Mr.arrogant(35)

"I have to talk with you. I owe you an enormous apology and an explanation." He began.

She shook her head and swallowed hard. She couldn't believe that she was  looking at him standing there in her office. "You don't owe me  anything." She got up from her chair.

"I do …  actually. First, I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am that I  hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you. Second, the only reason that I was  engaged to Susan was because her father and mine forced us into it.  There were threats made that would have hurt other people, and you were  one of them. The only reason that I ever agreed to it was to protect  you. I did it because there is no one more important to me than you, and  I couldn't let you get hurt by the threats that were made, so I made a  sacrifice and I didn't know it at the time, but I made the wrong  sacrifice, and I wound up hurting you when I was trying to do nothing  but keep you safe and protect you." He shook his head and looked deeply  into her eyes.

She felt tears springing to her own eyes, and she bit her lip trying to hold them back.

"I have to tell you something, Naomi …  I should have told you long before  now." He drew a deep breath and looked earnestly at her. "I love you. I  love you more than any woman I have ever known, and I want you back. I  want to be with you. I have tried living without you and I just can't do  it. I have never been more miserable than I have been since you left. I  need you with me, Naomi." He felt like his chest was going to burst  from the emotion that was overwhelming him.

Naomi could not believe the words that she was hearing him speak, or the  genuine look of love in his eyes. He was speaking the very words that  she had felt within her for so long, all of them being brought to life  between them as they stood there facing each other.

"I love you, too." she whispered. No matter how much time or effort or  method she had tried to make herself get over him, it hadn't happened.  She loved him just as much then as she ever had, and she could feel that  love growing as they stood there together. Her heart swelled at his  confession for her, and she wiped a tear from her eye.

He lowered himself to one knee and took her hand in his, looking up at  her as he held out his mother's ring to her. "Naomi, you are the love of  my life and I want you with me every day from now until I take my last  breath in this world. Please forgive me for hurting you, and please give  me the chance to make it up to you by loving you with everything in me  all of my days. Marry me. Be my wife. I love you."

She gasped and her hand flew to her mouth as she tried to hold back the  tears and love that took her over completely. She pulled him to his feet  and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, hugging him with all of  the strength in her, and he held her back just as tightly.

"I will marry you," she said softly as she looked at him with tears in  her blue eyes. "I love you with all of my heart, and I always will."

Jonathon bent to kiss her, losing himself in the feel of her lips on  his, knowing that he had finally made the right choice, and that it was  going to be the best choice for the rest of his life. He tasted her  sweetness and held her close to his heart.

"I'm never going to let you go." he promised her. She kissed him back, happier than she had ever been.         

     
It was a promise that he kept, and they loved one another all of their lives, with a love that grew stronger every day, always.