The VIP Doubles Down
Page 96

He gripped the podium and leaned toward her. “So here I am to grovel. I want to admit before my peers that I was wrong in many ways, Allie. I was wrong to keep you from your work. I was wrong to think only of my needs. I was wrong not to trust you, because you are the most honorable person I know. I humbly ask your forgiveness.”
Allie felt the tears spill over.
“And that is all I will ask.”
The joy welling up inside her drained away. All he wanted was her forgiveness when she wanted to give him her heart?
His hold on the podium grew so tight that she could see his knuckles whiten. “That’s all I ask because I love you so much that your happiness is more important than any desires of my own. It’s a hard lesson, but I’ve finally learned it.” He released his death grip on the wooden lectern and straightened as he once again turned to the whole room. “Thank you for listening.”
Then he started to walk off the stage.
Shock vibrated through her as she stared at his receding back.
“Gavin Miller!” She thrust herself up from her seat, toppling her wineglass onto the table. “Don’t you dare say you love me and then walk away.”
“Attagirl,” Jane muttered.
“If you’re going to grovel, you need to do it right.” Allie marched toward the short flight of steps that led up to the stage, shutting out the excited murmurs hissing through the audience.
Gavin spun around, his face lit with surprise and hope. As she reached the top step, he came toward her.
“If you say my happiness is so important to you, then prove it,” she said, making sure her voice was loud enough to be heard throughout the room. She wasn’t going to let him off easy.
He stopped two feet away from her. “You don’t want me, Allie. I’m a bad bet.”
“That’s my decision to make, not yours. Show me that you love me.”
He closed the distance between them and took both her hands in his powerful grip. He lifted first one hand and then the other to brush the backs with his warm, firm lips. Delight shimmered over the skin of her arms. Then she gasped as shock overshadowed all other sensations.
With slow, deliberate grace, he sank to his knees in front of her, so she looked down into his gray-green eyes.
His voice rang out as he said, “If you come back to me, I promise to love you the way you deserve. I will do everything in my power to make you happy every day of your life.” His voice dropped to a rasp. “And if you don’t come back to me, I will still love you, and I will still try to make you happy. Nothing will ever change that.”
The rawness of his admission clogged her throat with tears. But joy sang through her at the same time.
“I will always love you, too,” she choked out, tugging at his hands to make him stand up. “And I decided to come back as soon as you said the word grovel.”
In one fluid movement, he rose and swept her into his arms. “You’re making a terrible mistake.” Then he pulled her against him and kissed her in a way that convinced her he meant every word of love he’d said.
The feel of Gavin’s lips and hands made her body bloom and swell with pleasure. As his kiss gentled, she became aware of the sound of applause, and a blush seared up her cheeks. She’d forgotten they had witnesses. Gavin lifted his head, his eyes glowing with love and amusement. “Let’s find a place where we don’t have an audience.”
Allie nodded and turned to find the guests on their feet, clapping madly. Someone called, “Bravo!”
Gavin nodded to the room, a grin lighting his face, before he put his arm around her and practically carried her off the stage. He kept walking down a hallway that opened into the hotel lobby.
“Where are we going?” Allie asked, jogging to keep up with his long strides.
“Home. Because there’s one particular location where I’ve always wanted to make love to you.”
Jaros stood waiting by the Bentley as they burst out the front door onto the red-carpeted sidewalk. “Good to see you again, Miss Allie,” the chauffeur said, opening the car door.
“Same here, Jaros.” Allie gave him a big smile.
Gavin slid onto the seat beside her. He pulled her onto his lap, his arms wrapped around her, but instead of kissing her as she expected, he blew out a long breath. “I was so afraid I’d never feel the warmth of you against me again,” he said. “That I’d never hear you sass me with that West Virginia twang. That you’d never touch me with your hands that heal and incite and soothe, all at the same time.” His grip tightened. “That I would never be able to show you how much I love you.”
Allie tilted her head away from him so she could see his face. She combed her fingers through his hair, reveling in the familiar texture. “I thought I’d never hear your snark again. Never run my fingers through your hair like this.” She swallowed. “Never feel this alive again.”
“I’ve been an idiot, just as Luke said. No, I’ve been a bastard, like my father.” He cradled her face in his hands, stroking his thumbs over her skin. “But my mother showed me that love is endlessly forgiving.”
Allie smiled through her tears. “You found her. I’m so glad.”
“And she asked nothing of me. She offered me everything and asked for not a single thing in return.” His eyes glittered. “All the bitterness, all the sense of abandonment, all the anger just fell away. That’s when I began to believe that I might win your forgiveness.” He brushed the most tender of kisses over Allie’s lips. “But I knew that I had to offer my heart with no expectations, only hope.”
She smoothed her hands over his shoulders. “The man you were at the ball was someone else, someone I didn’t know. That’s why I left.”
“I should have listened to you.” He blew out a long breath. “I can’t guarantee I’ll never be an ass again, but I promise always to hear you first.”
“I’ll take that promise.” Allie smiled at him. “If you’re an ass, I’ll just give you a smack and tell you to settle down.”
He laughed as his eyes went hot. Lowering his head, he kissed her in a way that sent streamers of longing fluttering through her body. That reminded her of something, and she pushed at his chest to separate them by an inch. “You said you had someplace in mind to make love. Where is it?”