The doors whooshed open, and right beyond the doors stood one of the best sights she’d seen in a long time.
Micah!
The only downside to having him right in front of her was that he looked angry. Really angry.
“What in fuck are you doing here? The performance isn’t until next week, and you shouldn’t be traveling to New York City alone.” He reached out and grabbed her suitcase and then her hand, dragging her down the hallways until they reached the door to his residence.
He had a five-o’clock shadow that might have been a little more like six-o’clock instead. His feet were bare, and he had on a pair of worn jeans and a T-shirt that looked like it had been washed one too many times. Any trace of his usual humor had fled, and he dragged her into his penthouse and forcefully shut the door behind him.
“Talk,” he demanded as he faced her. “You have something to say, then say it so I can get your ass back on my plane and make damn sure you get home safe.”
She turned away from him and walked into the massive residence. The living room was right in front of her, so she took off the light jacket she was wearing and sat down on the couch.
Homer wagged his tail excitedly, nudging Micah for affection. The angry man patted the dog’s head absently before walking over to stand beside the couch. “Comfortable?” His expression was wary and still pissed off.
“Yes, thank you,” she answered politely, treading carefully.
“What do you want, Tessa?”
She held up her wrist. “What does the bracelet mean?”
“It really doesn’t matter anymore.”
“It matters to me,” she argued.
“Why?”
“Because I love you,” she blurted out, her heart racing as she lowered her arm. “I love you so much that I can’t eat, I can’t sleep, and I miss you more every minute that I’m not with you. I was hoping the heart on the bracelet meant something. I got to hoping it might mean that you wanted my heart someday. I came to tell you that you already have it. I think you have almost from the time we met.”
The look on his face was brooding and cautious. “You fucking wanted me to leave.”
She shook her head. “No. I didn’t. I thought you wanted to go and I didn’t want to hold you back. We both pretty much knew this was supposed to be a fling when it started, that we had to enjoy each other without getting attached. I knew the rules, but I also knew if you stayed much longer, I’d be begging you to stay forever, and you’d just feel worse about us parting. I never wanted you to go.”
“Jesus Christ, Tessa. I can’t do this.” He turned his back and walked over to pour himself a drink.
Don’t give up. Don’t give up.
There weren’t going to be any more misunderstandings. If he was going to reject her, he was going to do it completely.
She stood and started to remove her clothes, quickly dispensing of her shoes, her yoga pants, and underwear, and easily lifting her shirt over her head to add to the growing pile of clothing on the plush carpet. She finished with the bra she was wearing, standing in his living room completely naked.
When he finally turned, he dropped the glass of Scotch he’d just poured on the floor with a roar. “What in the hell are you doing now?”
“I’m prepared to seduce you,” she warned him. “But mostly I’m standing here bared to you completely. If you don’t want me in your life, tell me directly, make me leave.” She took a deep breath but didn’t move. “I’m laying everything on the line right now, Micah. I love you more than I ever could imagine loving a man. You make me strong when I feel weak. You accept me just the way that I am. You make me a better person. My heart is yours. Take me or leave me. The choice is yours. I’ve already chosen you above anything else: hurt, pride, and fear.”
She saw his big body shudder, then walk toward her, avoiding the glass on the floor. When he reached her, he put a hand on either side of her head. “You’re a hell of a lot braver than I am. I ran from the house without explaining because I couldn’t. I should have gone back, told you how I felt, but I was too damn destroyed, too worried about my own fucking heart. Oh, hell, yes, I love you. I love you more than it’s healthy to love anybody. Every part of me craves you, Tessa: heart, body, and soul. Can you handle that? The way I feel about you won’t make me an easy man to love.”
She nodded as well as she could with him keeping her head still. “Quite easily. I love you the same way.”
“How the fuck did this happen? You’re never leaving me again,” he demanded.
“You left me,” she reminded him.
“Yeah, well, it’s not happening again, because I don’t plan on letting you go. The heart on the bracelet wasn’t your heart, it was mine. I was hoping you’d get the hint that you had it.”
“And the rose?”
“You’ll figure that out soon enough.”
“I love you,” she whispered, her voice failing her as she looked into his ferocious eyes.
“I love you, too, sweetheart. You’re mine. You were always meant to be mine. I feel it here.” He moved one hand from her head to put it on his chest.
“I’m so sorry I hurt you,” Tessa sobbed, her emotions out of control.
“Don’t cry, Tessa. Please.”
“I can’t help it.” She gulped, trying to contain her sobs of joy.
“Then I guess we need a distraction.” He picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder, carrying her into a massive bedroom on the ground floor.