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This would be the first time they spent the night together since reconnecting, and Noelle’s lack of protest made Christian wonder if she’d changed her mind about his proposal. If he could spend the rest of his life with Noelle, he would be happier than he deserved to be.
He stopped resisting the pull of exhaustion. Keeping up with Marc’s boundless energy had taken its toll. Content in a way he hadn’t been for a long time, Christian buried his nose in Noelle’s fragrant hair and sighed.
“I love you,” he murmured and drifted off to sleep.
* * *
Christian’s words lanced through Noelle, shocking her to complete wakefulness. Before the echo of his voice faded, his deep breathing told her he was unconscious. Her first impulse was to shake him awake and force him to repeat the words. Had he meant them? Had he even realized what he said? Why was it the man couldn’t speak his heart unless he was semiconscious?
Noelle lay awake for a long time, her cheek on Christian’s bare chest, listening to the steady thump of his heart. She pondered the impact her expanding business was about to have on her son and her love life. Was it wrong to want it all? Success with her ready-to-wear line? The family she’d longed for with Christian? The thought of reaching out and grabbing nothing but air worried her, but she wouldn’t see stars without overcoming a fear of the dark.
No solutions revealed themselves that night. She awoke to an empty bed and a brief note on hotel stationery from Christian, letting her know he had taken Marc to his suite so she could get ready in peace. The note was brisk and informative, lacking the romantic overtones left over from the previous night.
Heaving a sigh, Noelle got up and went to shower. Had all her what-ifs and how-tos from the previous night been a waste of time? Perhaps in the hazy aftermath of some spectacular lovemaking she’d only imagined what she longed to hear Christian say.
No. Noelle refused to believe that. She knew what she’d heard. Christian loved her. Based on how he’d protected her from his friends and pulled strings to get her on the path to a fabulous career, he’d loved her for a long time. That he had a hard time being vulnerable didn’t surprise her.
Not only had he run with a condescending group of entitled troublemakers who tormented anyone who showed weakness, he’d also been the youngest of three princes, far from the throne with no expectations placed on him. Christian had once shared that he often felt like an afterthought. Noelle suspected this was what had led him to act out.
On the way to her first meeting, Noelle called her assistant back in Sherdana to check on her appointment for later in the week and was delighted to learn that the bride had postponed until the following month. This opened up the rest of the week, and more than anything Noelle wanted a quiet dinner with Christian and to spend a day roaming New York City with him and their son.
Knowing that Christian had cleared his entire schedule so he could be there for Marc, she sent him a text asking if they could postpone returning to Sherdana. He responded with a photo of him and Marc cheek to cheek, both giving a thumbs-up. Warmth spread through her, and she clutched the screen to her chest. Loosing a ragged sigh, she sent back a smiley face and spent the rest of the ride organizing a romantic dinner for two.
* * *
At a little after four in the afternoon, Christian carried his sleeping son across the Four Seasons lobby and into an elevator. Along the way he caught several women watching him, their expressions reading isn’t that sweet. He resisted smiling until the elevator doors closed. He wasn’t accustomed to women approving of his deeds and found he rather liked it.
Noelle was working at the desk in her suite when he let himself in. She started to rise, but he waved her back. In the past couple of days, he’d grown accustomed to caring for Marc and enjoyed it a great deal.
After taking his son’s shoes off and tucking him beneath a light blanket with his favorite stuffed dinosaur, Christian returned to the living room. Noelle had put away her laptop and was standing near the wide windows staring out over the city. As Christian drew near, she smiled at him over her shoulder.
“Another hectic day?”
“I don’t think there’s a single question about the Statue of Liberty that Marc didn’t ask.”
“I’m sure.” She leaned her head back against Christian’s shoulder as he slipped his arms around her. He felt more than heard her sigh. “I love you.”
Unsure if he’d heard her correctly, Christian held perfectly still, afraid to say anything and ruin the moment.
