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‘But what if you were wrong? What if I did love Russell? Don’t you think that subjecting me to this might have been cruel? It might have broken my heart.’
‘I wouldn’t have done so if I thought it might. But the thing is, Grace. If I had told you that my brother didn’t love you, and that he loved your sister, would you have believed me? You needed to hear it from his own lips. And besides, it wasn’t my secret to tell. Do you understand that?’
‘Yes. I suppose so.’
‘I did convince myself you loved him all those years ago. And I know how it feels to think the person you love, loves someone else. But I knew recently that for some reason, you had still convinced yourself you were in love with one man when in reality, you’re in love with another.’
‘Wh-what?’
There was a smile on Griff’s lips but it wasn’t one of his sardonic smiles, it was a caring smile. A happy smile. ‘You heard me.’
He reached out and gently touched Grace’s ribcage, just below her heart and once again she was astonished by the sensation his touch sent through her.
‘Now you’re free to be with the man you truly love. The man who loves you back. Who loves you more than he ever thought it was possible to love anyone. The man who has loved you for years.’
‘The … the man who … loves me?’ He nodded slowly. ‘From … from the moment we met?’’ He nodded again. ‘Seriously?’ Grace couldn’t believe it.
‘Yes. Do you really doubt it?’
‘Why … why didn’t you say anything?’
‘Because you believed you loved my brother.’
‘But why didn’t you tell me you had feelings for me? I don’t understand.’
‘Because I love you, Grace. And love isn’t about getting what you want. It’s about the one you love getting what they want. You believed you loved Russell, so I kept my feelings to myself. Everything I’ve done has been to hide my true feelings. I knew how you thought you felt about Russell. If I’d told you I loved you, you’d have pushed me away. And if I’d tried to win you over, you’d have pushed me farther. I know you, Grace. I know what you thought you felt about me. I didn’t dare reveal my true feelings. If I had opened the lid on them, everything would have come tumbling out and I’d never have been able to get it all back in.’
‘You love me?’
‘I love you.’
Grace threw herself into his arms and he kissed her with such passion, and honesty, that she knew he was telling her the truth.
She had convinced herself that she loved Russell, when in reality, it had probably always been Griff. Or maybe she had fallen for Griff over time. Did it really matter?
She loved him now. She loved being in his arms. She loved being kissed by him. She loved the way he looked her. She loved his smile. She loved every inch of the man.
‘Well?’ he said, when he finally eased away a few inches. ‘Are you going to say it? Are you going to tell me I’m right?’
There was laughter in his eyes, but it was the warm and loving kind, and it made her heart soar.
‘Don’t you have something to ask me first? Like, will you go out with me, Grace?’
He quirked a brow. ‘Haven’t I just done that? Didn’t that kiss tell you how I feel?’
‘I want to hear you say it.’
He beamed at her and pulled her closer. ‘Then I’ll say it. I love you, Grace Eversley. I’ve loved you from the moment we met and I’ll love you till the day we die. Will you please go out with me, Grace?’
‘Absolutely, Griff. I thought you’d never ask. What on earth took you so long?’
‘Fear of rejection, I think. Or of you jumping to the wrong conclusion. But there is just one thing I’d like to clear up.’
‘Oh? What’s that?’
‘That day you thought I was asking you to go to bed with me, you … you actually made me think I might’ve got this all wrong. That the thought of going to bed with me was the last thing on your mind.’
‘Don’t jump to conclusions. I was cross. To tell you the truth. Going to bed with you has been on my mind a lot. And I can’t wait.’
‘Seriously? You can’t wait?’
‘Seriously. I can’t wait.’
‘You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to hear you say those words, Grace. But mainly, that you loved me.’
‘Then I’ll say them again so we’re clear. I love you Griff. And I can’t wait to go to bed with you. And … unless you feel we’d be missed. I’d say right now is as good a time as any to start.’
This time, when he kissed her, he swept into his arms and he carried her towards his bedroom. And for the first time in her life, Grace knew for certain that she was exactly where she wanted to be. Not just for Christmas, but for the rest of her life.
