AllFreeNovel
Share Us
*
Alec swallowed hard,a lump thickening his throat. Her request moved him. Her request was just like her, honest, real, compassionate. This was why he’d fallen in love with her. This was exactly why he wanted her in his life, and why he needed her at his side. She was beautiful, but more importantly, her heart was beautiful. She gave him hope, and he hadn’t realized until she’d arrived at Langley, how hope had been in short supply.
“I’d love to introduce you to my father,” he said to her, voice husky. “But we should do it sooner than later. As you know, he hasn’t been well, and I don’t think we have time on our side.”
She reached over and took his hand, giving it a squeeze. “When do you want to head back?”
“To London?”
She nodded.
“I haven’t decided yet. A lot depends on you.”
She looked into his eyes, her gaze warm, bright, full of love. “I’ll go with you, when you’re ready, if that’s what you’d like. I have another couple weeks off from the university. I could meet your father, see where you live in London—I’d like to picture where you live, as it’d be far easier when I come back home—”
“You’re going to leave me there?”
“Not sure what we have planned for the future. I thought you might still need time to figure it out.”
“I have it figured out,” he said decisively, surprising even himself with the firmness of his voice. “I’d like you to stay with me. I want you to live with me. Obviously, I can afford to support us, but knowing you, you’ll want to be doing something.”
“I would. I like being busy. Being contributing.”
“I am sure with your skills you could find something in London, if that’s what you wanted.”
“Perhaps I could even volunteer for little bit, until I find something.”
“It would give you a chance to get comfortable. It’s quite a big city.”
“And you work very long hours.”
He raised her hand to his mouth, kissing just below the knuckles. “I would certainly not abandon you, not after you just arrived. I would cut back my hours. I work ungodly hours. There’s no reason for that.”
“I don’t want you to change you. Not asking you to change—”
“I’m not trying to change me either, just my work hours. If that’s okay with you.”
She smiled. “I have no issue with that. I’d love to spend time with you. There’s a whole world of things that I’d like to do with you. Places to go, things to see, people to meet.”
“We’ll make a rule that weekends are just for us. No work, no meetings, no Zoom calls from home, no conference calls, either.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “Is that what you usually do on weekends?”
He shrugged. “More of than not.”
“Oh dear.”
“But that’s the past. That’s pre-Cara.”
“That sounds wonderful but, Alec, we have to be realistic. You’re a workaholic, and what is the expression? Leopards don’t change spots—”
“I don’t love work. I love you.”
She slid across the sofa and kissed him then, a long, mind drugging kiss where they lost track of time, and it wasn’t until far in the distance they heard their names called, and another voice shouted for them to hurry as the countdown had begun, and the big ball in Times Square would fall.
Breathlessly, Cara sat back, her expression dazed. “You just get better and better.”
“Because I love you more and more.”
