Conquering King's Heart
Page 14
She stared into his eyes, longing to believe, but just too shattered to try. “I really wish I could believe you, Jesse. But I just can’t.”
Then she closed the door and let the tears fall.
Late that night, Jesse muttered a curse as the heavens opened up on him. He’d never had to work so hard for anything in his life. Always, things had come easily to him. Always, he’d walked through life, taking what he wanted, leaving the rest behind. Until now.
Now, everything rested on his being able to convince one woman—the woman—that she was the most important thing in his world. That she was his world.
And he wasn’t going to lose.
She was stubborn?
He was more stubborn.
If she thought he was going to give up and go away, then she had a big surprise in store for her. He stepped out of his car and was instantly drenched.
Naturally, it was pouring rain. Wouldn’t want this to be easy at all. He stared at Bella’s house, glanced at the neighbors on either side. Kevin was probably with Traci and Mrs. Clayton’s house was dark. No one would see him. Then he shifted his gaze to Bella’s bedroom window. She was in there. Snuggled under her blankets. Alone.
But not for long.
He swiped his wet hair out of his eyes and headed directly across the lawn toward her bedroom. He was through going to the front door, asking her to let him in. Enough already. She was going to listen to him. She was going to believe him. And he damn well wasn’t going to leave until she did.
He smiled as he lifted her window, glad that it was still unlocked. The last time they’d stayed at her house, he’d noticed that the lock was faulty and had been going to replace it for her. Now he was grateful that he hadn’t.
The wood window frame, still soaked from the previous storm, screeched a little as it slid up and Jesse winced. He paused, looked over his shoulder and noticed a light come on in at Mrs. Clayton’s. Of course it couldn’t have been Kevin who’d heard him. Had to be the neighbor he hadn’t met. If she looked out and saw him climbing through a window, she’d be calling the cops any second now.
No time to waste.
He climbed in, hit his shin on the windowsill and muffled the curse that flew from his mouth. On the bed, Bella stirred beneath her blankets and turned so that the dim light of the rainy night fell across her features. Jesse’s chest tightened. He loved her more than he’d ever thought it was possible to love anyone.
The room was small and filled with shadows. But he didn’t need to see to know where his destination was.
Walking quietly toward the bed, he shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it onto the floor with a sodden splat. Shaking his head, he sat down beside her, laid one hand on her hip and whispered, “Bella. Bella, wake up.”
She turned toward him with a slow, languid movement, opened her eyes sleepily and stared up at him. A second passed before she blinked and said, “Jesse?”
“Were you expecting someone else?” he asked wryly.
“No, and I wasn’t expecting you, either.” She scooted back from him, but Jesse wasn’t going to lose his momentum now.
He reached out, grabbed her and pulled her to him.
“You’re soaking wet!”
“It’s raining outside.”
“How did you get in here?” She was squirming, trying to get free of him, but Jesse only tightened his hold on her.
“Climbed through your window.” He looked down into her eyes. “You really need to get that latch fixed.”
“Apparently.”
“Look, Bella, Mrs. Clayton saw me climbing in, I think, so I’ve gotta talk fast, because she’s probably calling the cops to report a break-and-entry.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake!”
“You see what I’m willing to do for you?” He asked the question with a wide grin. He was soaking wet, cold down to the bone and yet he hadn’t felt so warm in days. Just having her here, beside him, made everything all right. Still smiling, he said, “I’m probably going to get arrested, so now you have to listen to me.”
“Jesse, you’re crazy.”
“Probably.”
She swung her hair back from her face and looked up at him, eyes shining. “Why are you doing all this? Why do you keep trying?”
“Because you’re worth it,” he told her, his voice deep and low. “You’re worth anything.”
“Jesse, I want to believe you, I really do.”
“Because you love me,” he said, tracing the pads of his thumbs across her cheekbones. “Why won’t you admit it?”
Her eyes closed and a single tear slid from beneath her eyelid. He kissed it away.
“I can’t. If I do, you’ll break my heart again,” she said, her voice almost lost in the steady patter of the rain falling outside.
Jesse’s own heart ached at the misery in her voice and at the knowledge that he’d caused her so much pain. But he could fix that. He would make it his personal mission to see to it that she never cried again.
“No more tears, Bella. You’re killing me.”
“I can’t seem to stop,” she admitted, lifting her gaze to look at him again.
“God, I love you so much.” He cupped her face in his palms and let his gaze move over her features hungrily. Like a man starved and finally given a feast, he couldn’t seem to get his fill of her. “I swear I’ll never make you cry again.”
She actually laughed at that. “Oh, Jesse, you can’t make that kind of promise.”
The tightness in his chest eased a little. She wasn’t trying to escape from him anymore. She wasn’t trying to push him away. That was a start, anyway.
