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Roman Garner was actually here. In Genoa. Standing in front of her. Two weeks after dumping her in the most humiliating way imaginable. He’d even bought the gallery where she was about to have her first show? Why? To take that away from her too?
But she could not begin to figure out the logic of that development, because she couldn’t get past the outrage of what he had just said to her.
That he wanted her back?
‘How dare you...?’ she murmured as fury rushed in to fill the vicious vacuum that had opened up inside her the night he had discarded her so callously.
She welcomed the anger in, to chase away the humiliation that still lingered, and the brutal pain.
She fisted her fingers, the urge to slap his handsome face—when she’d never hit anyone before in her entire life—so strong she had to stuff her fists into her pockets to contain it.
He shoved his own hands into his suit trousers. And seemed to brace, before sending her a pained look.
‘How dare I what, Milly?’ he asked gravely, but the strain on his face didn’t fool her for a second. ‘Perhaps you should get it all off your chest.’
‘Get it off my...!’ she snapped, incredulous.
Was he actually serious, right now? Did he really need to have the crummy way he’d treated her spelled out to him?
She spun around, paced to the end of the office and back again, so furious with him, and herself, she couldn’t even speak. How could she still want him, how could she still hurt this much, after the way he had treated her? It was beyond pathetic.
But when she walked back to him, and he still stood there, patiently waiting, she let it rip, the words spewing out on a tidal wave of rage and pain and heartache.
‘Howdareyou think you can kiss me again? Howdareyou think you can ask me to come back to you? To dowhatexactly? Break my heart a second time?’
He flinched at that, but didn’t look away. Which was something. But not enough. Not nearly enough.
‘You made me feel so small, so insignificant that night. I understood you were hurting, and maybe I shouldn’t have burdened you with my feelings when you were dealing with so much else, but there was no need for you to be so cruel. When a simple “I don’t love you back, Milly,” would have sufficed.’
‘But I...’ he began.
Her palm shot up, to cut him off.
‘Shut up. I’m talking now.’ She gathered in another ragged breath and charged on. ‘I told you I loved you, that I trusted you, even though you lied to me about your connection to Brandon, and you accused me of being some naïve little girl who couldn’t possibly know her own mind. And then you added insult to injury by making me climax for you... You... You used our...our...’ She paused, the brutal tears overwhelming her again.
She scrubbed her cheeks dry, ignoring the choking sensation in her throat, determined to get every single miserable thing she’d dwelled on and cried over for a fortnight right off her chest and shove it onto his.
‘You made our chemistry, and my body’s reaction to you, into a bad thing. Like that proved what a romantic fool I was. You made me doubt myself. And you tried to destroy my confidence.’ She lifted her fists out of her pockets and slammed them onto her hips. The power returned to fill up the huge holes in her heart, at least some of the way.
A part of her knew she would never be over him. He’d been her first lover, and she would never be able to replicate the adrenaline rush of those two magical weeks. But at least now he knew she wasn’t a complete pushover, and that felt important.
‘But you know what?’ she said. ‘It didn’t work. I know who I am. I’m not naïve. I do love you. But I am also worthy of love in return. So, if you think you can just snap your fingers and I’ll bewilling to jump back into your bed for more of the same... The answer is no!’
She stood shaking, and exhausted. And still sad. But somehow she knew... Even if she never stopped loving him, she would be okay.
But then he ruined it all, when the heat and longing she adored flared in his eyes, and he murmured: ‘Damn it, Milly, you are absolutely magnificent. No wonder I love you so much.’
‘Wh-what...?’she gasped, her tired body reverberating with shock. And hope. Which was the cruellest trick of all.
But then he made things even worse, by sinking onto his knees, banding strong arms around her hips, burying his cheek against her midriff.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said, his voice rough with regret. ‘For all the crap I threw at you that night.’ He looked up at her, the sheen of emotion in his eyes stunning her even more. And making the bubble expand against her ribs. ‘But I can do better.’
He hugged her tighter, as if he would never let her go.
‘Whatever you need me to do, I’ll do it...’ He groaned. ‘I’ve already grovelled to Cade and Lacey so I’m pretty sure nothing you can make me do could be worse than that.’ The rueful, self-deprecating smile was impossibly appealing. ‘But you said you still loved me, right?’ he continued, the hope in his expression matching the cruel bubble still wedged against her heart. ‘So, please will you give me a chance to make this right?’
She lifted her arms, her whole body trembling.
