My heart started to race once I heard her confession. The sting of rejection left my body and was replaced with genuine happiness. “No, it wasn’t obvious.”
“Asking to marry you wasn’t obvious?”
“I thought you were just looking for protection.”
“I was. But I was also looking for a piece of you for the rest of my life…even if I had to share you. Luca loves you so much, and I don’t want him to lose you. You’re an incredible role model for him, and you’re a dream man, the kind of man who only exists in made-up stories.” She inched closer to me, her hair trailing along my skin. “Of course I love you, Carter. I just didn’t think you would ever love me…”
My hand tucked her beautiful hair behind her ear, and I leaned in and kissed her on the mouth. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. That was the first thought that popped into my head when I laid eyes on you. Then when you jumped out of my car…I thought you were the bravest woman I’ve ever seen. Even when the odds were stacked against you, you never gave up. That’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. It doesn’t matter if I was in a better position than you were. You proved just how powerful and strong you are. You’re an inspiration…to everyone.” I didn’t see her as a victim of rape and torture. I saw her as someone who overcame every obstacle that came her way. I saw her as a light in the darkness, a burning candle that refused to flicker out in the wind. “I’m the luckiest man in the world if you think I’m good enough for you.”
Instantly, her eyes watered, the light reflecting off the pools of moisture in her eyes. The second she blinked, the tears cascaded down like two small waterfalls. “That’s…the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”
I wiped away a tear with my thumb. “I mean it, sweetheart.”
She wiped away the tears from her other cheek. “I’ve been through so much. I’ve known depression so intimately that suicide seemed like a dream. If I didn’t have my son, I would have taken my life a long time ago. Now that I have you…it seems like God is rewarding me for not giving up. He’s given me a second chance at life. He’s making up for all the horrible things I had to suffer through. It’s more than I ever could have asked for, to be loved by a man like you. You don’t think less of me for what I’ve been through…”
“Never.” I kept brushing the hair from her face, doing my best not to get emotional at the sight of her tears.
“You saved my life. You saved my son.”
“Best decision I’ve ever made.”
“You’ve restored my faith in people. I’d only been exposed to assholes, and then I met you and your family…and I see there are good men out there. There is hope in this world. There is love. And if you’d never shown that to me, I don’t know what kind of example I could have been to Luca since my spirit had been crushed. But you’ve given me new life.”
She’d never said those things to me before, so I didn’t understand the depth of her gratitude. I’d always known she was grateful, but these confessions were on a much deeper level. “It makes me happy that you’re happy.”
“I’m so happy, Carter. I want to be with you forever. I want to stay by your side as long as I live. I’ve been in the real world, and I know what’s out there…nothing but cruelty. This is the first time I’ve ever felt like I’ve been home. You’ve given us something no one else ever could…not even me. It’s a dream come true…being loved by you.”
I knew most women wanted me for my money and the security I could provide for them. They wanted fancy cars, expensive jewelry, and the best seats at the opera. They were impressed by my wealth, not the man underneath the suit. But Mia loved me for my other traits, for my kindness, gentleness, and bravery. She loved me for being good to her son, for saving her from the cruel man who tortured her. Now she was indebted to me forever, looked up to me like I was a god. She loved me because of everything we’d been through together.
That made me love her more. “Sweetheart.” I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her closer to me, so our faces were just inches apart. “Marry me. Let me be your husband. Let me be a father to Luca. Let me be everything to you…since you’re everything to me.” She deserved a real proposal, not a quick conversation in the kitchen when her son was in the other room. She deserved something deeper than that, to know I loved her.