I have done things this month that I never imagined possible.’
She pressed the fingers of both hands hard against her forehead. ‘Because do you know what I have done? Exactly the same thing as my dad did. I have borrowed money on my house to invest in Elstrom. And it is all your fault!’
Scott stared at Toni for a few seconds before he finally made the connections.
‘It was you! You bought the shares from Travis.’
He looked to one side for a second as though his mind was trying to process what she had done. But when his gaze locked on to her face it was full of warmth and utter astonishment.
‘You put your home on the line. For me! That is the most amazingly generous thing that anyone has ever done for me. And I don’t even know where to start to thank you. Those shares will give me...’
‘Your freedom,’ Toni interrupted. ‘I wanted you to be free of the past, Scott. You are an Elstrom. Your destiny is to be travelling the world exploring trade routes to some distant shore, not sorting through old pamphlets. You can do what you want now, Scott. Stay. Go. Be with who you want, where you want. All I am doing is returning the favour. There is no need to thank me.’
‘I cannot believe that you did that for me.’
Gulping down her fears about how this proud man might react to her working behind the scenes without his permission, Toni looked up into Scott’s face and what she saw there wiped away any doubts.
‘You know why I did it. I love you, Scott Elstrom, and a girl will do anything for the man she...’
Toni never got to finish her sentence because her lips were far too busy being crushed by Scott’s hot mouth.
She reached up and stroked his cheek, her eyes brimming with tears.
‘I haven’t stopped thinking about what you said. And you were right. This is the biggest risk of my life, your life, anyone’s life.’
She breathed in, her heart thudding so loudly that she suspected he must have heard it. ‘I know now that I will always love you, Scott Elstrom, and it doesn’t matter where you are in the world. And if that means that I have to let you go, to be free to do your work—’ she licked her lips ‘—then that is the way it has to be. I want to be with you. Love you. If you still want me to wait for you?’
Scott stood very still, staring at her, and she bit her lower lip in fear. She might have just made the biggest mistake of her life but this was the way it had to be and she was prepared to be turned down.
‘I could be away for six or seven months at a time, you know,’ he told her gently, his voice low, sensual and intimate.
‘Probably longer. But that is the way it has to be. I didn’t fall in love with an office clerk; I fell in love with you. I have to let you go and do what you have to do, wherever that is, so that you can be true to who you are. Because, just maybe, we can still get back together one day. I love you, Scott, and that is not going to change whether you’re in Alaska or the Himalayas or down the road.’
Scott didn’t answer, but she slid her fingers from his so that he could caress her face, his gaze scanning from her grubby nose to her roughly tied back out-of-control hair.
‘You love me, but you are willing to let me go and do this work which means so much to me? Is that right?’
She nodded, too afraid to trust her voice. ‘As long as you are somewhere in this world loving me, then I shall be fine. My heart will be your beacon home to my love. You don’t even need a map. You’ll always know where to find me. Apparently, there are people who still want their portrait painted so I’m staying put after all. Who knew?’
‘Then there’s only one answer to your question. Looking back these past few weeks, I can see just how low Alexa and Travis took me. I couldn’t believe that the woman I loved was capable of doing that to me. To us. I was in love with my wife, Toni, but she didn’t love me. That’s hard to come back from. So my answer is no. I don’t want you to wait for me.’
Her heart caught in her throat but he pressed one finger on her lips and smiled, breaking the terror. ‘You see, I’m not as brave as you are. As soon as I saw that portrait this morning, I knew that I couldn’t leave the woman I have fallen in love with without trying to come up with some options.’
He grinned at her and slid forward so that both of his hands were cupped around her face as tears pricked her eyes. ‘I love you way too much to let you go. I need you, Toni. I need you so much. Nothing else comes close. What would you say if I told you that Freya and I have come up with a plan which will make it possible for me to work out of London for the summer months?’
She shuddered out a chuckle of delight and relief. ‘I would say, Yes, please, and then I would ask how you have managed it.’
‘Freya has been fielding enquiries from location scouts from TV and movie companies all around the world. Your idea worked, Toni. It worked brilliantly. We already have bookings for most of the year and part of the next. Elstrom Mapping is safe for the next five years and I have a job as a location actor any time I want one.’
Scott took both of her hands in his, his voice suddenly full of life and excitement and enthusiasm. ‘There was one extra condition before I signed my new contract with the survey company in Alaska. I told them that I would only do it if I could bring my girlfriend with me to Anchorage in October so that she could see the Northern Lights for herself. After all, she is a professional artist and one of the Baldoni family. She deserves first class travel all of the way.’
‘Your girlfriend—’ She breathed out the words, tears pricking her wide eyes, scarcely daring to believe what he was saying.
‘You have given me the greatest compliment a man could wish for. You offered me your love and your confidence and the freedom to live my life. I never imagined I would find a woman who could love me as much as I loved her. I am not going anywhere without you and I mean that.’
Scott’s voice faltered as he pressed his forehead to her flushed brow.
‘I have travelled all over the world, Toni. I might have kidded myself that it was for work, but the truth is harder to accept. I needed to prove to myself that I was not a complete failure and that I hadn’t let my family down when I walked away from the firm.’
‘Oh, Scott. It was never your fault. Just as it wasn’t mine. I know that now. You have made a difference because the man I love has given his life to his family. And I know how many sacrifices that takes.’ She was stroking the hair back from his forehead now, her fingertips moving through the short curls as she stared into the depths of those stunning eyes.
‘I have never felt such an overwhelming sense of belonging than in those few days I spent with you. I didn’t even realize that I was looking for it. Your heart is my beacon home. Wherever you are is where I want to be. Bring me home, Toni. Bring me home.’
He knelt in front of her as he whispered in a husky intimate voice that she had only heard before in her dreams, ‘I love you and want you to be part of my life, Toni. If you’ll have me?’
Toni looked into a face so full of love that
