I nod. “And has it? Has it made anything easier? I just had to touch you in my office and you were like putty in my hands. I know you feel this connection, Harleigh. Why run away from it?”
She shrugs and tears roll down her cheek. I let go of her foot and pull her into the water with me. She gasps as the cold water consumes her. I hate to see her in any pain, especially if it’s down to me.
She wraps her arms around me and buries her face into my neck. Her legs wrap around my waist and I just hold her until she’s ready to continue.
“I don’t want us to end, Gio.” She sniffles and pulls back enough for me to feel her warm breath on my face.
“Good. Because neither do I. In fact, I’m ready, if you want me to, to give everything up and move back to Scotland, if it means we could make a go of it. I’ll do anything, Harleigh. I want this. I want you. We can work it out, but you need to talk to me.”
“I don’t want you to give anything up. I’m just not sure how we can make this work as a long-distance relationship. We’ve been miserable apart, and it’s only been two days.”
“Come and live here with me. Spend the rest of the season with me and see what you think. If you don’t like it, we can re-evaluate then.”
“Are you asking me that because you want me to be here, or are you asking me that because you think it’s what I want to hear?”
Giovani pushes me back against the pool wall and runs his hands through my hair, capturing my cheeks between his hands.
“I’m asking you this because this, what we thought was maybe a holiday fling, has turned into something serious. I don’t think I can live without you in my life, Harleigh. I’ve made everyone’s life a living hell the last couple of days. I’m surprised I have a family or staff left. Tell me what you want.”
“I need to go home next week, Gio. I have my house to sort out and my work to consult. But I think I might like to have a shot at this whole relationship thing. I’m not sure how good I’ll be at it, but if you’ll have me, I’d like to come back out as soon as possible. Gosh, what am I saying?” She shakes her head and smiles. Her eyes are twinkling, her smile reaches her eyes, and her skin is glowing. She’s always beautiful, but at this moment, she looks like a sweet angel.
My angel.
“I hope what you’re saying is that you’re ready to live a life with me.”
“I am. I really am.”
“Scared?” I ask her.
She shrugs. “I think I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t, but most of me is excited and thrilled about this fresh start. I’ll never be scared of you, Giovani.”
“Good. You’ve made me the happiest man alive. I’ve been going out of my mind with worry the last couple of days. I wanted to use the hotel’s key card and burst into your room last night, but Lucca told me to get a grip or he’d take all the keys away from me.”
We both laugh at that. The sound of laughter is like music to my ears.
“I’m pretty sure you’d have got away with breaking and entering since you’re the owner and all.”
“Yeah. My actions sounded a lot better when my head was a scrambled mess. Now, with you in my arms, I can see how wrong and unethical that would have been.”
“Good. I’m sorry I ran. I will try to stop hiding my feelings and talk to you more. Hiding solves nothing. I know that. Sometimes I just get stuck in my head.”
“And we’ll both work at this relationship every single day. I have my flaws as well. I snore and leave the toilet seat up.”
Harleigh laughs. “I’m sure I can live with that if you can live with me and my baggage.”
“What baggage? The way I see it is, that baggage you’re talking about has shaped you into this wonderful woman I’m holding in my arms.”
“I’m glad you think so. Now, I don’t want to push my luck, because I don’t deserve you, but that foot massage was amazing. That foot isn’t even sore now.”
“You want the other one done?” I ask cheekily. “What’s in it for me?”
“Me coming to live with you isn’t enough?”
“When you put it like that…” I pull back from her and lift her foot up into my hands. I’ll massage every part of her body before this day ends.
I know we’ll have a lot of ups and downs along the way, especially as we settle into a routine. But the difference here is, we both want this. Anything is possible if you both want something so badly.
Chapter 24