“I will promise it, though.” He met her gaze and held it. “Believe me, Bella. I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you smile. Making sure you never doubt again how much I love you.”
She chewed at her bottom lip and drew one shaky breath.
Reaching into his slacks pocket, he pulled out the box he’d been carrying all day. He’d gone shopping at Kevin’s place that morning right after he left Bella. He flipped the red velvet lid back, displaying the ring that had made him think of Bella the moment he saw it.
“Jesse…”
He reached for her left hand and though she was trembling slightly, she didn’t pull away. Slowly, he slid the ring onto her finger and held it in place while they both stared down at it, shining in the darkness.
“It’s a yellow diamond,” he said, “and when I saw it at Kevin’s I thought of you. Those yellow shirts you wear. The way you love the sun. The brightness I feel in the world when I’m with you.”
She lifted her free hand and covered her mouth while her eyes drenched and spilled over.
“Now see, I’ve already broken my promise and made you cry again,” he whispered, leaning in to kiss her forehead with a gentle reverence.
“Doesn’t count,” she whispered. “Tears of happiness don’t count.”
He smiled and relief washed over him. He was forgiven.
“I love you, Bella. I want to marry you. Have babies with you. Build a life together.”
She pulled in another shuddering breath, lifted her gaze to his and said, “I want that, too, Jesse. I love you so much.”
“Finally,” he said, a wide grin on his face. “You’re going to have to say that a lot, you know. Don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing it.”
“I can do that,” she said.
Taking both of her hands in his, he said, “I’m making a commitment, Bella. To you. To us. I even put recycling cans in the cubicles at the office.”
She laughed then, a delightful sound that rippled out around him and settled over Jesse like a blessing.
“Oh, Jesse, you really are crazy, aren’t you?”
“Crazy about you? Oh, yeah, baby. Count on it.”
Outside, flashing red-and-yellow lights lit up the darkness and Jesse grimaced. “That’ll be the police. Honey, would you mind coming out and explaining to the nice officers that this is just the be
ginning of our very interesting lives?”
Epilogue
Three months later, Bella burst from her office into Jesse’s, a wide grin on her face as she waved a sheet of paper in the air as if she were waving the winner’s flag at a car race.
“It’s here! And it’s wonderful! You’re wonderful!” She flung herself at him and Jesse jumped up from his chair to catch her, arms coming around her in a tight embrace.
His wife.
He didn’t think he’d ever get tired of the sound of those two words. His wife. He and Bella had been married for a month now and the difference in his life was staggering. He felt more alive than he ever had and it was all because of her.
“What’s here and just how wonderful am I?” he asked, bending his head to nibble at her neck.
Since Bella’s office was right next to his now, there was a connecting door the two of them alone used. That way they could be together whenever they wanted and without the rest of the office giving them knowing winks and smiles.
Not that he minded.
Bella hummed low in her throat as his lips and tongue moved over her neck. He loved the way she was dressing these days. Jeans that clung to her amazing legs, shirts that were actually her size and usually with nicely scooped out necklines, giving him much easier access.
“That’s not fair,” she whispered. “You know I can’t think straight when you do that.”
“Good,” he murmured. “No thinking required.”
And with the new rules of the office—no one entered without knocking and receiving a response—they were free to do whatever they liked. Jesse smiled to himself. There were several things he could think of to occupy them both for at least an hour or two.
“Jesse…” she squirmed in his grasp. “I didn’t come in here for this. I just wanted to show you. To thank you…”
“Ooh, good. I love being thanked by my wife.”
She laughed and tossed the paper she’d been holding onto his desk so that she could wrap both arms around his neck. She kissed him then, long and deep, and then pulled back to look up at him. “You say that a lot, you know? My wife.”
He grinned at her. “Get used to it. My wife. Mine.”
“Just the way I like it,” she whispered, and kissed him again, giving him everything he could ever have wanted. Making every dream come true. Making his life just as it should be.
And when she stepped away from him, backing toward the office sofa with a secretive smile, he followed willingly. But first, he glanced at the paper she’d brought into the office and he smiled.
It was the new national ad for King Beach.
Good to know she approved.
The glossy paper carried their pictures, shots of their beachwear and the slogan Bella and the King. Together at Last.
It was perfect.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-3911-5
CONQUERING KING’S HEART
Copyright © 2009 by Maureen Child
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Silhouette Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and TM are trademarks of Harlequin Books S.A., used under license. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
Visit Silhouette Books at www.eHarlequin.com
*Summer of Secrets
††Kings of California
‡The Guardians
‡The Guardians
‡The Guardians
*Summer of Secrets
*Summer of Secrets
†Reasons for Revenge
†Reasons for Revenge
†Reasons for Revenge
††Kings of California
††Kings of California
††Kings of California