Summer Escape with the Tycoon

“He set this up for you tonight.”

“I wasn’t sure you’d come if I asked. And I wanted it to be special.” He squeezed her fingers. “He’s a good guy, your friend Ryan.” He emphasized the word friend, making her laugh a little.

“So what did Ryan say?”

Eric held her gaze as he said, “That I should tell you that none of this would have happened without you. That you taught me how to open my heart. If I hadn’t done that, I couldn’t have tried again with my family. I wouldn’t have decided on this business decision. And I wouldn’t be able to stand here and tell you without a doubt that I fell in love with you on that trip and I’d like the chance to be in love with you now, if you feel the same way.”

“You love me?”

He nodded. “I was afraid that the trip was a fantasy. Like, maybe not who we really were. But, Molly, I really think that for those ten days we were exactly who we are deep down, without the daily grind dragging us down and shaping us into... I don’t know. There was a freedom to it and I love who that Molly is. I love the way she makes me laugh, and smile, and think about things, and pushes me to relax, and makes me want to be a better man with a better heart.”

“Oh, Eric...”

“You make me want to live better, Molly. The money doesn’t provide security. Only love does that, and I’ve been denying it for too long. But I need you to make the picture complete.”

Tears gathered on her lashes and she blinked quickly to clear them away. She didn’t want him to be blurry or wobbly when she looked into his eyes and said the words she’d wanted to when she’d seen him again.

“Since I came home, every time I took a step forward I wanted to call you and share it with you. When we started emailing, I thought perhaps we’d moved past what happened that last morning. I never wanted us to be over, Eric. Not that day on the plane, not at lunch. I always wanted us to at least try. I know it was a vacation, but I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.”

“I was such an idiot that day.” He took her hand and placed it on his heart, over the crisp white material of his shirt. “You wanted to talk and we could have worked it out. The truth was I got such cold feet. I felt so much for you it terrified me, and I used it as an excuse to run. Molly, I was married and I can honestly say that I’ve never felt this way before. Like if you walk away you’ll be taking my heart with you. I’ve kept my heart locked up for so long, afraid of having it broken. But you—you got past all those barriers. I don’t know how, but you did.”

“You were left when you were so little, by the person who was supposed to love you the most,” she said softly, putting her other hand on his cheek. “That little boy is still afraid of being hurt. And the man he’s become is so compelling, so strong and tender. Maybe you didn’t want to open yourself up to those emotions, but the way you took care of me the night I had my nightmare...” Her lips trembled as emotion swept over her. “The nights we made love. I can’t just forget those times. They’re a part of me now.”

“And of me.” He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her, tuxedo jacket and all. “I want to try, Molly. I don’t know how we’re going to work out the long-distance thing, though having business in the state helps a lot. But I’m committed, and that’s something new for me. I’m committed because I love you, and I can’t i

magine my life without you. Please say you’re willing to try.”

This was what she’d wanted all along. Not a guarantee that everything would work out perfectly; all her years as a family-law attorney had thoroughly disabused her of that idea. But she wanted someone who loved her enough to try, to attempt to move mountains because she was worth it. Someone who accepted her for who she was, with no adjustments necessary. Not a trophy. Not a stand-in for her brother. Just her. And she was enough.

“Of course I’m willing to try. That trip? It was a once-in-a-lifetime trip. It just follows that falling in love is a once-in-a-lifetime event, too. I’d be foolish to let that slip through my fingers.”

His fingers were now twining through her hair, and she loved the feel of them against her scalp, playing with the strands as his gaze delved deeply into hers. “Yes,” he agreed, “you would.”

And then he kissed her properly, with the sound of the breakers on the sand behind them and the salt tang of the sea in the air. She lifted her arms and his jacket fell to the veranda floor, but she didn’t care. She curled into his embrace and kissed him back, finally feeling as if she were truly home. Where she belonged.

“I love you, Eric,” she whispered, tightening her arms around his neck. “I wasn’t looking for it, didn’t expect it, but I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he whispered, hugging her so tightly she could barely take a good breath.

He kissed her again, then let go and held her hand. “So where do we go from here?” he asked.

She grinned. “That’s easy. It doesn’t matter, as long as we go together. For now, you’ll be close by with the new company, and it’s a short, direct flight to Montreal. We’ll start there and figure everything else out as we go.”

“Sounds perfect.” He pulled her in against his side, and they watched the waves together. “Molly, that night of the benefit? I lost the bid, but right now I’m feeling like I just won the jackpot.”

EPILOGUE

CHRISTMAS HAD BEEN spent in Montreal with his family, going to midnight mass, eating tourtière and wrapping presents for Eric’s nieces and nephews. Molly had never had a Christmas like it in her life, and seeing Eric laughing with his brothers warmed her heart. His family had been welcoming, the sisters-in-law teasing her good-naturedly about her poor French, and welcoming her into the fold as if they’d known her for years. She’d never had grown siblings, so it was an overwhelming but lovely experience.

Now it was New Year’s Eve, and they were spending it in Boston, with Molly’s parents. There’d be a New Year’s Day brunch, but for right now, they were at First Night, stomping their feet to stay warm, enjoying live music at Boston Common and, in a few moments, the fireworks after the countdown.

It had been a year for change, and the year ahead was looking even brighter. Most of all, for Molly, was the fact that she was fulfilled in a way she’d never been before. She had no regrets about her career change, and she was so deeply in love that some days she thought she might burst with it.

Eric looked down at her as the crowd started counting from ten. He held her hands in his and bestowed her with a gaze so full of love she nearly melted with it. How had she got so lucky?

When the cheers of “Happy New Year!” rose in the air, he wrapped his arms around her, thick coats and all, and kissed her soundly on the mouth. His lips and the tip of his nose were cold, but his mouth was not, and she opened herself up to the kiss, caring little about the fact that they were in public.

The first boom sounded: the fireworks had started.