Page 92 of Protected By the Billionaire Ex-SEAL
Christian nods. “That’s right.”
“And there should be flying!”
As suggestions fly across the room, all I can do is stare at Christian. It’s clear now, no longer unreadable, his expression confirms his words. Love shining openly in his eyes, and hope that I would be able to forgive him softening his features.
And my heart…it soars like no other. It hopes fiercely, something that I thought died when I left Sweet Haven.
I can’t speak. I can only sit there and reel from it, still in disbelief that the man I love is here—not just here but saying all the things I’ve always hoped to hear from him.
I open my mouth, remembering that I still have the conference and all these kids, but nothing comes out.
Thankfully, that’s the moment when Sophia steps in, smiling her megawatt smile at everyone.
“Hi, kids, remember me from the library entrance?” After several nods, she claps her hands together. “I think the moral of the story is that if you have friends that you care about, you should cherish that friendship. And you should tell them that you care about them. Projects can come and go, but friendships will last a long time. Did you know that Raven and I have been sisters and friends for twenty-eight years?”
She sends me a pointed look, and I finally recover enough to take over.
“She’s right. We’ve been friends for so long and it’s something we treasure very much. That’s a nice lesson to learn. Now, any more story ideas?”
It goes around for a few more times, with Sophia coming and going from time to time to check up on me, but Christian stays to listen. He also never takes his gaze off me, which
makes me tingle with awareness the whole time. Finally, I end the conference with a few more words about the next book before I wave goodbye to the kids and their parents.
I can hear Sophia’s voice in the background, cheerfully saying goodbye or chatting with them. Then the area’s empty and it’s just me and Christian facing each other.
I stand up when he approaches me, but the table stays between us. We search each other’s gazes, and in his, I see a deep longing that mirrors mine.
“Christian…” I clear my throat.
“I love you, Raven. I’m in love with you, in case I wasn’t clear.”
He walks around the table and I turn to face him, the gap between us only inches. But still, he doesn’t reach out to touch me.
Taking a deep breath, he says, “I was going to ask you out on a proper date after Nashville. But that would’ve been a mistake too.”
Baffled, I don’t say anything. Maybe I misinterpreted…?
“What I should’ve done was tell you how I felt. Instead, I made you believe that the project was more important to me when in fact…”
“Yes?”
“I’m not going to pretend it isn’t important to me, that it isn’t something I’ve worked toward my whole life.” Green eyes flare and he finally reaches out to take my hand in his. “But I can live without it. I can’t live without you. You’re the most important thing in my life. Have been for a while. I just didn’t realize it until you were gone. I was too busy stuck in the past and letting my fear of loving again blind me. But I’m not blind anymore, Raven.
“And I am still afraid, but afraid of losing you.”
Every word hits me in the feels, but he’s not done.
“When I found out about the baby…my God. I was even more scared.” A deeper emotion fills his eyes and he squeezes my hand tight, as if assuring himself that I’m really here. “I was scared that I lost my chance. I regret that I wasn’t there for you from the start. Did I lose my chance for good, Raven?”
I’m quiet, absorbing his words. Then I take a deep breath, too, feeling like I haven’t taken one in a long time.
“Do you want to know what I think, Christian?”
“What?”
Hope and fear war in his features. So, I squeeze his hand back, wanting that fear gone.
“I think that the kids were right. I think that I never should’ve left without telling you eve-rything. I never should’ve left without telling you about the baby.”