The Tycoon's Pregnant Mistress(61)
“There are things you must know. I never received any ransom demands. I would have moved heaven and earth to free you. No price would have been too high. I did not know that you had been abducted.”
Her mouth fell open. “How could you not know?”
His eyes grew stormy. “Roslyn destroyed the ransom notes. You were right to dislike her, and because I ignored your feelings about her, I placed you in terrible danger.”
Marley’s mind reeled with all he had told her. She raised a shaking hand to her mouth. He hadn’t gotten the ransom demands? “I thought—” She broke off and shook her head, emotion overwhelming her.
“What did you think, agape mou?” he asked softly.
“That you hated me,” she whispered. “That you wouldn’t pay to free me because you thought I had stolen from you. That I wasn’t even worth half a million dollars to you.”
He groaned and pulled her into his arms. His hands trembled against her back as he stroked up and down. “I am a fool. I was wrong to accuse you as I did. I have no defense.”
She pulled away and gazed up at him. “You don’t believe I stole from you?”
He shook his head sharply. “No. It was Roslyn. She planted the papers in your bag to make me think it was you.” He paused and swiped a hand through his hair. “Even though I thought you had stolen from me, it no longer seemed to matter after your abduction. All that mattered to me was that you were back where you belonged. With me.” His mouth twisted. “That night when you asked me about our relationship…I was frightened.”
She raised one eyebrow. The idea of anything frightening Chrysander was laughable.
“I thought you were unhappy, that you wanted more than I was giving you,” he admitted. “And then I was angry because it scared me. I was determined that you not be the one to decide our relationship, so I pushed you away by telling you that we had no relationship, that you were my mistress.”
Her heart sped up as she viewed the vulnerability on his face. Her chest tightened, and it became harder to breathe as her pulse raced. “What are you saying?” she whispered.
“That I love you, pedhaki mou. S’agapo.”
Her eyes widened as she realized what the words he’d said a few minutes ago meant. She couldn’t even formulate a response, so she stared at him in shock.
Self-derision crawled across his face. “I have a terrible way of showing it. I was proud, too proud to just tell you how I felt. I didn’t even know it then. I just knew I didn’t want you to leave and was angry that I thought you were unhappy in our current relationship. And then when I saw those papers in your bag, I was shocked and furious. I couldn’t believe that you would steal from me.”
“But you did,” she said painfully.
He looked away, sorrow creasing his features. “I was angry. I’ve never been so angry. I thought you had used me so you could help our competitor. So I sent you away.”
He ran a hand around to clasp the back of his neck. “And God help me, I sent you straight into the kidnappers’ hands.”
She closed her eyes, not wanting to remember the fear and despair she’d experienced during her captivity. Even though her memory had returned, that part was still very much a blur. Maybe she’d forever block it out.
“You love me?” She was still back on those words. The rest of the conversation seemed a muddle, and she was fixated on those three words.
He gathered her in his arms again and held her as delicately as a piece of hand-blown glass. “I’ve not done a good job of showing you, but I do love you. I want the chance to prove it to you. I want you to marry me. Please.”
She shook her head in confusion at his humble plea. “You still want me to marry you?”
He tugged her closer to him until his lips pressed against the top of her head. “I don’t expect you to answer now. I know I have said much to shock you. But give me a chance, Marley. You won’t regret it, I swear. I’ll make you love me again. I’ll never abuse your precious gift as I have done.”
She’d gone mad. She’d finally lost her mind. Chrysander was holding her in his arms, declaring his love for her and wanting her to marry him. For real this time. No pretense. No lies or half-truths between them.
Gently, he pulled her away and pressed a light kiss to her lips. “Think about it, agape mou. I’ll wait as long as it takes for your answer.”
He stood as if sensing her desire to be alone. He walked to the door but turned to look at her one last time before disappearing from view.
Marley sat there for a long time simply staring at the now-empty doorway. Her hands shook and her stomach rolled. He loved her? Roslyn had planted the papers in her bag and then destroyed the ransom demands?