“You have some groveling to do,” I tease, but when he pulls back and we lock gazes, I see the heavy emotion in his eyes. Liam is rarely vulnerable and remains strong on the outside, but this Liam looks more broken than I’ve ever seen him.
Then he surprises the shit out of me when he falls to his knees in front of me and grips my hips with his strong hands. “I’ll do anything. I meant what I said on the phone. You know I’ve never done a relationship before and have definitely never told a woman those words before.”
My eyes water, and I know I can’t stay mad at him. He told me the truth when I found the photo of the target over my face, and although I was blindsided by Victoria, I know he’d never intentionally hurt me. Liam is all I’ve ever wanted. He’s not perfect, and both of us will screw things up sometimes, but it takes a real man to admit and apologize when he does. “We’ll get through this,” I assure him, leaning down to softly brush my lips against his. “She can’t break us.”
Liam grabs the back of my head and pulls me toward him and deepens the kiss. “Thank God. She’s ruined so much. I don’t know what I’d do if she tore us apart after I finally got you.”
His sincere words hit me straight in the gut. For years, I fought for Liam, but here he is, fighting like hell, so I’ll give him another chance.
He stands and holds me. It feels so good to be back in his arms. I momentarily close my eyes as I soak in his touch that I’d been so desperate to have again.
“Before I knew Victoria had something to do with you leaving, I thought you’d left me,” he confesses. “I was going out of my mind, thinking that I’d fucked everything up for good. I’ll make all of this up to you.” He brings his forehead to mine, and I hear him inhale a sharp breath. “I love you, Mads.”
“Say it again,” I encourage.
The corner of his lips twitches as he leans back slightly and locks eyes with me. With one palm on my cheek, he says, “I’m in love with you, baby. I love you so much that my chest physically aches when I think about how much you mean to me and what losing you would do to me.” He licks his lips. “Being apart put a lot into perspective, like how much time I wasted avoiding how I felt, or thinking you were better off with someone else. Though I will always believe you’re too good for me, I know there’s no one who could ever love me the way you do. I’m one lucky son of a bitch who gets to have you.”
The tears I was holding back fall at his heartfelt confession—one I wasn’t sure I’d ever get from him—but now that I have, my entire world feels complete. Who knew this macho, relationship-phobic man had a heart as big as this? Though I had always hoped.
Reaching up, I grab his face and bring his lips to mine. I kiss him hard and quick. “Feels like I’ve waited four years for that.” I grin. “I love you, too. More than I can comprehend, which scares me sometimes, but it’s you. It’s always been you.”
“I can’t tell you how goddamn sorry I am for…” He pauses briefly as if it pains him to talk about how much he hurt me. “God, everything. Should’ve never kept secrets from you, and I promise I never will again. I told you I’d inevitably screw things up, but with you, I want to do better. You deserve the very best version of me, and that’s exactly what you’re going to get.”
“You made a mistake, Liam,” I reassure him. “But the important thing is learning from it and leaning on each other. We’ll stay strong together.” I try to comfort him.
“You’re truly amazing, Mads.” Liam dips his head and kisses me, our arms and bodies tangling together as he walks us toward the bed.
“Just tell me one thing…” I push against his chest slightly so our eyes lock. “Is it almost over?”
He doesn’t have to ask what I’m referring to because he knows. My expression tells him exactly what I’m talking about.
“Almost, baby. Then the only ring I’ll be wearing is the one you put on my finger.” He winks, and heat rushes between my legs. That’s either the hottest thing I’ve ever heard or the scariest. Either way, I’m all for it.
“Where’s the guy who told me only a few months ago he wasn’t capable of loving someone?”
“You wore him down until he had no choice but to admit his true feelings.” He flashes an amused smirk, causing me to laugh. “Just like you always said you would.”