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He flung the phone away and stalked to where she stood. He started to reach for her then clasped both hands behind his nape. ‘Then I should damn well have applied for sainthood. What he did to you...what I did...Theos, I’m even surprised you agreed to come here with me.’
‘I was heading here anyway,’ she confessed.
Surprise flared in his eyes, along with hope. ‘You were?’
‘Don’t flatter yourself, Sakis. I wasn’t on my way to beg you for my life back, if that’s what you think. I was coming to clear my desk, or ask security to clear it for me if I was still barred from entering these hallowed grounds.’
‘You’re not barred. You’ll never be barred, Brianna.’
‘You don’t have to call me that. You know who I am now.’
The hard shake of his head made a lock of hair fall over his eyes. ‘You’ll always be Brianna to me. She was the woman I fell in love with. The woman who possesses more strength and integrity in her little finger than anyone else I know. The woman I stupidly discarded before I got the chance to tell her how much I love her and treasure her.’
Her legs finally gave way beneath her. Sakis caught her before she crumpled onto the sofa. They fell back together. His gaze dropped to her mouth that had fallen open with wordless wonder, and he groaned. ‘I know what I did was unforgivable but I want to try all the same to make it up—’
‘You love me.’
‘To you. Name your price. Anything you want, I’ll give it. I’ve already put steps in place to have your conviction revoked—’
‘You love me?’
He paused and gave a solemn nod but it was the adoration in his eyes that struck pure, healing happiness into her heart. ‘I love you more than I desire my next breath. I need you in my life. I’ll do anything, anything, to have you back, agapita.’
‘What does that mean?’
‘What does what...? Oh—agapita? It means “beloved”.’
She pulled back. ‘But you started calling me that even before we slept together. It was that day when you took me for pancakes.’
He seemed startled by the remark. Then a smile warmed his stricken face. ‘I think my subconscious was telling me how I felt about you.’
She caressed a hand down his rough jaw. ‘When did the rest of you catch up?’
‘In Greece, after I withstood Ari and Theo’s ribbing and I admitted that I didn’t want to live without you. I intended to tell you after the party.’
‘Tell me again now.’
He repeated it, then pulled back after kissing her senseless, his gaze dark with a vulnerability she’d never seen. ‘Can you ever forgive me for what I did?’
His cheeks were warm and vibrant beneath her hands. ‘You took steps to find out the truth about what happened to me. You could’ve walked away and condemned me, but you came back for me. I told you about my past, about my mother, and you didn’t judge me or make me feel worthless. I loved you for that. More than I already did before I sent Greg that text.’
The shock on his face made her smile. It was the shock that made her get away with kissing him thoroughly before the alpha male in him took over. When he pulled away from her, she gave a groan of protest.
‘Do you have one of those go bags ready for a trip? If you don’t, we’ll manage, but we need to leave now.’
‘I do, but—?’
He was up and striding towards her suite before she could finish the question. He returned, two bags in one hand and the other stretched out to her.
‘Where are we going?’ Hurriedly, she straightened her clothes and hair.
‘I’ve blocked off my calendar for a month. I believe there’s a Swiss chalet waiting for us.’
‘You think a month is going to be enough?’ Happiness made her saucy, she discovered.
Pulling her close, he kissed her until they were both breathless. ‘No chance. But it’s a damned good start.’
* * *
