"You are so much more than your stupid money, which I didn't know about," I snarled through clenched jaws. "Because that was another secret you kept from me!"
"I was a coward, okay? I was a fucking coward, and I didn't want you to look at me differently once you knew."
"That sucks, Xavier. It really fucking sucks."
To his credit, he didn't make excuses for it. He owned it, and I respected that. "What can I say, Rosalee? I'm not perfect."
His words teased a laugh out of me. "No kidding." I wanted this man. I loved him, but I didn't see a future for us. "Xavier, what are you doing here? Did you just want to apologize?"
"Not just that, no." He sighed. "What I want, Rosalee, is you."
"Hey, are you folks ready to order?"
I bit back thego the hell awaythat was on the tip of my tongue and shook my head. "Two coffees, please."
"And two breakfast specials," Xavier added.
"Okay," the server began. "Would y'all like a?—"
"I don't care," he growled. "Two specials with one of everything. Take your time."
The server nodded sharply and turned away.
"That was rude," I laughed.
"I want you, Rosalee. Just you." He sighed and reached across the table for my hands. "I'm in love with you, and I didn't realize it until I woke up to apologize and found you gone."
I tried to pull my hands from his, but he didn't let me. "Maybe you just wanted it to end on your terms?"
"No. I had already planned to apologize; I just needed to find the right words after such a monumental fuckup." He squeezed my hands, brushing a soft kiss on each one. "I love you and I'm all in on you and me, Rosalee. You are the woman I want, the one I need in my life."
"Until you get scared again?"
He shook his head as a gorgeous smile spread across his face. It was so big and so bright, and my heart raced at the potential of his words. "I'm not scared, not anymore. Now that I know what was going on, that I was falling in love with you, it all makes sense. I know what I feel for you, and I'm fine with it; hell, I am more than fine with it. It's absolutely fucking perfect. The question is, do you think you can love me?"
This was it, the moment of truth. Would I hide away underneath the hurt of his fiery words, or would I be brave and forge ahead, knowing that I was risking heartache again?
Xavier stared back at me, his eyes patient, but every other part of him was tense with anticipation, as if he thought there was no planet on which I could say no to him.
"I love you too, Xavier. That hasn't changed since yesterday."
"But?" He flashed a sweet smile. "You have conditions."
I shook my head, unable to stop the smile that slowly spread across my face as hope took hold of me. "Not conditions. Expectations. I expect you to talk to me, to tell me what's on your mind when you're upset or worried. To come to me first because I will always be honest with you, Xavier. Always."
A relieved breath rushed out of him. "So you love me and you'll come back to me?"
I started to nod, but he gripped my hand tighter.
"You don't have to be Violet's nanny if you don't want to be. We can keep Cathy on so you can do whatever you want."
"I don't want that. I want to be there with you and with Violet. I want to be there for her first words like I was for her first steps, and I want to see her grow up. With you at my side."
In less than a second, Xavier was at my side, his big hands cupping my face as our lips met and tangled. I gripped his biceps while he devoured my mouth, a low moan escaping from one of us as he deepened the kiss.
"Here's your breakfast... oh."
With a laugh and a lot of willpower, I pulled back from the kiss and smiled at the server. "Can you pack it up to go?"
