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Marissa laughed softly. “Everything you’re saying sounds wonderful, but you know my son and I are a package deal, right?”
His eyebrows snapped together. “I know.”
“Do you?”
“Of course!”
Shaking her head, Marissa walked away from him. “I don’t think you understand what I’m saying.”
“I don’t think you understand what I’m saying. I’m in love with you, Marissa. I can’t lose you.”
She swung around to face him.
“Yes, I love you,” Bruno confirmed.
“Th-that’s unexpected.”
“It shouldn’t be. You should have expected me to say that. You’ve become an important part of my life in a short time.”
“You told me that you don’t believe in love, and you think marriage is temporary.”
“I know what I said in our first meeting, but my opinion has changed since then.”
“You also said you didn’t want a woman with kids, do you remember that? Has your opinion about single mothers changed, because that was one of your deal breakers.” She had never forgotten what he said, and those words loomed in the back of her mind like a menacing shadow, warning her not to get attached.
“Yes, but?—”
“What am I supposed to think? If you don’t want to be the stepfather to another man’s child, then that’s a problem—for me and Theo. I have to think about him, and how he’ll be treated down the line when you’re tired of playing stepdaddy. I have to protect him. I know about parental hurt and disappointment, and I won’t do anything to cause him pain. He’s excited about new experiences, and I want him to experience as much as possible, but not if he’ll be hurt in the end.”
“You and Theo are part of my life now. If I never saw you and him again, it would kill me,” Bruno grated.
“So you just changed your mind about single mothers all of a sudden?” Marissa asked, skeptical.
“My reason for not wanting to date a woman with children was because I had bad experiences. One woman practically forced me into being her son’s stepfather. You never forced me onto your son. You’ve been careful and protective of him. In the other situation, the father tried to fight me because he accused me of trying to take his place. I have no desire to compete with Chet, but I don’t know if he feels the same way, and that’s something we’ll have to work through. I can’t lose you or Theo. I want both of you in my life.”
Hope fluttered in her chest, but she ruthlessly stifled it. “I’m sorry, Bruno. I’m just not sure.”
“How do you feel about me?” he asked.
“I care about you.”
“Do you love me?”
Marissa bit the inside of her bottom lip. She easily told her brother and her son that she loved them, but saying the same words to Bruno seemed dangerous. She’d made mistakes over the years and at times doubted her own judgment, but maybe—this time—she wouldn’t be making a mistake if she admitted her feelings.
“Yes, I love you. Very much,” she whispered.
“Then marry me.”
“What? I wasn’t trying to give you an ultimatum.”
Bruno moved closer and took her hands in his. “I went to see Arnie. He gave me a reference letter for you, and I paid the damages for the breach of contract. He won’t sue you.”
Her mouth fell open. “You did?”
“Yes, because I went to Executive Match to find a wife, and I found her. Since you enjoy bringing up what I’ve said in the past, you’ve also said you’re not spontaneous, but that’s not true. You were spontaneous when you went to L.A. with me.”
“Somehow you changed my mind.”
