On A Night Like This (Callaways #1)

don't," she said immediately, shaking her head. "You don't do love. You told me so. You told me so a lot!"
    "I was trying to convince myself as much as I was trying to convince you."
    "You've had an emotional few weeks, Aiden. You lost your friend. You're in pain. You're lonely. You're not thinking straight. You'll wake up in a week and wonder why the hell you told me such a lie."
    "Stop trying to talk me out of it," he said forcefully. "Everything you said is true, but I know what I'm saying. I know what I'm feeling. You're the one I want. And if I have to tell you again in a week or a month or a year or every day for the next fifty years, then I'll do that. I'm not going to change my mind. I've never told a woman I loved her. You're the first and the only."
    "Really, Aiden?"
    He met her gaze head on. "Really. I'm putting myself on the line for you. It's your turn now, Sara. You can say no. You can walk away. It's your call."
    "It just seems unreal," she said. "You've always been this amazing possibility for me, but that possibility has never really been within my reach."
    "I'm right here, and you can touch me wherever you want."
    She gave him an emotional smile. "I'm starting to believe you."
    "Good. I'll admit that my love doesn't go back as far as yours does. But I've always cared about you, Sara. I pushed you away all those years ago not only to protect you, but also to protect myself. Even then, I sensed that you had the potential to turn my life upside down, and I couldn't take that risk. I wasn't ready for you then."
    "And you're ready now? You have to be sure, because I can't start something with you, Aiden, if you're not willing to go all the way. I don't just want to be your lover, I want to be your—everything." She laughed and cried at her choice of words. "God, I feel fourteen again. That sounded really stupid."
    He grinned. "It sounded wonderful. I can commit, Sara. I just never wanted to before. But I want to commit to you. I love you," he repeated.
    Her heart filled with tremendous joy. "I really hope I'm not dreaming right now."
    "If you are, then I am, too."
    "It's crazy."
    "No, it's not crazy. You're an amazing woman. You're smarter than just about everyone I know. You're beautiful, kind, and incredibly generous."
    "I like those words better than cute and quirky, but I think you left something out."
    He laughed. "How about you're sexy as hell and every time I see you, I want to rip your clothes off?"
    "Much better." She gave him a wicked smile. "And just so you know, I feel exactly the same way every time I see you." She paused. "But it's not just physical attraction for me, either. I've admired you for as long as I can remember. You're one of the most amazing people I've ever met, and the reason I've stayed single all these years is that somewhere in my heart I was hoping we'd run into each other again. Emma is going to think I'm nuts!"
    "Probably. She doesn't see me the way you do. But my family will be thrilled to see us together. They love you, too." He lowered his head and gave her a tender kiss that was filled with promise. Then he lifted his gaze to hers. "I want to be your everything, Sara." He paused. "Wait, is that a song title?"
    "Probably," she said with a laugh. "I came up with that line when I was writing in my teenage diary. I never imagined I'd actually say it out loud and that you wouldn't run away or burst out laughing. But here you are."
    "Here I am," he repeated. "I'm not laughing, and I'm not going anywhere. You're it for me. And just so you know, my future is wide open. If you want to live in New York, I'll go back there with you."
    She was incredibly touched by his generosity. "You? My nature guy in the urban jungle?"
    "As long as I'm in your bed at night, I don't much care where I am during the day. And I'm sure New York has some nature somewhere. It also has a fire department."
    "I am tremendously touched by your offer, but I don't want to go back to New York," she said. "I want to start something new. I want to find what's really right for me. And I can do that here in San Francisco. Or maybe even in Redding."
    "I doubt you'll find a big law firm there."
    "I can always open my own firm. I like the idea of being the boss. And there's a magical pool in a nearby forest that's just perfect for swimming."
    "I don’t want you to give up anything for me, Sara."
    She squeezed his hands, gave him a loving smile, and said, "I don't want you to give up anything for me, either.