she cared about him. He knew that really, deep in his heart.
In reality, it had been his fault this had all turned into such an awful mess in the blink of an eye because he’d lied about his memory coming back so they could take their relationship further; and it had definitely been him who had asked her to go with him to the meeting with Carter. He remembered the look of wary uncertainty on her face now when he’d suggested it. That, he knew without a doubt, had been absolutely genuine.
He could recognise all that now—now he’d started to see through the fog of fear and panic that had engulfed him earlier.
Looking inside himself, he knew he’d forgiven her a long time ago for what had happened between them. Really, he’d hated himself for being so weak and proud, but until now he’d been too afraid to admit it to himself because it was easier to hate someone than to admit how much you loved them. How much it tore you apart to not have that love returned.
A small defiant part of him still wanted to hang on to the animosity he’d hidden his feelings behind, to keep himself safe from any more pain and uncertainty, but he knew he couldn’t do that. Not after she’d been brave enough to turn up here, dripping wet and bedraggled, to lay her heart at his feet when she could have just got on a plane with her signed contract and never had to face him again.
He wouldn’t do that to her because what he wanted most in the world was a real and honest relationship with her, even if their journey together was likely to be littered with obstacles and challenges.
She made him happy.
He loved her and she loved him and when it came down to it that was all that really mattered.
Seeming to sense a softening in his attitude, she moved closer to him and tentatively raised a hand to his face. The warmth of her touch heated his skin, starting a fire in his chest which radiated out through his body until every centimetre of him ached to hold her against him again.
‘Please, Caleb, please forgive me. Let me back in,’ she whispered.
The crack of pain and desperation in her voice broke through the very last of his reserve and he felt the final tendrils of his anger leave him, washed away by the dizzying elation of her presence here—the place where she belonged.
Cupping her jaw in his hands, he smiled at her, drawing her closer. ‘There’s nothing to forgive. I’ve been wrong to hold what happened between us all those years ago against you, but it was easier to hate you than face what I’d become: a bitter, cold-hearted fool.’
She opened her mouth as if to disagree but he held up his hand, asking her to wait until he’d finished.
‘Being with you has brought me alive again. I love being around you; the world feels like a better place when you’re here.’
He frowned as he remembered the horrified look on her face in the restaurant just before he’d stormed away in angry confusion. ‘When my memory came back earlier this evening I think I panicked. I suddenly had all these conflicting thoughts and feelings racing through my head, and I didn’t know what was truth and what was fiction any more. My natural instinct was to push you away to protect myself. I was afraid you didn’t really care about me the way I’d hoped you did and it scared the hell out of me.’
He stroked his thumbs across her cheeks, brushing away the tears that had begun to streak down her face.
‘Because I love you, Elena,’ he murmured, holding her gaze with his for one precious moment, seeing relief and love light up in her eyes, before bringing his mouth down to hers with a kiss that took his breath away at the utter perfection of it.
He felt her finally relax against him and he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her and pressing their bodies tightly together, feeling the strongest compulsion to never let her go again.
‘Caleb, your rib,’ she muttered against his shoulder where her face was squashed by his encircled arms.
‘It’s fine. Don’t worry.’
‘I don’t want to hurt you,’ she said, pulling away to look up into his face.
‘You won’t,’ he said with conviction.
‘You know, we’re probably going to be one of those couples that constantly strikes sparks off each other,’ she said with a hint of worry in her eyes.
‘I hope so,’ he said, dipping down to nuzzle her neck and feeling great satisfaction in the little shiver of enjoyment she gave. ‘It will keep life exciting.’
‘So we’ll have to make sure our kids know how much we love each other,’ she said with determination in her voice.
He drew back and raised both eyebrows. ‘Kids?’
She nodded firmly. ‘Yes. I want three.’
‘That’s brave,’ he said, adding a wry lilt of humour to his voice, though deep down he knew that having children with her would make him the happiest man in the world. She’d be an incredible mother: caring, brave and compassionate, and would fight tooth and nail for her children’s happiness and security, making sure they knew how loved they were, how wanted.
‘I am brave now,’ she said. ‘I refuse to be afraid of the future any more. We’ll take life as it comes, you and I, and deal with anything it throws at us together.’
‘I like your style, Elena Jones,’ he murmured, bending to kiss her hard and let her know just how much he meant that.
‘And I like yours, Caleb Araya,’ she said once she’d got her breath back.
And with that sentiment lifting his heart he took her hand in his and led her out of the cold empty hallway and into the shelter of his home.
Two years later
IT WAS UNSEASONABLY warm for London in February as Caleb strode through Green Park on his way to meet Elena by the Tube station and he loosened his tie and undid the top button of his shirt, finding relief as the gentle breeze hit his heated skin. He was taking her out for high tea at The Ritz to celebrate her recent design award for her Zipabout cars and was running a little late after a meeting in the City had gone on longer than he’d anticipated.
They’d both been astonished and delighted by the huge impact that the Zipabout cars had had on the electric car industry and Elena was already deep into the design and pre-manufacture of a new model on the back of its success. He was ridiculously proud of all she’d achieved and infinitely delighted to be able to say he’d played some small part in it.
He saw the cars everywhere he went now, both here in England, where they spent big chunks of time in order for Elena to keep in close contact with her company, and also in Spain, where they’d made a permanent home together in the Pedralbes area in the district of Les Corts, which they’d chosen for its wide avenues and green open spaces as well as the spectacular views towards Barcelona.
He hadn’t needed much persuasion to move from his rather sequestered, cavernous flat in L’Eixample and into a comfortable four-bed house set within a friendly community of families and professionals, and for the first time in his life he felt truly
