“Thanks. I wish you all the best.” Gabrielle rose from her seat. She suddenly needed to be alone for a few minutes to pull herself together.
Marlene’s words had brought up emotions Gabrielle wasn’t ready to handle. She might have had Derek’s love, but it didn’t mean anything. It never had. He wasn’t hers. He never would be.
She headed for the street, hoping Holly wouldn’t notice. She’d just take a short ride, blast some music, open the top of the convertible and clear her mind. Once she could breathe without wanting to cry, she’d come back and celebrate.
She reached the car when she heard Derek calling her name. God, not now, she thought, yanking open the door.
“Gabrielle, wait.”
He caught up to her before she could shut herself inside. “Where are you going? You just got here and we haven’t even had a chance to light the candles yet.”
She leaned against the open door for support. “I’ll be back. I just need a few minutes alone.”
“Why? What did Marlene say to upset you?” he asked, his voice dark. “I saw you two talking. If she said anything—”
“She didn’t upset me. She apologized for how she acted the first time we met. She’s lovely. Now, can I just go get some fresh air? I’ll come back for Holly’s cake, I promise.”
He put his hand on the top of the window. “Not until you tell me what’s wrong.”
Gabrielle exploded. “You’re wrong. Inviting me here was wrong. Hearing Marlene tell me how much she resented me because I had your heart—that’s wrong.” All the frustration she’d never vented at him came pouring out now. Frustration that he’d made her leave him again when they had so much to fight for. “Because really, Derek, what good has me having your heart ever done?” she asked, half yelling at him, half crying.
She turned to duck inside her car, but he pulled her back, turning her around and sealing her lips with his.
She fought him at first, not wanting to succumb, not wanting to feel the love he aroused so easily, only to have him take it away from her again. But he was relentless, kissing her until her lips softened, until she melted against him and kissed him back.
Only once she’d completely relaxed, did he step back. “Better?” he asked.
She drew a deep breath. “That’s playing dirty,” she said, her lips stinging wonderfully from the assault.
“Its only playing dirty if I’m not playing for keeps.” His gaze never left hers.
Her heart skipped a beat. She was sure she’d heard him wrong or she was misunderstanding him somehow. “Derek?”
He grasped both her hands in his. “I’m not telling you I don’t believe in curses. I’m not saying my family hasn’t been proof of the Corwin Curse for the past who knows how many generations.”
Her heart beat fast in her chest. “Then what are you telling me?”
“That I can’t go on living without you anymore. Not one more day. Not even another minute.” His eyes were as dark and as serious as she’d ever seen them. “Whether it’s a curse or Fate, we’ll just have to fight it together, because without you, I’m lost.”
Her head spun with the impact of his words. It was everything she’d ever wanted, everything she’d ever dreamed of. Everything he’d sworn he couldn’t give her.
“How? Why?”
She needed to hear what had finally changed his mind before she could let herself believe.
“Would you believe it was my ex-wife who convinced me?”
“At this point, I’d believe anything.” She covered her eyes from the glare of the sun as she glanced up at him. “What did she say?”
“Nothing that you hadn’t already told me, except for one thing. The same thing she apparently told you. That you’ve always been a part of me and you always will be. Then she asked me what I was willing to do about it.” He shrugged, but Gabrielle knew nothing about this was easy for him.
He’d been fighting the curse for a lifetime. His family had been fighting it even longer.
“What are you willing to do about it?” she asked softly.
He cupped her face in his hands and her heart felt like bursting. “I love you, Gabrielle Donovan. I loved you when I was eighteen, I loved you in between and I love you now.”
Tears flowed unchecked from her eyes at the words she’d longed to hear for so long. “Aren’t you afraid of what will happen now?”