Read The Reluctant Heir Online
Authors: Eve Jordan
The Reluctant Heir (8 page)
Her heart leapt at the sight of him.
Wearing one of his signature dark suits, he looked amazing. Oh how she had missed him. Those eyes, that face, those lips…
She tamped down the urge to run her fingers over him to see if he was really real and not just a hallucination.
"Hello Rebecca.”
Aware of a few people already looking at them, she stood up. "Please leave,” she said in a soft voice, hoping that there wouldn’t be a scene.
Just go
, her mind willed him.
And let me get over you.
She didn’t want to go through this again. She had given him her heart and he'd torn it to shreds. She didn’t think her heart could survive another blow.
"Just hear me out,” he said with a commanding voice as he took a step towards her. She shook her head as she looked back at him. She’d already tried that once and look where it had gotten her. A heart full of pain that made her want to cry out in anguish whenever she thought about him. There was no way she was going to put herself through that again. She deserved better.
He gave a sideways glance towards the people watching. Many had stopped their work to see what was happening. Her fists clenched. She could just imagine what they would say.
From Mr. Shaw to Landen, it seemed as if they had enough fodder for the rest of her days at the firm.
Understanding his silent threat, she relented and headed towards the break room down the hall, not bothering to see if he had followed.
When they got to the empty room, he closed the door behind him, cutting off her exit. But it didn’t matter. Some sick part of her didn’t want to leave. There was something truly sad about the fact that she would rather be miserable with him than without.
He ran his hand through his dark hair and she tried her best not to think about the way his muscles moved underneath that suit.
He closed the distance in between them in a two long strides and took her hands in his.
She was not helping herself, she thought wearily, as her heart began to beat into overdrive. She should pull away so that he would get the message, but she couldn’t.
"I love you,” he suddenly said.
Though she knew it wasn’t true, her heart still leapt forward in her chest at the words, flaming that stubborn glimmer of hope in her that wouldn’t let go just yet and she hated herself for that weakness.
"You sure have a funny way of showing it,” she said dryly, hoping he wouldn’t hear the hurt in her voice. She didn’t know what kind of game he was playing at right now, but she knew one when she saw one.
Surely, he could find someone else to warm his bed?
And as soon as the thought hit her, her heart felt like it was being ripped out of her chest. She didn’t want to imagine anyone but her in his bed.
"I don’t know how to act in these instances,” he admitted as he tightened his grip on her. "I’ve never felt this way before and when I heard that-” He shook his head and cupped her face. "I know you, Rebecca. I should’ve trusted you.” He kissed her forehead. "Forgive me?” He kissed her lips. "Marry me?”
"You’re kidding!”
How could he joke about such a thing and how could she want it so much even when she knew it was all a joke?
Why was it taking so long for her heart to process what her brain already had? That he didn’t care one bit for her and just enjoyed playing this horrible cat and mouse game with her.
He shook his head. "My life has been hell without you. I was scared by how much you meant to me and believe me, it’s scary. It still is. But I feel dead without you and I want you in my life. Forever.”
Her chest tightened.
Did he really love her?
It didn’t seem possible. But she loved him with all her heart and if there was a small possibility that he returned her feelings?
"Okay,” she breathed, hoping for her life that it wasn’t a cruel joke.
But when his face changed from pure anguish to a happiness she had never seen in him, all her hesitancy was blown away and pure joy seeped into her as he wrapped his arm around her and kissed her tenderly.
Relief coursed through her as she lost herself in the kiss. She had missed him.
He broke off the kiss and smiled. "I forgot.”
He took out a small black box from his coat pocket and opened it. There was a beautiful solitaire diamond ring inside. He took the ring out and placed it gingerly on her finger. "And in case you were a gold digger, I had this ring to bribe you to stay in my life.”
"Hey!” She playfully slapped his arm.
His eyes sparkled as he grinned. "I know. But even if you were, I don’t think I could’ve let you go.” Cupping her face with both hands, he said, "I love you” and kissed her again.
As they broke apart, she smiled. "I love you too.” Happiness bubbled inside of her. “But seriously, one ring for a whole lifetime?”
"Well, you do get me,” he said before he kissed her again.
Epilogue
Looking out of the capsule he had rented on the London Eye for their first wedding anniversary, Landen watched as a group of four men rowed a small boat pass the Hungerford Bridge.
He looked back at Rebecca and saw the pure joy in her beautiful heart-shaped face as she looked out of the capsule appreciatively. His heart flipped at the thought of having such a wonderful creature with him for the rest of his life. He wrapped his arms around her, loving the feel of her soft curves under his fingertips and a thrill rushed inside of him as she leaned instinctively towards him.
Just two years ago, he'd never imagined him settling down and now, he couldn’t imagine life without her.
“It took us a while, but we’re finally here,” he murmured as he rested his chin on her head, taking in that luxurious vanilla smell of her hair.
She gave a husky laugh that shot straight to his groin and suddenly, he was in the mood again. Thank goodness he had rented the capsule all to themselves.
Dark hazel eyes rose up to his. “If you kept your hands to yourself whenever we left the house, we could’ve gotten here a lot sooner!”
“I thought you liked those interruptions,” he said as he stroked that sensitive spot he had found on her throat.
She feigned hurt. “You know I do, but it would be nice to go out sometimes!” A blush crept into her cheeks. “And stop doing that unless you’ve developed a voyeuristic streak and want to give the capsule in front of us a show,” she added as she looked at the capsule in front of them which were filled with families and a young dark haired boy looking directly at them.
He smiled. “I love you too, darling.”
She leaned closer into him and he tightened his grip on her.
“I love you too.”
His chest tightened at the obvious love in her eyes. “Thank God for that,” he murmured before leaning in to kiss her again.
Also By Eve Jordan
Loved by the Sheikh
Jenny's been burned. Bad.
So when she starts dating Sheikh Sadiq Zahin, she vows to protect her heart and just have fun while it lasted.
But once Sadiq has her in his bed, he has no intention of ever letting her go!
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