Page 52 of Wicked Heat

“Words I’d take back if I could, but I can’t. So, that leaves me with two choices.”

“Which are?” she whispered, scared to death to hope.

“I can stay the course, or I can change. I can remain a closed-off, narcissistic, self-serving asshole, or I can open myself up to be the man I want to be—a man not quite so Baggett-like as my father would have preferred.”

Change the course.A spark of hope flared in her heart and burned hot. “Why?”

“Because I’m still Baggett enough to do whatever is necessary to achieve the desired outcome. But a smart woman showed me that vulnerability is actually strength manifest. It takes a brutally strong person to put themselves out there, knowing they could be hurt, and yet still take the risk in pursuit of the reward.”

“Sounds like a smart woman.”

“She is. Smart, funny, loyal, brilliant, creative, sexy as hell. I could go on if you’d like.”

She shook her head, the movement minute. “No. What I mean is, why now, Liam? Why me?”

“Jenna asked me the most profound question. ‘If she walks out of your life, will you be a better man, Liam, or will you be a broken man?’”

Ella waited, not sure where Liam was going with the question. She knew—God help her, sheknew—what she wanted, needed, to hear from Liam. But she wasn’t going to put herself out there, refused to offer even a single word of encouragement that might change his authentic answer, the answer he had to come up with on his own if it was going to matter.

“I will be a broken man if you leave this island without me, Ella. I don’t know how we’ll make it work. But I know with absolute certainty that there is no obstacle so insurmountable that I can’t conquer it with you.”

Withher. Notforher. “Sounds like a pretty intense partnership,” she said quietly.

“I can only hope.” He held out a hand. “I’m far from perfect. I’ll make missteps. I’ll stumble. I’ll be an asshole of ridiculous proportions more often than not...but only until you’ve polished my roughest edges and helped me shape my vulnerability into strength.”

She took his hand, and he pulled her to her feet.

“You are the only woman who has ever made me believe in love, Ella Montgomery.”

“May it always be so.” She smiled. “Unless we have daughters.”

His eyes went comically wide. “God save us all. I botched up having a little sister. Any daughter would be doomed...save for the fact she’d have you as her mother.”

“Is she staying or going?” someone asked in a stage whisper. “I’m going to miss my connecting flight if she doesn’t choose quickly.”

Liam looked down at her. “What will it be, Ms. Montgomery? Will you stay?”

Ella took his face in her hands, rose to tiptoe and kissed the man who had won her heart.

Liam pulled her into a fierce hug. “Captain,” he called out, “file your flight plan with one change. Your passenger count is minus one.”