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‘I shouldn’t have put you in the position of making you choose between us.’ A wry smile touched his mouth. ‘I didn’t think for a moment that you’d walk out on me. You have a way of cutting a guy down to size very quickly.’
‘Damon, I really don’t want to—’
‘Talk about this. I know.’ He took her face in his hands. ‘But you’re going to. I know how afraid you are of relationships, Polly. Your life has been like a car park, with a constant stream of people coming and going. It’s not rocket science to deduce that you’re going to have commitment issues. That’s why I forgive you for thinking the worst of me on Friday.’
‘Forgive you?’
‘Yes. Forgive you.’ He bent his head and kissed her mouth gently. ‘It’s not very flattering when the woman you love is so ready to believe that you took her to bed out of an impulse to get revenge on her father. That hurt.’
Polly stilled, suddenly unable to breathe. ‘Damon?’
‘I love you.’ He spoke the words softly but his eyes were full of passion and heat. ‘I’ve spent my whole life making sure I didn’t fall in love. Then I met you again and suddenly I didn’t have a choice.’
The words sank slowly into her brain. ‘You told me you were never going to let that happen.’
‘Which means you’ve proved once again that I’m nowhere near as in control of things as I like to think.’ He hesitated. ‘You’re right that I was scared of being responsible for someone else’s happiness. I saw what happened when my father thought he’d let everyone down. I had Arianna, all these employees—I didn’t want anyone else. Until you came back into my life. I love you more than I ever thought it possible to love someone.’
The happiness was so intense it was blinding. ‘Truly?’
‘I told your father that you’re mine now.’
‘I assumed you were trying to wind him up.’
‘I was telling the truth, but I don’t blame you for questioning my motives. It’s true that I’d do anything to protect Arianna, but this isn’t about my sister any more. It’s about us.’
‘Us.’ Polly whispered the word. ‘I’ve never been an “us”. I’m not sure I’ll be any good at it.’
‘We’ll learn together. I’m already learning fast,’ he assured her. ‘I’ve turned my company upside down. From now on we’re following the Polly Prince code of office management. And as for the rest of it—I know it breaks every rule, but I want us to be together.’
‘But—’
‘I know you’re scared. I know you’re thinking that your father has just married for the fifth time and that relationships can’t last, but ours can and will—’ He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her, his mouth stirring up the fire inside her. ‘Look at me and tell me that you don’t think we’ll still be together in fifty years.’
Polly looked at him, her heart aching and her eyes swimming. ‘I want to be. I love you, too. Oh, God, I can’t believe I’m saying that.’
‘You’ve no idea how relieved I am to hear you say it.’ The corner of his mouth tilted and he reached into his pocket and withdrew a box. ‘I bought this for you. I want you to wear it always. Hopefully whenever the thought of being an “us” scares you, you can look at it and be reminded of how much I love you.’ He flipped the box open and withdrew a huge, sparkling diamond ring and Polly felt as if her whole heart had been opened and exposed.
Tears fell and landed on his hand. ‘It’s beautiful, but I can’t wear it. How can I? You say that this is just about us, but it isn’t. It can’t be.’ It all seemed hopeless to her. The obstacles too big. ‘I love my father, Damon. I know he behaves like a total idiot sometimes and, yes, he’s careless, but that’s just the way he is—’ She wiped her tears on her sleeve. ‘I’m the first to admit that he’s pretty crap at a lot of things, but he was there. And now you hate him, and he’s married your sister, and we can’t be together with you hating him—’ Hiccuping, she heard her words tumble together, and Damon gave a low curse and gathered her against him.
‘Don’t cry. I never want to see you cry. We’ll work things out with your father, I promise.’
‘I don’t want to be in a position where I’m always having to take sides and choose.’
‘You won’t be,’ he vowed. ‘You have my word on that. I’
ve already been to see your father. We managed to talk without killing each other so that’s a good start.’
Polly sniffed. ‘You’ve seen him?’
‘This morning. After you left for work. My sister apologised to me.’
‘She did?’
‘Apparently you told her a few truths. She took them on board and suddenly she feels very guilty that she’s caused me so much worry.’ He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. ‘When we were in the boardroom that day you told me I was over-protective and you were right.’
‘No, I was wrong. You’re brilliant and Arianna is lucky.’
‘But the sense of responsibility I felt towards Arianna prevented me from letting her spread her wings. I couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to her. I’d promised myself that I was going to protect her and I never questioned that as time went on.’
