Mr. Dunsmore frowned, clearly not liking my rebuff. "I hope this means that your marriage is back on track." He gave Amelia a pointed look. "Remember what I said, Amelia. Make this work."
I stepped back so that her father could leave her townhome. Once again, he put on a smarmy smile. "I look forward to getting to know my son-in-law."
I ignored him, stepping back into Amelia's doorway as her father walked away.
She looked up at me, and I couldn't tell what she was thinking or feeling. Fear and doubt filled my chest, but I knew I couldn't give into it. If she decided she didn't want me, I would have to accept that. Considering how I treated her, I wouldn't be able to blame her.
She stepped back into her home, and when she didn't slam the door in my face, I followed her in, shutting the door behind me.
"Are you okay?" I should have asked that first thing.
Her chin was lifted as if she was being strong, but she still looked shaky. I wanted to reach out to gather her close and tell her that I never wanted to let her go.
"I think I am now. What are you doing here?"
I opened my mouth to answer, but then a knock came on her door. I strode over, yanking it open, ready to give her father a piece of my mind. Instead, her brother pushed past me, heading straight toward her, followed by Dax and a few other men.
"You were fucking brilliant," James said, hugging his sister, filling me with envy that I wasn't the one comforting her. But then he turned to me. "What the fuck are you doing here?"
It occurred to me that while I had been able to figure out that James and Amelia had hired Saint Security to help them deal with Amelia's father, they hadn't realized that I had done so as well. But of course, that wasn't why I was here.
I stood in Amelia's living room with her brother glaring at me while Dax and his men worked to pack up the cameras and listening devices. I wasn't a man to reveal his innermost feelings to himself, much less to a room full of people, but I couldn't wait any longer. Amelia needed to know everything that was in my heart.
I sucked in a breath, praying for the courage I needed. "I love you, Amelia." Maybe I should have started with an apology for how I treated her, but in the end, I led with the thing that was the most important.
Her breath hitched and her eyes widened. James’s eyes narrowed further, as if he didn't believe me. Dax and his men were in my periphery, so I didn't know what their expressions were, but they didn't say anything.
I swallowed. "I was probably in love with you from the moment you tried to take my car at the airport."
Her lips twitched upward slightly, enough to give me hope and ease the tightness in my chest. It gave me the courage I needed to continue on. "Waking up married that morning scared the shit out of me.”
The hint of her smile faltered, so I hurriedly spoke on, "But your brother was right, there was a reason I dragged my feet in this annulment. I knew that when it went through, I wouldn't see you again, and I couldn't stand that."
To be honest, opening my heart wasn't getting any easier the more I talked, but I continued on. "I haven't had success with women in the past. And when I heard you and your father talking, I assumed the worst because that had been my experience. I'd finally recognized that I was in love with you, and then I heard a conversation that made me believe I was being conned. Again."
She sniffed, and I wished to hell I knew whether her tears were of sadness or hope. What did she think about what I was saying?
"You were being conned, but not by me."
I nodded. "I know that now. I should have known then, but... " I looked down because I didn't know how to explain the way my pride and fear had shut me down, had shut her out.
Instead, I said, "I don't know how you feel about me—"
"I love you too, Max."
I opened my mouth to continue my train of thought, but then her words finally seeped into my brain. "You do?"
She smiled and walked toward me. "I do. Probably from the time I tried to steal your car from you."
I smiled as love and happiness inflated my chest. I looked at her brother and to Dax and his men, sure that I had the goofiest grin, but I didn't care.
When I finally looked back at her, I pressed my hand to her cheek. "I'm so sorry about the things I said and did. I hope you'll forgive me and give me a chance." I dipped forward, pressing my lips to hers.
Someone cleared their throat.
"So now that you're going steady, can we get to the business at hand?" her brother interrupted.
I kept my gaze on Amelia's as I straightened. "Okay."