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He laughed. “I doubt that, but I appreciate you saying so for my benefit.” Kasim grabbed her hand, holding tighter when she tried to pull back. “I’m sorry about something else too.”
“That we ever met? That I didn’t turn you down in the bar that night?” She was sorry too, but she couldn’t regret it because of the child growing inside her belly.
“No,” his gaze was suddenly serious, intense and almost a living breathing thing between them. “I’m sorry that I can’t give you what you want.”
She shrugged and released a long breath. “We both knew this couldn’t be serious,” for you, she added silently unable to lie to herself any longer. “We’re too different.”
A grimace crossed his face and she thought maybe her words had hurt or irritated him, but she couldn’t tell because unlike most people, Charla couldn’t read Kasim. “I meant that I’m sorry but I’m not signing that damn parental agreement.” His grip loosened and he took her other hand in his, caressing her fingers gently, heating her with his gaze. “I know why you think this can’t work, can’t be serious and all that, but you’re wrong Charla.” She shook her head but he nodded his in response. “You are. I was too because I thought so too. I thought we’d have fun and a lot of great sex and we would both move on.”
“I know,” she spat out, trying to free herself of his grasp. And failing.
“But Charla I was wrong. I tried living without you, being without you and I realized I can’t.”
“You’ve done just fine,” she said because she needed to suffocate the hope that expanded in her chest, determined to blossom into something far more dangerous. Want.
He laughed. “I wish that was true, but it’s not. I’ve been miserable without you Charla. I missed you, so damn much. I’m sorry I didn’t treasure what a gift you are, what a wonderful woman you are.”
She couldn’t hold the tears at bay any longer, she wasn’t strong enough to resist the words that acted as a balm to her wounded heart. She wasn’t quite sure if his words were true, but it felt good to hear them. “Thank you, Kasim.” She sighed, words shaky as she spoke. “If you really want to be part of our baby’s life I won’t keep you from her.”
“Her?” His golden brown eyes turned from wary but hopeful to stunned. “A daughter? We’re,” he stopped and cleared the thickness from his voice, “We’re having a girl?”
She nodded with a bright smile. “I found out a few days ago. A healthy baby girl with a strong heartbeat.”
“God,” he groaned and dropped his head, letting the words sink in. When his gaze reconnected with hers, Charla gasped at what she saw in his eyes. She couldn’t be certain since she was pretty sure she’d never seen it aimed her way before, but it looked a lot like love. “Is it too late for us, Charla? Can we start over, or maybe start in the middle before I let my past mess everything up?”
“I don’t know Kasim. How can I forget the things you said to me? About me?” Time for a little honesty girl, she heard her granny’s voice. “I knew it was a bad idea from the start Kasim and I told myself not to fall for you. But I’ve made so few good decisions in my life that maybe it was inevitable.”
“That’s perfect because I’ve fallen for you too. It took me a long time to realize it because I didn’t think it was possible. I never thought I’d fall in love with anyone.” He laughed, shaking his head as a muffled announcement sounded overhead.
“Never mind a mouthy pink-haired spa owner?”
One side of his mouth kicked up into a smile. “Something like that. But from the start you challenged me, pushed me and refused to fall at my feet. I hated it.” He frowned but it quickly turned into a smile. “I loved it too, and that pretty much describes my feelings about you. I wanted so bad to label you and put you in a box, but I know now it’s because I was fighting what was happening between us.”
“Kasim,” she moaned, unsure if she could take another moment of this. “I am in love with you and if there’s no possibility of a future together, none of this matters. I won’t be your mistress or your lover.”
He frowned. “You’re right you won’t. You’ll be my wife.”
His tone was serious and angry if she wasn’t mistaken. Shaking her head she tried to pull back again. “That’s not necessary. We hardly know each other.”
“I know that,” he pulled her to a standing position right in front of him, his big body towering over her and his big warm hands flat on her back. “I love you Charla and I want us to start over. Get to know each other better and put our past issues to rest. And then sometime in the future I’m going to get down on one knee and ask you to be my bride and you’re going to say yes.”
Charla smiled, blinking away tears as the nightclub went momentarily still before the New Year’s countdown began around them. “Do you mean that?”
He nodded and a slow sultry smile spread across his handsome face, liquid honey eyes shining with love. “I’m going to have to insist on it, sweetheart. What do you say?”
She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Well, if you insist,” then Charla decided to go after what she wanted this time. She would take a chance because she owed it to herself and her baby girl.
So, she kissed him and welcomed a new year with her new love.
