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“But that was for me to decide, not you,” she said shakily. “How can I be sure you won’t do that to me again?”
Again? Hope beat in his chest. “You can’t be sure. I can only promise not to, and you’ll have to decide if I’m worthy of your trust. ”
“Please, just stop saying all the right things. ” Tears pricked her eyes and her lower lip trembled as she looked up at him. “You’re not being fair. ”
“Why is that, darling?”
“Because my stupid pregnancy hormones want me to forgive you. ”
Hope beat in his chest. He lightly caressed her stomach. “Does your very smart pregnancy hormones want me to keep holding you like this?”
Her head dropped back on his shoulder. “Yes. ”
He tipped her chin up and gently placed a kiss on her lush mouth. “To kiss you like this?”
“Yes. ”
“Forgive me, Daisy. ” He kissed her again. “Decide I’m worthy of your trust, and I’ll hold and kiss you like this forever. ”
She blew out a shaky breath, the tip of one finger tracing the top of his hand. “I saw The Rectory…and the fainting couch the day I you sent me away, or what was left of it. ”
His cheeks heated. “I was furious. My father had tainted the only place I’d thought was mine. ”
“I know, but you should have talked to me. You should have trusted and believed me, even after you decided to tear the place apart. ” Her pretty hazel eyes fixed on him. “Why on earth didn’t you trust me?”
“I didn’t trust myself, not after listening to—it all boiled down to I loved you enough to let you go and find someone who was a billion times better than me. Someone different. ”
“Better than you?” Her body trembled and his heart broke into pieces. “I never needed you to be different. I never wanted you to change. The man I fell in love with went to work with all the other world domination guys. Only my earl of world domination is a good guy where it counts. He just didn’t know it. ”
“Marry me, Daisy. ” He pulled her ring out of his pocket and held it between them. “Be my countess. I’ll take you and the baby to every tourist trap, in every country in the world that doesn’t involve heights. ”
Laughing, she said, “I don’t want the world, Sebastian. You’re more than enough. I love you. ”
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes!”
He slid the ring on her finger and captured her lips with his, leaving him breathless when she finally broke their kiss. Cupping her face with his hands, he said, “So I bought this shop, called The Sweet Spot, and I need a manager. Know anyone?”
“But the buyer was James Franklin,” she said.
“Listed him as the contact on the contract. He’s the attorney who handles things stateside for me. ”
“You really bought my store? Anything else you’re keeping from me, earl of sneaky things?”
“I’m no longer in the running to be President of Romanov Industries. Ever. I gave it all up. ”
“You’re not?” Her eyes widened. “What does that mean?”
He bit the side of his lip. “It means that I am completely at your service, until you no longer require me. ”
“So no world domination stuff anymore?” She actually looked a little let down, and he had to grin.
“Only the majority shareholder now. ”
“But what will you do?”
“I was thinking of a long holiday. Perhaps a trip around the world, with you. ” He raised his brows. “But if you’re too busy, I—”
“Can we start at Alnwick Castle?”
“Any Harry Potter movie landmark you wish. ” He kissed her nose. “Wherever, whenever, however. My time belongs to you. ”
“I love you, Sebastian Romanov. ”
He dipped his head and kissed her again, slowly, like they had all the time in the world to rediscover each other—which they did. He grinned at her. “And I love you. ”
Epilogue
A baby’s cry woke Daisy out of a dead sleep. Before she could move, Sebastian joined her, their son cradled in his arms.
“I changed his nappy. He’s better now,” he said. “Aren’t you, my fine lad?”
Rhys Westmoreland Romanov, the future Earl of Spenserfield and all of three months old, cooed at his dad. The baby was the spitting image of his father, right down to his pale blue eyes that showed no signs of changing colors. Her momma would have been proud, especially since they’d name Rhys after Daisy’s dad.
She smiled at the two of them, her heart bursting with love.
Rhys began to cry again.
Sebastian gently bounced their son, but the baby wouldn’t stop fussing. “I think he’s hungry. ”
“I cannot wait for Rhys to meet his baby cousins and his Auntie Bella,” she said, taking the baby from his father. Rhys began to nurse as soon as she put him to her breast.
Christian and his family as well as Alexander and his were due to arrive this afternoon, then Isabella was coming the day after that. Everyone was staying two weeks.
Sebastian was outwardly tolerant while she was outwardly ecstatic, yet she knew he was as happy as she. Slowly but surely, he and Christian were repairing the years of damage to their relationship. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but they were trying and that’s what counted.
Maybe being separated by an ocean helped when things got too tense between the brothers.
Living in England hadn’t been the easiest decision to make, no matter how much she loved Sebastian. He would have lived in Holland Springs, if she’d asked him, but she hadn’t. She wanted to be free to travel and enjoy life without the responsibilities of running a business. So he’d taken her everywhere while she could travel, and when the time had come, they’d returned to Hawkfell Hall to live in the newly renovated groundskeeper cottage situated on the opposite side of the lake, away from the hustle and bustle of The Hall, and set to making it the home of their dreams.
She was as happy and content as the baby in her arms. Kissing his sweet little head, she murmured nonsense words at him.
“Lucky,” Sebastian murmured, stroking the baby’s cheek, and then he turned his attention to her. “Are you happy here?”
He asked her that at least once a day, always worried she’d given up too much to be with him, but she hadn’t given up anything. In her mind, she’d gained the world.
“Very. ” She leaned against him as he settled down beside her in the bed. “You?”
“Sitting in this very bed, in this very house, with you and our child, was number three on my new and improved Bucket List. ”
New and improved Bucket List? “What was number one and two?”
Placing a knee on the side of the bed, he cupped her face and gazed into to her eyes. “Win back the woman I love and convince her to marry me. ”
If she hadn’t been sitting in bed, she would have swooned. “And number four?”
Kissing the tip of her nose, he grinned. “Who needs a number four?”
“You’re really happy, then?”
“I’m beyond happy. ” He kissed her forehead. “I’m ecstatic. ”
She giggled.
“Gobsmacked. ” He kissed her cheek.
She rolled her eyes playfully.
He kissed her lips. “Blessed. ”
Her heart turned over in her chest. “We both are,” she said, and then she kissed him back with all the love and hope she felt for their future in it.
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