Kara elbowed him. “We had this conversation already, remember? You were created from your mother’s love and Joe’s best intentions. A child would be fortunate to have you as their father.”
Her confidence in him warmed his insides. How could he have ever doubted her and her ability to handle his secret?
“Do you really mean that?”
“Of course I do.”
“Santa almost forgot. He has one more gift to hand out.” He reached beneath his costume and fished out a small box wrapped in red foil and tied up tight with a bow. He held it out to her. “Here. Open it.”
Her eyes grew round. Her searching gaze moved from him to the tiny present.
“Go ahead,” he coaxed. “It won’t bite. I promise.”
Her fingers trembled as she pulled on the ribbon, but they were no match for the quivering in his stomach. The most important mission of his life had finally reached the critical juncture. He had to succeed with this part of his plan. Otherwise his heart would end up a fallen victim on the front line.
Kara deftly made her way past the wrapping to the black velvet box. As though she was afraid to stop, she quickly lifted the lid.
Her lips formed an O.
Unspoken questions filled her eyes. She stood there staring at him like a deer caught in headlights, not knowing which way to go. She didn’t throw the box at him and stomp away. Nor did she squeal with delight and throw herself in his arms. He’d take her reserve as a positive sign. He still had time to convince her that they could make this thing between them work. He had to convince her.
“Don’t say anything,” he said, pressing a finger to those delectable lips. “Just listen. We can make this work.”
She shook her head, her eyes shimmering. He fortified his determination with the knowledge that she hadn’t heard his proposal yet. Once she did, she’d realize the possibilities for them.
“First, I love you,” he said, gazing straight into her eyes. “I’ve always loved you. I am so sorry for destroying our dreams all those years ago. I wasn’t mature enough back then to have faith in you and me—in us—to handle the news about my biological father.”
Jason reached out and took her free hand in his. He rubbed his thumb over her cold fingers. He had to speed this up so he could get her back inside, next to the fire.
“I know how important this new job is to you. I can’t expect you to change your plans and drop everything to live here in the country with me.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’ll move with you. You, me and Samantha will be a family.”
“You’ll move.” Disbelief rang in her voice. “But you can’t! You’ve only just come back. Your father needs you. And you’re about to reopen the resort.”
He’d done some serious thinking about this and he knew what he had to do. “I’ll have my father transferred to wherever we are, and I’ll sell the resort.”
“Sell the resort?” Her brows arched. “You can’t!” she repeated. “You just restored it.”
He swallowed the jagged lump in his throat. “The Summit is important to me, but not as important as you and Samantha. I can be with the two of you and lose the resort and still be happy. But having the resort without the two most important people in my life would be a hollow victory.”
Kara pressed a hand to her chest. “You really mean that, don’t you?”
He nodded. “I’ll do whatever it takes for us to be a family. I love you more than ever. And Samantha. She may not be my biological daughter, but she’s the daughter of my heart.”
“Oh, Jason. I love you, too. But I can’t let you do this.”
He took both Kara’s hands in his. “Yes, you can. I was the one who walked out on our plans seven years ago. It’s only fair that I fit into the life you’ve created for yourself, no matter where it is.”
“The thing is, I don’t want to move. I want to stay right here with you, my family and friends.” She stepped into his open arms, resting her head beneath his chin. “Do you really think we can make it work?”
“I do. I’ve changed. I’ve grown up. With honesty between us, we can face anything.”
She looked up at him, their breath intermingling. He couldn’t resist his desire to taste her sweetness. His head dipped low. His lips met hers. She was compliant and eager beneath him. A moan rose in the back of his throat. He’d never, ever grow tired of kissing her.
As much as he hated to pull back from her, they needed to finish this conversation. They still had one more thing to discuss.