“Don’t tell me you came all the way to Sea Blue Beach to reminisce.” She’d forgotten that night at Rockefeller Center and how he kept telling her,“Everyone’s watching, Harlow. Get it together.”The criticism seemed so unlike him.
He leaned against the back of the couch, crossing his arms and ankles. “This is harder than I thought.” He raised his gaze to her. “I want to get this right. I want you to hear me.”
Sweat trickled down her spine. Where was he going with this? “Xander, wait. I need to shower. I don’t know why you’re here, but I’m a mess. Give me fifteen.”
“Yes, of course.” He reached for her hand when she turned for the stairs. “For the record, you look really sweet, darling.”
Darling?What was he doing?
Her thoughts ran wild as she showered and dressed, selecting a pale pink sundress. It clashed with her recent sunburn, so she changed into a green paisley number, wove her hair into a braid, then dropped to her knees to retrieve her white sneakers from the back of the closet.
As she did, one of the floorboards gave way, and Harlow’s arm crashed through, grazing something cold and hard.
“Harlow, you okay?” Xander called up the stairs.
“Yeah, I fell through a loose floorboard.” Harlow pulled her arm free, examining a red mark and small scrape. Why was there a loose floorboard in her newly restored home?
Grabbing her shoes, she peered into the hole, not seeing anything but floor joist, and fixed the board back into place. In the bathroom, she cleaned the small wound, then headed downstairs.
“You okay?” Xander ran his thumb over the red mark and the scrape and offered to call the contractor. “That might bruise. But you’re not bleeding.”
“I’m fine, Xander.” She sat on the sofa to slip on her shoes—it just seemed proper to be completely dressed—and waited.
“I miss you, Harlow,” he said, sitting next to her. “That’s why I’m here.”
“Youmissme? What are you talking about? How did you know where to find me?”
“I gave you the place, didn’t I?”
“You gave me—” She was on her feet. “Did you want me to come here? This wasn’t some long-overdue apology for kicking me out of our home?”
“I wanted you to have the place, Harlow. Honest. You’d put a lot into the remodel, and I thought you deserved it. Also, Jinx told me you’d moved out.”
“You talked to Jinx?”
“That’s not the point, Harlow.”
“It’s entirely the point. Xander, you locked me out of the penthouse. You told security not to let me past the lobby. I couldn’tget my clothes, my jewelry, makeup, or toiletries. Nothing.” She glared at him.
“Davina said she sent you your things.”
“Well, she didn’t.”
“I’m not surprised. More reason to give you this cottage.” He sighed. “I’m sorry for how I treated you. Sorry for how it all went down. I miss you.”
“Xander, you’re on the cover ofPeoplewith Davina. You’re getting married. You can’t miss me.”
“But I do.” With an exhale, he stood. “I might as well just say it. Harlow, I want you back. That’s why I’m here. I’m deeply, passionately in love with you.”
“Excuse me? You what? Xander, you can’t ... you can’t ... just ... show up ... and say ... What? You’re deeply,passionatelyin love with me? You’ve ignored me for two years. Do you know how much pain and humiliation you’ve caused me? Also, small detail here, you’re engaged to your ex-wife.”
She thundered into the kitchen. She needed water. And air. At the sink, she filled her glass from this morning and shoved open the window.
“This makes no sense. This makes no sense,” she muttered.
“I know, and I’m sorry for everything.” A calm, cool Xander moved slowly toward her. “I was a total jerk. I don’t knowthatXander Cole.” He bent to look into her eyes, but she couldn’t maintain contact. “Some alien possessed me, but I’m free of it now. Harlow, I’m not in love with Davina. I’m stillverymuch in love with you.” His voice softened with sincerity. “I never stopped loving you. I tried. I gave in to Davina’s pleas to give our relationship—and, yes, we had a history—another chance, but now I know the only one for me is you. So, hat in hand, I’m here beggingyouto givemea second chance. Tell me what I need to do.”
Harlow gulped down her glass of water. “I had a dream about you this morning. You were walking on Cole Island with our kids.”
