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'Of course.' Her indifferent nod annoyed him as much as her clipped response.
'Unfinished business.' Unable to control himself, he crossed the room in four strides, hauled her into his arms, and kissed her.
She struggled for a moment before melting into him, a perfect fit as always, and he growled, a possessive sound ripped from deep within.
'Don't.' She shoved him away and he stepped back, giving her space while the old familiar need to have her clawed at him, demanding as always.
'Don't what? Give you this?' He reached into his breast pocket, pulled out her wedding band, and, grasping her hand, held her fingers open before he dropped it into her palm. 'You left it behind, though for the life of me I can't figure out why.'
Her mouth opened and closed in a fair imitation of a goldfish, and he curled her fingers over the ring before releasing her, not trusting himself to touch her one moment longer without hauling her back into his arms.
'Last thing I knew, you wanted this marriage to work. Sure, you wanted to head back here, but I thought we'd figure out logistics.'
He ran a hand through his hair, rattled by her distant expression, as if she'd closed off emotionally. 'Instead, you bolt before we can say a proper goodbye, leaving your ring behind, which begs the question. Do you want out of this marriage?'
A taut silence stretched, grew, before she finally raised her gaze to his, and what he saw blew his mind: the glimmer of defeat reflected in the shimmer of tears.
'Hell, Red, I didn't mean to—'
'It's okay, I should've told you…' Her words hitched on a sob and he folded her into his arms, powerless to do anything but hold her while the woman he'd seen defiant, sassy, and brave, cried.
Even when he'd callously shoved her away ten years earlier she hadn't shed a single tear and he'd admired her for it. Now, as the floodgates opened and she clung to him, her tears drenching his shirt, the tiny crack in his heart that had opened the moment he'd found that wedding band lying forlornly on the table widened and he knew he could never repair it again.
Desperate to deflect her tears, he said, 'So are you going to help me transform this place into a FantaSea hotel or what?'
Her sobs petered out as she sniffled and swiped at her eyes before raising her head. 'You're really going to convert this place into a hotel?'
'Uh-huh. But I'll need the undivided attention of Sell's Managing Director to help me do it.'
'For how long?'
'A lifetime.'
Her eyes widened as she gnawed on her deliciously plump lower lip. 'Are you—?'
'I'm saying I love you and I want this marriage to work, Red. I would've been here sooner but I had to clear up urgent business so I can spend as long as it takes here in London. With you.'
He grabbed her hands and held them splayed against his chest, directly over his heart beating wildly for her, only her. 'It's what I wanted to say to you the morning you ran out. I'll do whatever it takes to make our marriage work, to show you how much I love you.'
Her lower lip wobbled and he shook his head. 'Oh, no, you don't.'
He kissed her, slowly, tenderly, infusing every ounce of his love for this incredible woman into it, hoping she could feel one-tenth of his love for her.
To his horror, she broke the kiss, wrenched out of his embrace, and backed away, her gaze firmly fixed on her shoes.
'Red?'
When she finally met his gaze, her anguish gutted him. 'There's so much I haven't told you.'
'Try me.'
Taking a step towards her before thinking better of it, he held his hands out to her, palm up. 'There's nothing you could tell me that would change how I feel about you.'
Britt swallowed a sob.
She couldn't comprehend Nick was here let alone absorb the impact of his words.
He loved her.
