Page 45 of Fergus
“It’s in the past,” she assured him, her hand dropping back to her side. “All of it is in the past. My mother. Andrei. Lev. Martin.” She shuddered. “I don’t want to think or talk about any of it or them anymore.”
Fergus knew that was probably because it hurt too much to do so.
He also had no doubt that these events, past and present, would intrude into her thoughts from time to time in the future. Fergus intended to be right by her side when they did.
“How are you so damned strong?” he murmured with admiration. “Most people would have collapsed under the emotional baggage of having a woman like Jessica as their mother, and now having these two other motherfu—bastards,” he supplemented, his jaw clenching, “trying to manipulate or kill you in order to get their hands on what was left of Andrei Yegorov’s filthy money.”
Thea chuckled. “Maybe I am collapsing, and I just don’t realize it yet!”
“No,” Fergus stated. “You’re far too strong for that. I…I’ve never met anyone I admire and like as much as I do you, Thea.”
* * *
Fergusadmired and likedher?
Oh.
“No, no, no,” he hastened to assure when he obviously saw the confusion in her expression. “I’ve only known the grown-up you for less than forty-eight hours, and I know without a doubt that isn’t all I feel for you.”
“Without a doubt, hmm?” Thea was afraid to hope, to dream, of what might or could be.
His mouth quirked with humor, his gaze warm. “Are you teasing me?”
“I do that sometimes when I’m nervous or uncertain about something.”
He nodded. “Never having done this before, I’m a little nervous myself right now.”
Thea’s heart felt as if it had jolted against the confines of her rib cage, her mouth suddenly dry. “Done what before?”
Fergus straightened, his eyes staring straight into hers. “Told a woman I love her.”
It felt as if Thea’s heart had actuallyjumpedout of her chest this time. “I… You?—”
“I love you,” Fergus repeated steadily. “I love everything about you. Your loyalty. Your honesty. Your moral code. Your beauty?—”
“But especially my bottom?” she teased, really not sure she was hearing those other words correctly.
Ferguslovedher?
No one had loved her since her father died. Not her mother. Not Martin. And certainly not Lev.
“Includingyour bottom,” Fergus corrected dryly. “But it’s your heart that I love the most. It’s beautiful. Warm and caring toward other people.”
She winced. “I don’t feel that way toward Lev and Martin right now.”
“We all have a choice, Thea. You gave them every opportunity to do the right thing and walk away from you. It’s on them that they chose not to.” He placed his hand beneath her chin and lifted her face until her gaze met his once again. “You are warm and beautiful, and I love you. Deeply.” He winced. “I know it’s only been a couple of days since we met again, but?—”
“I love you too,” she cut in breathlessly. “This might seem weird, but I think I’ve been in love with you for the past ten years without realizing it.”
“I can’t claim that—and it’s probably as well that I can’t, considering you were only fourteen at the time! But I’ve never forgotten the amazing color of your eyes,” he revealed huskily. “It’s how I recognized you so easily in Paris once you were close enough for me to see them properly.”
Thea moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. “So we really are dating?”
“No.”
She blinked. “But… What are you doing?” She gasped as Fergus went down on one knee in front of her. “Fergus…?”
He took one of her hands in his. “I’ll give you all the time you need, live anywhere and do anything you want, but I need to know that at the end of that time, you’re going to marry me.”
