LITMIR.BIZ

       CHAPTER SIXTEEN

      DAMON was waiting for her in their bedroom when she came in from settling Emily back down. He unfolded himself from the chair he’d been sitting on and came to stand in front of her.

      ‘Charlotte, I meant what I said in front of Emily. I meant every word.’

      She stood uncertainly before him, her eyes skittering away from his. ‘Thank you…’

      He pushed a hand through his hair, which by its disordered state seemed to suggest he had been doing little else for the whole time she had been tucking Emily back into bed. His expression looked pained, as if he was having some trouble formulating what he was about to say.

      ‘I think it is time for us to have a discussion about our future,’ he said. ‘We cannot continue with this animosity between us. It is affecting Emily. This bed-wetting episode is an indicator of how much she needs us to learn to love and respect each other.’

      ‘Damon, I—’

      ‘No,’ he said, cutting her off. ‘Please let me continue. I have been rehearsing this for the last few minutes, ever since I realised that I still love you.’

      Charlotte blinked at him, wondering if she’d heard him correctly. ‘What did you say?’

      He gave her a rueful smile. ‘I love you, Charlotte. I think it is quite possible I have loved you from the first moment I met you, but back then I was too proud to admit it. I had responsibilities and expectations on me. I could not see any way out of them. When the sculptures were found in your bag and room at the hostel it gave me an out. It gave me a perfect excuse to bring our relationship to an end, even though I really did not want to let you go. But I felt I had to in order to do the right thing by my family. I let my anger blind me to the very real possibility that someone else was responsible for those thefts, someone much closer to home.’

      Charlotte unconsciously held her breath.

      ‘You see, Charlotte,’ he continued, ‘you were the one person who was jeopardising my future, or so someone close to me thought. I am surprised I did not see it earlier, but it was something you said the other night that made me realise how far some people will go to protect those they love. You, for instance, were prepared to agree to my insulting demands of you in order to protect your sister and Emily. It made me realise that my sister could very well have done the same. She desperately wanted Iona to be her sister-in-law. She talked of it a great deal, even up until the time she died, begging me to marry her best friend, even though as time went on I could see it was not what Iona wanted. And, coward that I was, I did not have the heart to tell Eleni it was not what I wanted either. I let her die thinking I was going to do as she had hoped. Of course, knowing Iona as I do, she would have been reluctant to dash Eleni’s hopes as well, especially when we all knew Eleni’s time was limited. I suspect Iona too allowed my sister to maintain her dream to the very last.’

      ‘Does your mother know about any of this?’ she asked.

      ‘I have not wanted to taint her memories of Eleni,’ he confessed. ‘But sometimes I wonder if she has come to the same conclusion I have.’

      ‘Which is?’

      He reached for her hands and held them within the warmth and strength of his, his dark eyes glistening with moisture, his voice rough with emotion. ‘I was a fool to let you go four years ago. I should have fought to clear your name. You are incapable of such a betrayal of trust. You are loyal and loving to all who come into your life. The way you love your sister in spite of what she has done shames me. Your belief in her is unshakable. I would have given up long ago, but instead each time she let you down you found new reserves inside yourself to forgive. I can only hope in time you will find it in yourself to forgive me.’

      ‘I told you just a short time ago that I forgave you years ago,’ she said with a tiny catch in her voice. ‘Didn’t you believe me?’

      His eyes glistened even more and his throat moved up and down as he fought for control. ‘This is four years too late, agape mou, but yes, I do believe you.’

      Charlotte couldn’t control the tears spilling from her eyes. ‘I love you so much,’ she choked as she clung to him. ‘There wasn’t a day while we were apart that I didn’t think of you.’

      ‘I thought of you too,’ he said. ‘That is why, when the museum contacted me about the exhibition, I felt it was too good a chance to miss. I just wanted to see you again, to make absolutely sure you were as guilty as I had thought. Seeing you that night made me realise my attraction for you had not gone away. Your response to me made me determined to have you again. Of course, when your sister stole my wallet and I later found it in your bag, I immediately assumed you were up to your old tricks again. I was ruthlessly determined to have my revenge.’

      ‘I was so torn,’ she said, looking up at him. ‘I wanted to protect Stacey so she could get the help she needed, but I was terrified if you found out about Emily you would take her away from me.’

      His expression clouded with remorse. ‘I am ashamed of what I threatened,’ he said. ‘You are the most wonderful mother to our little daughter. It would have been nothing short of cruelty to separate her from you or you from her. We are a family now.’

      ‘A family…’ Charlotte breathed the words in wonder.

      ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘You and me and Emily—the three of us. For now.’

      Her blue eyes twinkled up at him. ‘For now?’

      He gave her a dangerously sexy smile as he brought his mouth close to hers. ‘Give me time, agape mou. It takes time to build a family.’

      ‘Take all the time you want,’ Charlotte said on a breathless little sigh as his mouth finally claimed hers.