CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
‘T HAT PACKAGE HAS ARRIVED .’ Bethan glanced up as Elodie walked in. ‘I’ve put it in the room we’ve stripped out.’
‘Really?’ Elodie frowned. ‘It’s that big?’
‘Uh...yeah.’ Bethan followed her, oddly fidgety for someone generally serene.
Elodie walked into the room they’d prepped for a new escape scenario. It was completely empty save for one thing.
‘Welcome to my escape room.’ He spread his hands.
She heard the door close behind her but she was too busy staring at him to have the nous to move. Ramon didn’t have the decency to look even slightly unhappy or unkempt; in fact she’d never seen him look as handsome. He was clean-shaven, his hair neatly trimmed, and his suit showcased his tall, muscular frame to bone-melting perfection. She was suddenly, horribly conscious that this morning she’d decided to rot in bed for the day and it was only because Bethan had phoned to tell her about a delivery that she’d bothered to come in. She’d thrown on a ratty pair of jeans, too depressed to make much effort when she planned to be in the back office and not see anyone all day.
‘Bethan!’ She called for her friend to come back and unlock the door.
But she knew Bethan was still a romantic, despite being devastated by that Greek jerk she’d married, and doubtless thought she was helping .
‘It’s not locked,’ Ramon said. ‘You can walk out of here any time you like. But I hope you won’t. Yet.’
‘It’s hardly an escape room then, is it,’ she said stiffly, glancing anywhere but at him. ‘There’s at least a narrative. Some clues. A puzzle to solve. There’s literally nothing in here.’
‘There’s me. And you.’
No puzzle. Only pain.
‘Apparently this is my building now, and I’d like you to leave.’
‘Is this another instance where the opposite is true?’ he challenged softly. ‘The opposite was true of a lot of what you let me believe.’
She closed her eyes. It was too late for this. ‘Ramon... I don’t want to hurt any more.’
It hurt to look at him. It hurt to hear him. It hurt to hold everything in.
‘You know we need to talk.’ He moved a step nearer.
‘You could have just phoned.’
‘Would you have answered?’ His mouth twisted. ‘I couldn’t take the risk. And hopefully you’ll find it harder to refuse me in person.’
‘You arrogant—’
‘I find it impossible to think when I’m with you. Which gives you the upper hand completely, by the way. And unfortunately I needed time to think and realise the blindingly obvious. So can you please be patient—’
‘Patient? I wrote to you over a week ago and there’s been nothing.’ She’d been crying herself to sleep every night and she was sick of it.
‘Wrote me what?’ He frowned. ‘I never got a letter. Was it a letter? When? Where did you send it to?’
Her legs emptied of strength. ‘I put it through your door.’
‘I didn’t get it. I swear.’ He cocked his head and stared hard at her as if trying to read her mind. ‘What did it say?’
‘That I’m regarding your purchase of the business as a loan. I’m going to pay you back.’ She locked her knees to stop herself from shaking.
‘Oh.’ His face fell.
‘I don’t want your help. Or your charity or anything. It might take me decades but I’m paying you back.’
‘You don’t want anything from me at all.’ He turned ashen.
‘I want plenty . Just not that,’ she mumbled. ‘There was more in the letter.’
More than she wanted to have to say . But she was going to. Just as soon as she got her thundering heart under control so she could hear herself think.
‘You know when you appeared at my home that afternoon, all fierce outrage, I seized whatever excuse I could to get close to you,’ he said. ‘And I ran with it—far further than I intended, further than maybe I should have. But I don’t regret it. I can’t. I only regret letting you go. I never should have let you go.’
She still couldn’t hear herself think. Because she couldn’t think. She could only stare at him.
‘It never occurred to me that you wouldn’t stand up to anyone else the way you stand up to me. You’ve never been afraid to challenge me, Elodie. It’s always been like that with us and I never want you to change. But when it came to it the other night, you backed off.’
Because she hadn’t always been bold. She hadn’t challenged any man the way she’d challenged Ramon. She’d not got close enough to any—all that was a facade. She’d built confidence in fronting the escape room and she’d taken that persona to confront him that day in London. But then he’d made her spark even more. There’d been something about only him that night. Animal magnetism had made her reckless and she’d reaped the rewards of their chemistry.
