Part 29 (1/2)

”Well, are you going to let me in or what?”

”Oh my G.o.d, of course.” She sweeps the door open and I walk inside, glancing around for any glimpse of someone else being here. ”Am I the first one here?”

”No.” She wrings her hands together and I fall into step behind her as we head for the kitchen. ”There's someone else waiting for you.”

Huh? What is she talking about? And why is she being so strange?

”I really hope you didn't plan something unexpected, because I am so not in the mood.” My earlier cheerfulness has evaporated and I want to go home.

”Stop worrying and come on.” We walk through the kitchen, which leads to a small nook where her more informal dining table is. There's a man sitting there, but I don't know who he is and the room is dark. The curtains are drawn, not even letting in the dimming rays of sunlight, and he slowly stands to his feet.

Everything within me stops. The way he moves, the hair, the length of him ...

His face comes into view as he takes a step toward us and I reach out, grasping the edge of the granite countertop to keep me from toppling over.

It's Caden.

”Okay, well, this is your chance for you two to make up. Ta-ta!” And with that Lily buzzes out of there, the loud slam of her front door indicating she's left us in her apartment. Completely alone.

”Hey,” he says, the sound of his deep, delicious voice melting everything within me.

I stand taller, stiffening my spine. I refuse to cave first. This man needs to grovel a bit. I can only a.s.sume Lily found Caden on her own, through Cash. That she set this entire meeting up for me, so I could talk to him and tell Caden he's going to be a father.

But seeing him again after over two months, all the anger comes back to me, double force. I think of how he left me, snuck out in the middle of the night after writing me that stupid, irritating letter. I should hit him just for that letter alone.

”You look beautiful, Ro,” he says after a long, charged moment of silence, and I clench one hand into a fist, my other hand still gripping the countertop tightly. ”I've missed you.”

I want to laugh. I also want to cry. ”Really? Could've fooled me, what with the way you've reached out and tried to contact me.”

The shadow that crosses his face makes me happy. Good. He should feel bad. He should feel incredibly guilty and s.h.i.+tty for what he's done. ”I have my reasons,” he starts, and this time I do laugh, cutting him off.

I can't stop laughing. I just keep doing it. He doesn't move, just stares at me as if I've lost my mind, and I do feel like I've lost it. I think I'm in a state of shock. I can't believe he's standing in front of me, looking so good, looking so clean and handsome and ... respectable? He's wearing a b.u.t.ton-down s.h.i.+rt and charcoal-gray trousers. His hair is cut neatly and though it's hanging loosely from his neck, he's wearing a tie. Like he just got off work or something.

Huh?

My laughter starts to die, tears streaming down my cheeks, my belly aching. I'm not laughing anymore, I'm crying, and a sob bursts free from my lips. Sniffing, I cover my face with my hands and he moves into action. I can hear him. Feel him. He hesitates for only a moment as he stands right in front of me and then he's drawing me into his arms, holding me close.

I stiffen in his embrace, telling myself I should be stronger. I shouldn't give in so easily. His hand cups the back of my head and he presses my face against his chest. I can feel his heart race, smell his familiar, perfect scent. His other arm goes around my waist, fingers resting firmly on my hip, and I've never felt so right.

I feel like I've come home.

Giving in, I melt into him, slinging my arms around his waist as I cry. My tears dampen his s.h.i.+rt, his fingers comb through my hair, and he whispers rea.s.suring words to me. Words that warm my heart and send it aflutter, beating against my ribs so hard he can surely hear it.

”I've missed you so d.a.m.n much,” he murmurs against my hair. ”I was trying to do the right thing. Get my life on track, be a better man before I come find you and make you mine.”

Stupid, silly man. What in the world is he talking about? ”What do you mean?” I ask, my voice m.u.f.fled against his chest.

”I got a job. No more stealing, no more messing around. I'm an honest man now, doing an honest day's work.” He sounds proud and I squeeze him tight before I lift my head to look up at him.

”What are you doing? For work?”

He smiles, and the sight of it takes my breath away. ”You wouldn't believe it if I told you.”

”Tell me,” I urge.

Leaning in, he drops a sweet kiss on the tip of my nose. My body immediately reacts to his chaste kiss and I tell myself to calm down. I cannot make this easy for him. He needs to explain.

And then I have some explaining to do as well.

”I work at a jewelry store. It's in Brooklyn, a great place that's been around forever, and they take jewelry in on trade, or they bring it in to have it reset. I'm the one who a.s.sesses the stones and intricacy of the settings and declares its value,” he explains.

I raise my brows. ”Well, that sounds right up your alley.”

”It is. Cash got me the interview.” He pauses, studying me. ”You met Cash, right? A couple weeks ago.”

Nodding, I bite my lower lip. ”I, um, met your mother, too.”

”I know.” He pushes a few stray hairs away from my forehead. ”Cash told me.”

Oh, G.o.d. This was all set up through Lily and Cash and maybe even Caden's mom. Does he know? Does he have a clue about my condition? And if he does know, is he mad at me for keeping it from him?

”Ro, I was wrong for what I did. I shouldn't have left you like that at the hotel back in London. I should've stuck it out and told you how I really felt rather than write it all in a stupid letter.” His expression is pained, and a small piece of me is thankful that he regrets his actions.

Fine, a large piece of me is thankful.

”That letter almost killed me,” I murmur softly. ”It gave me hope. I thought you would come to your senses and find me when you got back here. But ... you didn't.”

”I always planned on finding you,” he says, the words pouring out of him in a rush. ”I only wanted to do it right. I wanted to make sure that I was established in my new job and that I was doing the right things. That I wouldn't disappoint you. That's the last thing I want to do. I never wanted to let you down.”

”You never let me down until you left me like a coward.” He flinches at that comment but I push on. ”I would've accepted you as is. I did accept you. I ... I fell for you while we were together in London. How I felt about you scared me, but I didn't care. I was going for it anyway. And then ... you left.”

”Stupidest thing I could've ever done,” he mutters, shaking his head, looking completely traumatized.

I reach up and sink my hands in his thick, soft hair. ”You cut it,” I murmur.

He smiles. ”Yeah. Need to look respectable.”

”I miss it.” I stroke his hair, his eyelids wavering at my touch, and all I can think about is how fast can I get him naked.

No. Don't think like that. Make him work for this.

”I miss you.” He lets go of me and my hands fall away from him. But then he's touching me again, his hands cupping my face, and I grip his hips, overwhelmed at the sincerity and love I see s.h.i.+ning in his dark eyes. ”I f.u.c.ked up. I know I did. I'm asking for your forgiveness. I need it. I need you. I was only trying to do the right thing and in the end I drove away the only woman I could ever love.”

My heart cracks at his words and fresh tears spring to my eyes. He's trying to make me cry buckets, I swear. ”Oh, Caden ...”