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Have Courage. Take Heart.
He looked into her eyes, deep. She felt it like a touch.
Like his words earlier, but different. Sexual yes, but more than that.
Deeper.
This, she thought, was like making love. She knew another person might never understand.
But Cameron had had sex with strangers. All physical, no feeling. What he did not have was someone to piece him together when he was broken. To touch him, just to touch him, and not to get anything back.
To listen to him. Understand him.
He took the necklace, and slipped it into his pocket, then put his hand over hers and held it there, hard. Firm. “You are strong,” he said. “Do not let anyone make you feel different.”
“So are you.”
When he lowered his hand, he kept hold of hers.
“Shall we go then? You have a product to launch.”
“Yes,” he said, his voice rough. “I do.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
HECOULDNOTexplain what had happened in the room. He could not explain the weakness that had overtaken him when he had been frozen, barely able to bring himself to put the shirt and suit jacket on. He could not explain why he had allowed Athena to do it for him.
Yet somehow, when she did it, it was as if she was putting armor in place for him. As though they were going into battle together.
And now they were standing outside the venue, all lit up with banners hanging down the side, promising the largest product launch in the company’s history.
He could explain what he had created effortlessly. Could explain to everyone in the room why they wanted it. And yet...
Was it fear that he felt now?
There had been a time in his life when fear had been a constant companion. He had purposed in himself to never feel it again.
Maybe that was a foolish thing.
When he had nearly died in that car accident, he had felt fear. When he had watched the life drain from Irina, he had felt fear.
Perhaps he had never left it behind. Perhaps, like when he was a boy on the street, it had simply become part of him, and he had not noticed it anymore. Had not been able to call it for what it was.
But with Athena by his side, he felt stronger.
Have Courage. Take Heart.
He had got that for her and then...
Somehow it had been right for him.
He had lost his sense of why he had wanted her there in the first place. It had been about public opinion at first. But that wasn’t the case now. Now he recognized that he wanted her there because of himself.
Because he actually... He wanted to do this. He wanted to show that he was capable.
To show that he didn’t need pity. They walked up the stairs slowly, and when they entered the crowded ballroom, there was a hush that fell over the crowd.
It was to be expected. And that, he thought, was a better reason than any not to delay the announcement until later. So with Athena on his arm, he walked straight to the center of the room, and right toward the podium.
