Her eyes widened but not in repudiation of his words. His heart sank as he drew in a sustaining breath. He’d told himself he’d imagined she was dismissive about their relationship. But he’d been right. Adrenaline shot into his blood as dismay gripped him.
Greer put down her glass with a decisive click then rested her elbows on the balustrade, looking out over the city. She’d taken off her jacket and wore a straight black skirt and a navy camisole top in some silky fabric that caught the light. Even in office clothes, frowning, no woman he knew could hold a candle to her.
‘We married because I was pregnant. Because you wanted to protect your baby, not because you wantedme.’ Her head whipped around, eyes of deepest blue snaring his. ‘Now there’s no baby, no glue to hold us together. Of course I’m ambivalent about our marriage.’
Not want her? No glue to hold them together! He refused to believe it. Heknewshe felt something for him. She had to.
Initially, maybe it had been lust… No that wasn’t right, even in the beginning there’d been far more between them than physical attraction. They understood each other. Surely he hadn’t been wrong, believing she cared about him.
‘What if I told you I didn’t propose marriage just because of the baby?’
Her gaze grew wary but she didn’t look away. Her chin lifted. ‘I wouldn’t believe you. I was there, remember?’
Slowly he nodded, thinking over what he’d said and done. How he could have said and done it so much better. How much he’d left out. He swallowed hard. ‘I owe you an apology.’
Her head jerked back as if slapped, her eyes too big for her face. ‘For making the mistake of marrying me?’
‘Never that.’ Her pain made him bleed inside. He moved in, palming her jaw and feeling her tremble. ‘I didn’t tell you the whole truth. I married you because I love you.’
‘Don’t!’ Her voice was a raw whisper as she shook her head.
‘Hear me out, Greer, please.’
‘There’s no need to pretend now, Conall. The baby’s—’
‘This isn’t about the baby.’ He cupped her face in both hands so she had to meet his eyes. ‘I admit that in the beginning, I thought of marriage as the right thing to do for you and our baby. Believe it or not, from the first I wanted to protect you both, even when I wasn’t sure I wanted a child. But you didn’t instantly accept. In fact, you seemed doubtful.’
‘People don’t have to marry to look after their child.’
‘No, they don’t. But I wanted to. So then I had to think aboutwhyI wanted to when you apparently didn’t. Why I couldn’t rest until you agreed to marry.’
The haunted look in her eyes was like a fist slammed against his heart. Conall dropped his hands and eased them around hers, threading their fingers together.
‘I told you I was raised to be strategic, pragmatic and competitive. My father sees any emotion other than greed unacceptable. I have the vaguest recollection of my mother’s love, a sense of warmth and the world being a safe place. But there’s been no love in my life since then. That’s why it took me a long time to realise I love you.’
He paused, letting the words sink in, waiting and hoping she’d return the pressure of his hands, showing she believed. And that his love mattered to her.
Suddenly Conall was breathless.
But Greer’s only movement was to tilt her head, looking down at their joined hands, her lustrous dark lashes veiling her eyes.
What was she thinking? How did she feel? He couldn’t bear the silence, waiting for her response. ‘Even then, when I understood my feelings, I was wary of telling you. All those old lessons in hiding emotion came into play.’ Finally he admitted, ‘I was scared to tell you in case you didn’t feel the same way.’
Thatmade her look at him and for the first time since he’d started talking, a thread of hope wound its way around his heart.
‘I can’t imagine you scared.’
His bark of laughter cut the thick evening air. ‘Scared? I’ve been petrified. The longer I’ve put off telling you how I feel, the harder it’s become. There never seemed to be a right time. But now I need to know.’ His hands tightened around hers. ‘Will you let me try again, to be the husband I want to be? The sort of husband you deserve. Even if you don’t love me, I know youcarefor me, Greer. We’re good together and if you give me time, I can make you happy.’
‘I want to, so much,’ she whispered, her throat working convulsively. She looked overwhelmed.
‘I wouldneverhurt you, Greer.’ He waited, frowning. ‘Sweetheart? How doyoufeel aboutme?’
Was it possible he wasn’t the only one scared to reveal his feelings? Now, as he stared into her achingly beautiful eyes, he caught a glimpse of something that stole his breath.
‘I love you.’ She enunciated the words clearly, the sound sweeter and more moving than anything he’d ever known. ‘I fell for you the day I walked into your office and by the end of the week I knew it was more than physical. I’ve loved you for ages.’
Joy began to bubble in his veins as shock seared him. ‘You’ve known all this time?’
