Chapter fifty-two
Luc
Please, baby.
“Y ou don’t love me. You can’t.” It sounds like she’s trying to convince herself more than me.
I take a step forward, resting my hand on her shoulder, and gently turn her around.
“Why not?” I search her face, but she is looking over my shoulder. “Because you think you’re cursed?” I ask, cupping her face. “I’m almost thirty years old, and I know when I’m completely and utterly in love with a woman.” I hold her gaze, willing her to see it, to feel it, and to believe it. She’s been the center of my thoughts, my mind, and my soul from the moment I saw her.
“Rylee.” Her name spills from my lips as my finger tilts her chin up, pulling her gaze to meet mine. “If someone’s cursed here, it’s me.” I lean closer, brushing my forehead lightly against hers. “Cursed to love you whether you feel the same way or not.” Her amber eyes, glistening with unshed tears, hold mine, and I lose myself completely in them. “I can’t function without you. I can’t breathe, can’t think—every part of me feels empty without you.”
Her breath catches, her hands shaking in mine, but she doesn’t pull away. Taking her hand, I guide her toward the couch and slowly ease her down until she’s sitting. My knees hit the ground as I kneel in front of her.
“Talk to me, baby . Please tell me I’m not imagining this.” My chest tightens, and I know this is probably not the right time, but I need to know. “That you feel it, too.” My fingers trace over her knuckles, needing the connection no matter how small it is.
She’s quiet for a moment, my heart pounding in my chest as I wait for her.
A shaky breath escapes her. “I promised myself I would never fall for anyone. Knowing what happens if I do. And I’ve been keeping that promise.” She reaches out to touch my cheeks, her warmth sinking into me and my body melts into her. “Then I met you that summer, and you managed to make a crack in the walls I built. It terrified me, and that’s why I ran.”
As I listen to her, my fingers ache to trace her face, wanting to memorize every curve and every detail.
“Coming back here, I never expected you to be my new boss. I wanted you to hate me, but instead you offered to help me.” She closes her eyes briefly before opening them. “The more I tried to stay away, the more you pulled me in.”
“What do I have to do to deserve your heart?” I bring her hands together and hold them. “Please, tell me. I’ll do anything.” I place her hands over my heart, letting her feel the wild rhythm beneath her palm. “If you give me the chance, I promise your heart will always be safe with me.”
My head falls onto her lap, and my arms wrap tightly around her waist. I can’t lose her—not again, not ever.
Tears trail down my face, and I don’t wipe them away; I let them fall, let her see. Let her know how much this hurts. Let her know how much she matters to me.
“Please, baby, let me love you.”
My eyes lift to meet hers. Her pupils widen, her lashes damp with her own tears. The little dark spots in her irises dance around, as if she’s studying me.
“I need a little more time,” she whispers through her breaking sobs. “Time to process everything.”
“It’s okay.” I press a soft kiss to her thigh, lingering even though she can’t feel it through the fabric of her pants. “Bertrand will take you home. I’m staying here in Paris to take care of some things.”
“Home?” Her eyes search mine.
I push to my feet, my hands finding hers as I help her stand. “Yes. He’s taking you to the mansion—your new home. And it will stay that way, no matter what you decide.”
“Luc…” she starts, ready to argue.
“I’ll see you in a few days.” I lean in and press my lips softly against her forehead. Her breath catches, holding for a second as if she’s afraid to exhale.
When I pull away, her eyes remain closed. I stare at her, drinking her in, the curve of her cheek, the fullness of her lips, the way her hair falls over her shoulders. I didn’t even know it was possible to love someone this much—so completely that it physically hurts.
Her eyes slowly open, locking with mine.
“Please text me when you get there,” I tell her before I force myself to let her go. If I don’t, I might do something reckless, like kissing her until there’s no air left between us. Or pinning her against the desk and fucking all the doubts out of her, until she has no choice but to believe how much I love her. That she’s mine.
But she needs to see it on her own. She has to choose me for herself.
I lean back against the desk as she grabs her purse. She pauses at the door, glancing at me one last time before pulling it open.
As the door closes behind her, I lean forward, gripping the edge of the desk to steady myself. I can only hope that when I see her again, she’ll finally believe how much I love her. I don’t know what I’ll do if she doesn’t.