She ached for more of that now. But there was so much more to them now.
‘It took a lot to get out of your father’s control,’ Ramon said huskily. ‘Then Callum’s control. It took a lot for you to build an independent life. A good life. You were worried I’d be controlling too. Control is a thing for us both.’ He shook his head at her sadly. ‘But the only person I’ll ever try to control is myself. Never you. But I do want to be with you. Watch you—working, dancing, laughing, doing the things you love—going all in with full dramatic flair.’
‘I do want to be with you.’
That was the bit she heard. The bit she needed for that final notch of belief.
‘From the second I first saw you, you pushed all my buttons. I wanted to be a worthy adversary,’ she admitted softly. ‘I thought if I could hold my own against you, I could do anything. Handle anyone. That would mean that I was finally there .’ She blinked rapidly to stop the tears that were rising. ‘You were the most powerful man I’d ever met and I wanted to get the better of you but the thing is, I’m better because of you. When you’re alongside me, I’m brave. I can even jump off a cliff. You made me believe I could do anything.’
‘Except trust me with your truth.’ He looked so sad.
‘I should have told you everything sooner, but I didn’t think you really wanted to know.’
‘Part of me didn’t.’ He spread his hands. ‘I wanted to pretend this was something so much smaller than what it is. I didn’t want to face the reality of how deeply I’d fallen—how much you meant to me.’
‘You deny yourself too much,’ she whispered. ‘The sweet things. The fun.’
‘I certainly tried to deny the truth of how I felt about you.’ He took another step towards her. ‘You’re a sweetheart, Elodie, and I know the choices you made always come from good intentions, but I hadn’t shown you—or told you—that I’m here for you. That I’m here for when you’re ready to talk to me. I know you weren’t ready the other night and I reacted badly. I’m so deeply sorry about that.’
She bit her lip. ‘You wouldn’t have married me if you’d known from the start. I did what I thought I had to do.’
‘To protect Ashleigh,’ he said.
‘Not only that. But to get what I wanted,’ she whispered. ‘I wanted an affair with you and that was the only way you’d let it happen. You wouldn’t have even suggested it if you’d known. You’d have thought I wasn’t up to it.’
‘I don’t think I could have resisted, actually. I can’t resist you at all.’ He reached out and brushed back a strand of her hair. ‘You teased me. You were vexing. And you were right. I’ve been locked away and you shocked a huge part of me back to life. You’re loyal, Elodie. Loyal and loving but you should also have fun. So should I.’ He smiled at her. ‘ You’re my sweet thing. You’re my fun. You’re everything I want—’
‘Don’t—’
‘Be honest with you?’ He crowded in and cradled her face in his hands. ‘Be really, truly honest with you? Don’t you want to believe me?’ he whispered. ‘I’d get on my knees if I thought that’s what you wanted. But I think you want something else. So I’ll be at your side, I’ll have your six, and I’ll go toe to toe when you want me to challenge you head-on.’
It was what she wanted. Everything she wanted from him.
‘I’m here for you, carino .’ He leaned close, touching the tip of her nose with his. ‘Right here. Because I love you.’
‘You’re the sun in my universe, Ramon, but I got burned.’
‘Then let me kiss it better.’ He folded her into his arms and pressed her body to the length of his. ‘I’ve missed you. I need you. I want you back.’
She closed her eyes and let him take her weight completely. His arms tightened even more and it was heaven .
‘You thrill me,’ she muttered against his chest. ‘I just want you more and more. I fell in lust with you instantly even though you were arrogant and annoying, I just wanted you on a cellular level because you challenged me in every way. You’re different to anyone I’d ever met and I’m every bit as greedy as you once thought me,’ she said. ‘But not for money. Not even lust. Well, not just lust. It’s you . I couldn’t stop myself from going for every moment I could get with you. From getting as close to you as possible. And it was so good I was scared of losing it. So I stayed silent. I’m sorry.’ She pushed so she could look up into his eyes even though tears half blinded her. ‘I’m really sorry.’
He shook his head and kissed her as he answered. ‘You’ve nothing to be sorry for.’
‘Please take me home,’ she whispered.
Which is how, only a few minutes after nine in the morning, Elodie abandoned her work for the day. Bethan smiled but said nothing. Piotr actually smiled too as he opened the car door for them, but he also said nothing.
