If I Can't Let Go (If You Come Back To Me #2) (15 page)

The sob finally escaped her throat. She took one step, and suddenly he’d closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye.

“Natalie.”

That was all Liam said. One word, whispered hoarsely against her neck, and tears of joy burst from her eyes, because all the distilled longing in his voice was more powerful than all the doubts she’d had ever since he’d gone…

All the doubts she’d collected in a lifetime.

“I missed you so much,” she said.

He rubbed her back, as if signaling for her to look at him. She lifted her head and saw that a small smile shaped his firm mouth.

“I think I must have first fallen in love with you when I saw you dancing on this beach,” he murmured.

Her laugh sounded ragged with mingled disbelief and joy.

“Do you know what I think we should do?” Liam asked her quietly.

She shook her head. It was impossible for her to speak at the moment, as full as her heart felt.

“I think we should turn George Myerson’s saloon into a dance studio. That way I won’t always be driving down to White Sands when I wake up in the middle of the night and find you gone from bed. And you know what else?”

“What?” she asked wetly.

“I don’t think you should spend another night anywhere but in my arms.
Ever.
”

Fresh tears spilled down her face.

His expression softened when he fully took in how overwhelmed she was.

“Why are you crying?” he whispered.

“I thought…I thought maybe you wouldn’t be able to forgive me. I thought it was just a matter of time before you saw it was all a big mistake.”

“So you decided to be the one to end things?”

Natalie nodded, feeling foolish. “It hurt so much to let you go,” she said shakily. “I was stupid. I hope you understand. I
was the one who caused you all this grief. Before me, you’d considered your parents’ marriage solid…sanctified. Before me, Deidre was your full sister, not your half one.”

“Deidre will always be my sister. Completely,” he said quietly, brushing tears off her cheeks with his thumb. “Nothing can change that. I only wish my father could have given himself time to reflect. He would always be Deidre’s father. Always.”

He placed his hand at the back of her head and brought her head down so he could land several hungry kisses on her mouth. “You were
right
to do what you did. You and I had nothing to do with the events that led up to that crash, but we had a right to know why it happened. I’m
glad
you asked me to look into this.”

“You are?” she breathed out in wonder.

“Oh, yeah,” he said certainly before he gently placed her feet on the ground, keeping their bodies pressed close. “You were the one who prodded me into doing what I should have done a long time ago. I’m thankful for that, more thankful than you’ll ever know. It hasn’t been easy, but stuff like this rarely is, I guess.”

She stared up at his face cast in moonlight, thinking he was the most miraculous thing she’d ever seen in her life.

“Is Deidre okay? Did you tell her about Linc?”

“Yeah. She’s flying to Tahoe even as we speak. I saw her off in Detroit.”

“You’re kidding.”

Liam shook his head.

“But surely she shouldn’t go alone,” Natalie murmured.

He sighed. “No one needs to take care of Deidre. She’s a force of nature. I told her I’d come out and join her in a few days if she wanted me there. Who knows what’s going to happen? We’ll just have to let things play out as far as her
and Linc. I wanted to get back to Harbor Town as soon as possible, though.”

“Why? Because of your job?”

“No. Because I couldn’t stand not seeing you another second longer,” he said with a low, sexy chuckle that caused goose bumps to rise on her neck. He shook his head in bemusement as he looked down at her. “I wonder if I’ll ever figure you out.” He cupped her jaw in his customary tender gesture. A few more tears spilled down her cheek onto his fingers. “Did you really have yourself convinced this was a temporary thing between us? A blip on the radar screen?”

She winced. “I didn’t want to believe it, but the circumstances have been so strange. I thought maybe…”

“What?” he demanded gently.

“That you’d convinced yourself you cared, when really it was just misplaced guilt…or pity,” she finished in a whisper.

She caught the fierce glint in his eyes before he lowered his head and spoke next to her upturned lips.

“The last thing I feel toward you is pity. Will you get that into your head?”

He raised his eyebrows in half exasperation, half amusement when she nodded meekly. He pressed his forehead next to hers.

“There are a lot of things that are uncertain for my family right now. Please tell me you’re a certainty, Natalie.”

“I’m a certainty,” she replied quickly.

His slow grin caused a quivery sensation deep inside her.

“
Good.
Because I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. How about if we go to the cottage…how about if we go home?”

She couldn’t help but grin. “Eric is going to be so put off by all this.”

“To hell with Eric,” Liam said. “He shouldn’t have ever
tried to talk you out of living at the cottage, when it’s obvious it’s your home.”

They shared a smile.

“You ready?”

“I’m so ready,” she whispered.

His mouth lowered, and they sealed their deal with a kiss.

* * * * *