‘Aidan, that’s perfectly understandable after what he did to your family, but—’
He kissed her and Cara was so shocked that when he finally raised his head all she could do was stare at him mutely. ‘Stop interrupting me, woman.’
‘Okay.’
‘And you were right about the fact that when you fall in love, really in love, you want to be with that person all the time. For the rest of your life, in fact.’
Cara’s heart fluttered inside her chest like a bird flexing its wings for the first time. ‘Did I say that?’
‘Yes. And I’m hoping that’s the way you feel about me.’
‘Why would you hope that?’
‘Because I think you’re wonderful and I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.’
Cara swallowed. ‘You … love me?’ She almost couldn’t voice the word it sounded so surreal to her ears. ‘You think I’m wonderful?’
Aidan grinned. ‘Completely.’
Cara shook her head, not sure she wasn’t dreaming. Hope warred with her deep-seated uncertainty and she couldn’t think straight. It didn’t help that he was holding her around the waist but when she tried to step back he held her fast.
‘Sorry, sweetheart, I’m not letting you close yourself off from me again. Tell me what’s wrong.’
Cara felt tears sting the backs of her eyes. ‘You say all that to me now, but what about when I don’t think before I act? What about when I hijacked your car—?’
‘Borrowed,’ he corrected.
She looked at him. ‘I’m too impulsive for you. My life isn’t as well planned out as yours. My reputation—’
‘Cara, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that when I’m with you I’m happy. When I look at your face I want to kiss you. When I hear your voice I want to listen to you. What matters is that without you my life is grey. You’re the colour I didn’t think I had time for and if I have a choice I don’t want to go back to that. I need you, Cara, and I want to make you happy.’
‘Really? Oh, Aidan.’ Finally, Cara threw her arms around his neck. ‘I can’t believe it. I love you so much.’
‘Thank God.’ Aidan crushed her lips beneath his and neither one came up for air for a long time.
When Aidan finally lifted his head he smoothed her hair back from her face. ‘I love you, Cara, and I’m sorry I hurt you yesterday. I’m sorry I didn’t see what was right in front of my face. I’m sorry it took nearly losing you to see what I needed to see.’
‘It’s fine, Aidan.’ Cara kissed the corner of his mouth. ‘I won’t ever leave you again. But you do know you still owe me a thousand pounds for breaking my shoes.’
Aidan threw back his head and laughed. ‘You’ll have to marry me to get that, doll face.’
Cara grinned. ‘I did really love those shoes….’
Aidan slipped his hand around to the nape of her neck and tilted her face up to his for another searing kiss. ‘And I love you. For ever.’
Cara’s lip trembled and a tear slipped over the edge of her lash. Aidan groaned and whipped out a tissue.
Cara smiled as she took it and finally she knew that if there was one man’s love she could always count on, it was this man’s.