Ramon too was silent as they were driven home, and if anything he looked more anxious than the moment she’d seen him waiting for her in that empty room. She felt his deep breathing and realised he was exercising restraint.
The moment they got inside he crushed her to him again and tremors wracked his strong body. ‘I was scared you’d never be here with me again.’
He stepped back only to scoop her into his arms.
‘Not the guest suite,’ she teased, delighted when an amused smile cracked his strained expression.
‘Never.’ He set her down and stared at her in wonder. ‘I’ve been a wreck without you.’
‘You don’t look a wreck.’ She pressed her hand on his jaw, appreciating the close shave that displayed his angular features.
‘I wanted to make an effort for you. But while I might be okay on the outside, I’m a mess in the middle.’
‘Could’ve given me a heads-up so I could have dressed for you.’ She gestured at her old jeans. ‘I’m just a mess.’
‘You’re always beautiful.’ That wicked smile creased the corners of his eyes and he slipped the shirt over her head. ‘However you are.’
‘Yeah? I still think I should get out of these old jeans.’
He laughed. ‘I’ve got a three-piece suit to get off. Cufflinks .’ He shuddered. ‘I don’t know what I was thinking.’
‘I’ll help.’
But his clothes were too well made to be torn despite frantic attempts, stifled swearwords, laughter and groans. In the end they were still half dressed when the desperate drive to reconnect overtook them. They tumbled to the bed and the relief of holding him, of being held, overwhelmed her.
‘I’ve missed you so much.’ He kissed away her tears. ‘I need you carino . I love you. I want you now and always.’
She could feel his intensity. Knew he meant it. But he wasn’t making another move.
‘Then touch me,’ she whispered as her heart filled. ‘Because I feel everything with you and it’s so good.’
‘Yes.’
Eventually they wriggled out of those last items of clothing and cuddled close. It was going to be another delicious day in his bed. Elodie’s very favourite kind of day.
‘I know you’re going to be busy with the escape rooms, but do you think you might travel with me sometimes? I know it’s a lot, I’ll try to reduce it,’ Ramon muttered idly. ‘I hate being apart from you.’
‘Yes.’ She snuggled closer. ‘Same.’
‘I’m bringing Jose Ramon onboard.’
She propped her chin on his chest to look at his face. ‘You are?’
‘He says that’s what he really wants. Cristina has agreed. I think she might back off him a bit actually. He and I might be able to move forward.’
‘That’s good.’ She smoothed his frown. ‘You guys share a father, but you’re each your own person. Not carbon copies of him.’
‘Yeah, I know I’m not like him now. Never will be.’ He ran his hand down her arm. ‘We’re going to leave the island as a conservation project and for private family use only. All the family. I guess we’ll use a booking system. Oh.’ He suddenly slid out of the bed. ‘Forgot something.’ He tousled his hair as he padded away from the bed. ‘ Two things.’
He returned in only a few minutes holding her envelope. She sat up as he ripped it open and skim-read her neatly typed promise to repay him for the business and the building.
‘No.’ He tossed that page over his shoulder with a dramatic flourish.
Elodie summoned courage as he paused over the handwritten page she’d included beneath the promissory note. ‘You don’t need to read that. I’m brave enough to say it to your face.’
‘I want to read it. You wrote it for me.’ He flashed the page towards her. ‘You even drew a code.’
‘Yeah, but I don’t have to hide the truth in a pile of clues for you to decipher now.’ She smiled tremulously. ‘I want to be with you. I want to trust you. I love you.’
‘I’m so glad.’ He lifted his other hand and unfurled his fist.
Her ruby engagement ring glittered in his palm. Her eyes watered. ‘It’s not artificially grown, is it?’
‘No.’ He smiled tenderly. ‘It’s the real thing. This is the real thing.’
He’d also retrieved her wedding band, and as he slid them both back on her finger she saw he still wore his.
‘I couldn’t take it off,’ he said quietly when she touched it. ‘There’s nothing fake about my feelings for you. Nothing fake about our marriage.’
‘So we’re not getting divorced?’ she breathed.
‘Never.’ He nudged her shoulder. ‘You’re stuck with me.’
She pulled him down and pressed her mouth to his with a laughing sob. ‘I should think so!’