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She jerked out of his grasp. “Please don’t say that Ty, when you don’t know what you’re asking.”
“But I do know what I’m asking now. Better than I did. And I know it’s a lot.”
Her midnight blue eyes sparkled with unshed tears making fear rise up his throat and strangle the speech he had prepared on the subway ride from Brooklyn. Had he screwed it up again? Already?
“I know I’m asking you to trust me, and it’s not easy for you to do that, because so few people have been worthy of your trust,” he said, the speech forgotten as he went with his gut. His tangled, twisted, terrified gut. “But all I’m asking for is a chance. A chance to see if we can go somewhere with this. I’ve spoken to a lady at Al-Anon, and she said new relationships don’t have to threaten your recovery. I’ll go to their meetings. I’ve already ordered all the literature I could find online. I’m not going into this blind. I’ll do the homework so I don’t mess this up for you. I’m great at homework assignments, just ask Faith. I used to help her with hers when she was a kid…”
He stopped, seeing the watery smile lift Zelda’s lips, and wondered if she thought he was as nuts as he sounded. He was talking nonsense. He wasn’t making any sense. He made a living at negotiating, at advocacy, at litigation. He had a graduate degree from Columbia Law, a framed certificate that said he had passed the New York State Bar Exam and a license confirming his right to practice as an attorney in the Empire State—and yet he didn’t know what to say to make this right.
“Please, just give me a chance,” he continued, his voice gruff with desperation now. “I know it was only a weekend. But it was the best weekend of my life. If you don’t feel the same way, I’ll leave now. And stick to the rule about never contacting you again. I swear.” He placed his hand over his heart, scared to touch her, because she suddenly looked so fragile, so unsure. He mustn’t push. This was her decision to make. It had to be, but he wanted to give himself the best possible chance. “But I can’t back off, not until I know for sure you don’t want to try.”
*
Zelda felt as if her world had tipped on its axis and everything she’d thought she knew about herself had turned inside out with it.
She’d never believed she could fall in love. She’d never believed she could have a committed relationship. And she’d never really believed that she deserved to be happy. Not truly, one hundred percent, all the way happy. Not since that fateful day when the Embassy housekeeper had come to tell her there had been a terrible accident. But most of all, she’d never really believed she could be loved for herself, with all her flaws and weaknesses and all the mistakes she’d made.
Until she’d gone swimming at midnight on Manhattan Beach and climbed out of her ivory tower into the waiting arms of her very own knight in shining armor.
And now this strong, handsome, caring, and courageous man was standing in front of her and offering her everything she had ever wanted. Because he was willing to try. Because he was prepared to go that extra mile, just for her. And because with him, she knew he meant it.
But before she could accept his offer, she had to know one more thing.
“I can’t let you rescue me, Ty. I have to be strong enough to save myself.”
He titled his head to one side, his dark hair falling across his brow in haphazard disarray before he pushed it back impatiently.
“Are you kidding me?” he said. “You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever known. If anyone’s doing the saving here, it’s you who’s saved me. From a lifetime of boring goddamn plans.”
She placed her arms on his shoulders, ran her fingers into the curls of hair at his nape and grinned at her three friends who stood behind him grinning back at her.
“I’m not sure I can promise you a lifetime,” she said, scared to hope for so much. All at once.
But instead of looking disappointed, or even surprised, the flat line of his lips, so serious a moment ago, curved into the captivating smile she adored. “That’s cool, you only have to promise me tomorrow.”
Lifting up on tiptoe, she felt her heartbeat skip as his large hands settled on her waist and he drew her close.
God, she loved that he was so much taller than her.
His head bent and he kissed her, the meeting of lips hot and exciting and yet excruciatingly tender.
He raised his head, peered down at her. “So do we have a deal, princess?”
“We have a deal on one condition, counselor.”
His lips quirked. “Please tell me you don’t have a whole new set of rules I’m now gonna have to negotiate?”
“Just one rule.”
“Which is?”
“That I never have to live in my ivory tower again.”
He chuckled, the sound rich and deep and full of promise—for all the bright, shiny tomorrows that awaited her if she was strong enough to grab them. And with him by her side, she knew she would be.
“You’re in luck.” He nuzzled her cheek, and nipped her earlobe, sending a sizzle of heat to her center. “We’re not real big on ivory towers in Brooklyn.”
She laughed against his lips, the joy like a starburst inside her. Because she knew, that here was something and someone she could care about for a very long time.
