‘Be quiet.’
‘Okay, boss.’
She laid a finger on his lips. ‘Shh.’
‘I’m in love with you, Felipe Rebelo.’ She felt his lips move and pressed firmly. ‘No. No speaking until I’ve finished. And you are not responsible for that love. It is freely given. The only choice you have to make is whether you accept and whether you can return it.’ Her heart hitched as she said the latter. ‘I accused you of being scared. Too scared to let anyone in. Too scared because you already have enough responsibility in your life. And I get that. I understand. But you need to understand that I don’t need anyone to be responsible for me. Especially not you. I don’t have to depend on you any more than I want someone to depend on me. I want to be an equal partner. Sharing the load. Not looking after you but working with you, helping you when you need it or pointing out when you need help. Together, we can build something, but you have to stop thinking that you have to do it all on your own.’
She exhaled, glad that she had said everything she needed to. Already she felt freer and lighter.
‘You’ve stolen my thunder,’ he said, reaching over and scooping her up to sit her on his lap.
‘It’s not a competition, you know,’ she said primly.
‘Mmm,’ said Felipe. ‘I had it all worked out. What I wanted to say to you.’
‘You can say it anyway.’ She couldn’t help grinning at him because he hadn’t stopped her when she was talking. Hadn’t disagreed. Hadn’t protested. Not once.
‘I’d planned, before my cousins’ helpful intervention, to tell you that Will doesn’t deserve you. I recognise that you are so much more. He doesn’t value you as the amazing person you are. He doesn’t see you. I want to be the man who deserves you, who sees you and values you for being you and not for what you can do for me. So from here on in, I’m going to do my best to prove to you that I’m the better man.’
Now she did chuckle and put her hand up to his face. ‘You’re too late.’
‘What?’ Now he looked worried.
‘I’ve already decided who the better man is. I told Will yesterday that we could never be more than friends.’
‘You did?’
‘Yes. He left this morning. In the meantime, I’ve been working out my strategy to convince you that commitment doesn’t have to be a dirty word. I’ve also been working on your family to suggest that they might like to step up a bit more.’
‘Have you now?’
‘Yes. I’m very good at organising things and getting people to play to their strengths.’
‘And what’s my strength?’ he asked.
She nuzzled into his neck. ‘Turns out you have quite a few. But perhaps you could remind me of one of them.’
His hands slid beneath her T-shirt. ‘I’d be delighted to.’
He’d just stripped off his own T-shirt when there was a banging on the door.
‘Are you two speaking yet?’ demanded a voice.
‘She’s a pest,’ said Felipe, lifting his lips from her collarbone and leaving her a little bereft. ‘And her timing sucks.’
‘If we don’t answer, she’ll open the door anyway.’
He sighed and pulled his T-shirt back on and waited for her to redo the catch on her bra.
‘We’re talking,’ he called out, pulling Rebecca to her feet.
The door opened, and light spilled in, making them both blink as a sunbeam hit them full in the face.
‘Oh, you lit the candles,’ said Cristina, clapping her hands in delight. ‘Told you.’ Katerina and Ana appeared behind her, looking more than a little sheepish, especially Ana, who was blushing.
‘You, young lady, have got some explaining to do,’ said Felipe, draping his arm around Rebecca’s shoulder.
‘Why?’ pouted Cristina. ‘It worked,’ she said, dusting her hands off with dramatic satisfaction.
