“Ian?” she murmured, her voice thick with sleep.
“Shh. It’s just me. Go ahead and sleep.”
“Is Audrey awake?”
“No, she’s still out.”
“Did you eat?”
“Not yet, baby. I wanted to wait for you.”
Her body stiffened before slowly easing back. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep in your bed.”
Your bed.
The clarification that she didn’t see this as her bed anymore popped my bubble of illusion that we could move on so easily.
She eased out of bed and finger-combed her hair, avoiding my gaze. Finally looking back over her shoulder, she gave a forced smile. “Let’s go ahead and eat while we can.”
“K. I’ll go get it set up.”
“I’m going to grab a quick shower and meet you out there.”
I had the food reheated by the time she strolled out in an old T-shirt and black leggings; her face completely clean of make-up. She was stunning.
I was grabbing plates, almost dropping them, when heat pressed to my back before her arms wrapped around my waist.
“Thank you, Ian. Thank you for being there when I needed you.”
I only hesitated a moment before turning in her arms, needing to see her face. “I’ll always be there. Even if you don’t want me to be, I will always be waiting to be what you need.”
Her blue eyes shined with tears that didn’t fall, her lips rolling between her teeth, but she didn’t pull away.
“Carina, I’m so sorry.”
She did step back then, dropping her eyes to the floor. “I know.”
“No, you don’t.” I stepped into her personal space, lifting her chin so she could see how serious I was. “You think I’m sorry it happened, but you’re wrong. I’m sorry for how much I hurt you. I’m sorry that it was all my fault for not making your concerns more important than my comfort. I’m sorry I questioned your reasoning because I should always stand by your side.”
When one tear slid free, I cradled her face in my palms and wiped it away with my thumbs.
“Mostly, Carina, I’m sorry I made you feel like another person was more important than you. Because I love you. I love you more than I thought possible and I’m terrified I broke any chance of you loving me back when I didn’t give you one-hundred-percent of my trust. I’m more sorry than you’ll ever know.”
“Ian,” she breathed, her voice shaky.
“You don’t have to say anything back, just please say that you won’t leave.”
“I won’t leave.”
Three simple words that had my body on the verge of floating away. “Thank you, baby.”
I leaned down to kiss her, but she pulled back, and I froze.
“I’m not leaving, but we still need time to work through this. I just need that time with you by my side.”
“Okay. I can do that.”
“Thank you for understanding, Ian.”
“Anything for you.”
With a small smile, she stepped back, but I had one more thing to say.
“I talked to Hanna. I know it’s too little, too late, but I did talk to her to clear the air. Being completely honest with you, I can’t cut her out of my life. She means too much to me, and I mean that in the most familial way possible, but you and Audrey are my world, and for that, I can compromise. Just tell me what to do.”
She swallowed hard, and I held my breath, waiting for her to tell me it wasn’t enough.
“Just be honest with me and don’t let her flirt with you.”
My first reaction was to deny that Hanna ever flirted, but I think about it from Carina’s point of view and understand. “I can do that.”
“Okay. Then, let’s have some dinner.”
Carina
That night, I decided to sleep in the guest bedroom. I’d had to force myself to stay under the covers and not tiptoe across the hallway and slip into Ian’s bed, demanding he tell me he loves me again and again.
Ian Bergamo loved me.
I closed my eyes against the morning light, picturing his face when he said those three perfect words.
They’d washed over me and made me want to collapse in his arms and tell him it was all okay, but I didn’t want to rush it. I didn’t want to let my emotions be rash, and control my decisions, blinding me to everything else going on. So, I’d held back, giving myself a moment to think it all through, to remember the pain he’d caused and know for sure his love could outweigh any doubts.
I’d made it all of twenty minutes before my mind had screamed at me to stop being so stubborn and to get on with the makeup sex. He’d smiled at me over our dinner, making me laugh over ridiculous jokes and comments.
Somehow, despite my body’s urging, I managed to crawl into my own bed. But the new day brought new plans that didn’t consist of me staying in this bed alone another second.
The sunlight washed over me, taking away the doubts from last night.
Ian Bergamo loved me, and I needed him to know how much I loved him too.
Flinging the covers back, I go to grab Audrey and prepare for the day, only to find it empty except for a note.
Out for a spa day, be back soon.
Love, Audrey and the best man ever
I laughed at Ian’s note, wondering how he snuck in here to grab her without me knowing. Stepping from the room, I listened in the hall, trying to decide where they were.
A deep voice singing You Are My Sunshine came from Ian’s bathroom. Each step bringing me closer to him had my heart thumping harder. It’d been eight hours since I’d seen him, and excitement flooded my body like it’d been eight months. At this rate, I’d be confessing my love as soon as my lips parted. It filled me to bursting, and I wasn’t sure how to hold it anymore. I wasn’t sure how I’d held it in so far.
Steam billowed out from between the crack in the door and I peeked in to find Ian cradling Audrey against his broad chest. I took my time, getting my fill of his perfect form through the foggy glass. His strong legs and perfect ass that swayed side to side as he bounced our little girl. His thick length that was impressive even when soft. His ridiculously broad chest that always tested the seams of his shirts. His smile that never failed to make me feel every good thing a woman should feel.
He was perfection, and he was mine. I just needed to reach out and take it.
“Nice song,” I called, stepping fully into the bathroom.
His head jerked in my direction, and his lips stretched into a perfect smile. “Look who’s here, Peanut.”
Audrey snuggled further into his chest, bringing her tiny thumb to her lips.
“The doctor said steamy showers were good for her, so I figure we’d take one.”
“Lucky girl,” I said, stepping up to the glass, scanning his body from head to toe.
“Why, Miss Russo, I’m feeling a little objectified,” he mock-gasped.
When my eyes made it back to his beautiful gray eyes, that had entranced me from the start, I couldn’t hold it back anymore. “I love you.”
The playful smile dropped, and he blinked a few times like I wasn’t real and would vanish at any moment. “What?”