"I know. I was an even bigger idiot than you were," she said, laughing through her tears. "I was afraid that by staying, by loving you, I would become my mother-that I would lose myself in an effort to gain your affection. I was arrogant enough to think that I was not at all affected by my childhood, that you were the one who needed to learn about love. But I was just as guilty of bringing the past in, of returning to old hurts and using them to shield myself from hurt. I was a big coward."
"No bigger than I was. When you left I lost myself. I had never felt such pain-not even after losing my mother. I knew I had made a mistake-the biggest of my life-driving you away. I wanted to beg you to stay then, but I knew I wouldn"t be able to face it if I threw myself on the ground before you and you left anyway. Like my mother did."
Her heart clenched. "Oh, Marco. I"m so sorry." She cradled his head against her breast. A momentary surge of rage at the woman who had hurt Marco so badly nearly stole her joy. "The past has a lot to make up for."
"I think we can start now. We"re building a strong future." He put his hand on her stomach.
"Why did you give me the company, Marco?"
"Because it was what you wanted. And I wanted you to be happy, even if your happiness did not lie with me. At least that"s what I told myself. But today...I couldn"t stay away any longer." He leaned in from his position on the floor and kissed her gently on the lips-a kiss of barely leashed pa.s.sion, a kiss of love. "I"d like it if we could work at rebuilding Chapman Electronics together. I love how your mind works. I"d love a chance to see you in action."
"What about when the baby comes?"
"We"ll do whatever you think is best. We can put a daycare facility in the building, or we could alternate days so that one of us is always with him."
Her eyes widened. "Well, that"s very progressive of you. I think you might be getting enlightened."
"Don"t let it get around."
"I would never try to damage your formidable reputation." She slid out of her chair and knelt with him on the floor, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "I don"t know exactly what I want to do after I have the baby. I"m sure I"ll want to stay home for a few months at least. But I am also sure that I love you, and that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So what do you think?"
"I think-" he pressed a kiss to her neck "-that marriage is the only logical course of action."
She laughed. "Oh, is that right?"
"Mmm." He trailed kisses from just beneath her ear down to her collarbone, swirling his tongue in the hollow at the base of her neck. "I"ve done my research." He flicked the b.u.t.tons of her blouse open.
She sucked in a breath as he feathered kisses over the swell of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. "Have you?"
"Yes. And according to my research you and I are destined to be together forever and ever."
"Is that so?" she gasped.
"It"s an indisputable fact. My figures are always accurate." He nipped her neck and she melted into him. "And how did you arrive at your conclusion?" "It"s very simple. I love you. And I will love you, and honor you, and cherish you, for all of my days."
All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.
ISBN: 978-1-408-91922-4.
end.