I step closer, unsure of how she’ll take this, but I’ll never know what could have been if I don’t hand my heart to her.
Her gaze locks on mine. “Tell me what it is, Harry.”
“I love you.” I swallow hard. “I’m so in love with you, and I know I’m coming at you with a hell of a lot of baggage, but Ava, these past two weeks have been hard. I haven’t slept or eaten. I can’t think straight.”
She stares at me with her bottom lip trembling. “I love you too.”
I reach out a hand to her. “Ava.”
She closes the distance between us, grabbing my hand to hold it next to her chest. “You left me because of it, didn’t you? You left because you have MS.”
I nod. “Yes.”
“I’m strong,” She smiles. “Much stronger than you know, and you need to trust in that, Harry. You have to trust me in the good and bad times.”
“I will,” I promise her.
Her gaze meets mine. “Do you want to be with me?”
“Always,” I answer honestly. “Always, Ava.”
“And forever?”
“Forever,” I repeat. “Until eternity.”
She heaves a sigh. “Were you looking at engagement rings for me?”
A laugh bursts out of me. “Guilty as charged. Who the hell told you that?”
“Ivy Walker,” she admits as she shakes her bracelet. “I was picking up this tonight, and she told me you were studying the rings.”
“I stood there looking at them while I imagined all the what-ifs and what could have been if I didn’t have MS.”
She brings my hand to her lips to drop a soft kiss on my palm. “Let’s start imagining all the what will happens instead, okay? We’ll be together. We’ll have each other every step of the way.”
“Together,” I repeat.
Her hand darts to my chin. “Promise me that you’ll share all your secrets with me. I promise I’ll do the same.”
“Promise.” I smile. “Do you have secrets, London?”
Her index finger darts in the air. “Just one.”
“Tell me,” I playfully demand. “Tell me what it is.”
“I want to make love with the man who loves me,” she whispers. “With the man I love.”
I tug on the front of her sweater. “Now?”
“Now.” She nods. “I’m supposed to leave for London in the morning. I’ll be gone for one semester, and then I’ll be back here with you forever.”
“I’m going with you,” I say, knowing I’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.
My organization has skilled people who can handle the daily tasks at Food Harmony, and my sister will be there to guide them. As for my other endeavors, I’ll rely more heavily on the people I’ve assigned senior positions to, and I can work remotely. All I know is that I’m not wasting another second being away from this woman.
She strokes my cheek. “School doesn’t start for another couple of weeks, so I’ll change my flight. In the meantime, we can tell everyone about us.”
I chuckle. “Everyone knows by now.”
“How?” Her eyes widen. “I don’t understand.”
“Sean knows that I’m crazy about you,” I explain. “I saw him tonight.”
“And you don’t have a black eye?” She laughs. “You must run really fast.”
I tilt her chin up with my finger. “He understands that you own my heart, Ava. He gets that all I want is to spend my life making you happy.”
“I’m surprised,” she says, even though her expression suggests that she’s still absorbing the news about Sean.
“You pronounced shocked wrong, “ I tease her.
That earns me a soft slap on the shoulder. “I’m so lucky, Harrison. I’m so lucky I saw you in the elevator that day.”
I press my lips to hers for a kiss. “I’m the lucky one, London.”
“Take me to bed,” she whispers. “Spend the night with me.”
“Every night until the day I die,” I tell her. “You should know I plan on growing old with you.”
“Good.” She smiles. “I plan on the same.”
CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
Harrison
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Ava questions me.
“I’m looking at your lips like that,” I correct her. “The things you did to me last night were out of this world, London.”
She steps closer to me to lower her voice. “You mean the blowjob. I loved that. I’ll do it again tonight.”
I glance around the empty elevator. “Talk like that, and I’ll hit the emergency button and return the favor.”
Her hand darts out to hover over the big red button on the elevator control panel. “I kind of like that idea. Are there cameras in here, though?”
Her gaze jumps to the ceiling, so I lure it back to me with a kiss on her lips. “The second we are back at our house tonight, I’ll have you spread out on our bed so I can feast on you.”
“Our bed?” she repeats.
“We leave for London in three days,” I remind her. “Let’s pack your things, and you can stay with me until then.”
“You want me to stay at your place until we leave?”
I look into her eyes. “I want you to live with me, Ava. Once we’re back in New York my home is your home.”
Her gaze jumps to the doors as the elevator jars to a stop. “We’re here. I hope my brothers aren’t too busy to see us.”
They’re not. Sean was the one who requested we stop by to see him.
It’s been over a week since he found out that I’m in love with Ava. We’ve talked several times. I did the same with Declan and Ava’s folks too. They’ve all been nothing but supportive of our relationship.
I feel as though I’m even more a part of their family now.
As the elevator doors slide open, I reach for her hand. A sigh escapes her.
“Do you like my dress?” she asks.
I give it another once over because it’s gorgeous. It’s red, cut close to her waist, and flows from her hips. When she put it on this morning, I couldn’t stop staring at her.
“You’re beautiful, Ava.”
“Says the guy who looks like that.” She points at one of the mirrored walls in the elevator. “Our babies are going to be gorgeous.”
A few months ago, I never thought children would be in my future, but I know now that’s a strong possibility. There are no guarantees in life, so I’m taking everything one day at a time.
We step off the elevator together.
I tug on her hand to lead her to the right toward a conference room, even though both of her brothers’ offices are to the left.
“Where are we going?” she asks. “Sean and Declan’s offices are that way.”
“We’re going this way,” I point out the obvious.
“To make out somewhere?” She laughs. “I thought you had to go back to work for a few hours after this. You don’t want me to mess up your picture perfect suit and tie, do you?”