Was that what he’d come to say? Laurie swallowed down her disappointment. ‘Thanks. Sam saved my life a couple of times. How long have you been here?’
‘I arrived late last night.’
‘And when were you thinking of leaving?’
‘Not until I’d spoken to you.’
The whole world seemed suddenly bathed in light. And then she was in his arms. How that had happened wasn’t entirely clear to Laurie, but she didn’t care. She heard the door slam as Ross kicked it closed behind him, and snuggled into his embrace, breathing in his scent.
‘Laurie... I’ve missed you so much.’
‘Not as much as I missed you...’
‘You want to make a competition out of it?’ He smiled down at her and all the things that she wanted to say to him were lost in the gentle, flickering fire of his eyes.
‘Yes. Let’s do that.’
He kissed her, with all the passion and longing that she felt. Brilliant happiness robbed Laurie of anything other than the thought that he was here and holding her in his arms. And when she kissed him back she felt the sweet response of his body against hers.
Now all she could think of was the bed, and the few yards between them and it. Maybe they wouldn’t even make it. Passion was clawing at her and Ross’s kisses were driving everything else from her head. If she had only these moments with him, she would take them and deal with the consequences later.
She slipped his jacket from his shoulders, and Ross shrugged it off. Slowly, deliberately, she loosened his tie. Making him wait while the passion built between them, even more heady than it had ever been. He pulled her back against him, kissing her with a hunger that made her head spin.
Another knock on the door, and a voice announcing that this time it really was room service, made them spring apart guiltily. Laurie opened the door, feeling in her pocket for a tip, and then grabbed the tray, dumping it onto the credenza before she turned back to face Ross.
Gone. The moment was gone. She could see it in his face.
‘Second thoughts?’
He pressed his lips together. ‘It’s not what I came for, Laurie. I came to talk.’
‘Okay. I’ll ask them to bring another cup...’ She made for the door, wondering if the waiter had disappeared into the lift yet, but Ross caught her arm.
‘I don’t need coffee. What I do need is to tell you that I love you. If you can forgive me, and love me too, then we need to sit down and work out what we’re going to do about that.’
* * *
There was only one cup. That didn’t matter, she was just concentrating on irrelevant details because she couldn’t get her head around the enormity of what Ross had just said. Laurie resisted the temptation to throw herself into his arms because he was right. They needed to talk about this. She poured the coffee with a shaking hand, taking a sip and then handing the cup to him.
‘I love you, too. I’m sorry I left without saying goodbye.’
‘Don’t be. I drove you away, and...it was wrong of me. I couldn’t see a way for us to be together and I thought it was for the best. I’m sorry.’ Ross took a sip of coffee and handed the cup back to her, sitting down on the bed.
‘Now we’ve got that over with...’ Laurie sat down next to him, her heart thumping wildly. ‘What are we going to do now?’
Everything depended on his answer.
Laurie had thought about it and hadn’t been able to find a plan that might work. She had to trust that Ross would be able to provide the answers that she couldn’t, and suddenly that didn’t seem so impossible.
‘I know that I’m not a good prospect for anyone...’ He stumbled over the words, and Laurie laid her hand on his.
‘You just happen to be the one that I want. I’ve no desire to change that, even if I could.’
‘I can’t change it either. You’re the only woman I’ll ever want, and I love you with all my heart. The thought that you could love me too is what’s given me the courage to come here and ask what I shouldn’t of you...’
‘Ask, Ross. I want to hear it.’
He nodded, taking the cup from her hands and laying it aside. Then he fell to one knee in front of her.