as cautious about love as he had.
They could be each other’s happy ending.
“I will never, ever let you down,” he promised. “I’m yours unreservedly. Now, what do you say we buy a box of artisan chocolate, a bottle of red wine”—which he’d learned was healthier for the heart than white—“and head over to my place? Unless… you don’t have to fly back, do you?” If he had to part with her again so soon, he might just follow her to Dunedin.
“No, I didn’t buy a return ticket. I’d like to stay for the rest of the week, if you don’t mind.”
“If I don’t….” He stared at her, incredulous. “As far as I’m concerned, you can stay forever.” He entwined his hand with hers and placed it over his heart. “This is all yours, okay? My heart is your heart. My home is your home. Now, come on. Let’s go home.”