Her throat was closing on her and her vision was blurring. She really didn’t want to cry in front of him, not anymore, but if she didn’t get the door closed fast that was exactly what was going to happen and her humiliation would be complete.
His words echoed over and over again in her mind and she wanted to hold on to them. But how could she? She would have given anything to believe him. To hear those words and hold them close. Instead, she said, “How can I believe you, Cedric?”
Sorrow glimmered in his eyes and his mouth tightened into a hard, flat line.
“I know and I’m sorry. Sorrier than you realize. As I said, I made mistakes. But loving you isn’t one of them, Anna. You have to believe me. You have to know that what I feel is real. I want to stay married to you… Forever.” He laughed shortly. “There’s a sentence I never thought I’d hear myself say to anyone.”
She shivered and fought to keep her tears from falling. “Stop. Please.”
“No,” he told her sincerely, his eyes fixed on hers, “I’ll never stop. You’re the soul of me, Anna. You’re the piece of me that was always missing. Hell, I didn’t even know I was incomplete until I found you.” He slid his hand over the door to rest atop hers. “And I can’t lose you now. I won’t go back to being alone.”
Just that one touch of his skin against hers sent heat she hadn’t known in months skimming through her system. Still, Anna couldn’t believe. Couldn’t risk it.
“You were my mystery woman, Anna,” he said. “But I see now the only mystery is how I ever managed to live without you in my life. Give me a chance to make it all up to you, Anna. Give us that chance.”
She stared into his eyes, longing to believe, but just too shattered to try. “I really wish I could believe you, Cedric. But I just can’t.”
Then she closed the door and let the tears fall.
________________
Late that night, Cedric muttered a curse as the heavens opened up on him.
He’d never had to work so hard to get any woman in his life. Always, they had come easily to him. Always, he’d started relationships, ended them when he wanted without looking back. Until now.
Now, everything rested on his being able to convince one woman-the woman-that she was the most important thing in his world. That she was his world.
And he wasn’t going to lose.
She was stubborn? He was more stubborn. If she thought he was going to give up and go away, then she had a big surprise in store for her. He stepped out of his car and was instantly drenched.
Naturally, it was pouring rain. Wouldn’t want this to be easy at all. He stared at Anna’s house, glanced at the neighbors on either side. It was dark. No one would see him. Then he shifted his gaze to Anna’s bedroom window. She was in there. Snuggled under her blankets. Alone. But not for long.
He swiped his wet hair out of his eyes and headed directly across the lawn toward her bedroom. He was through going to the front door, asking her to let him in. Enough already. She was going to listen to him. She was going to believe him. And he damn well wasn’t going to leave until she did.
He smiled as he lifted her window, glad that it was still unlocked. The window frame, still soaked from the previous storm, screeched a little as it slid up and Cedric winced. He paused, looked over his shoulder and noticed a light come on in at her neighbor’s house. Damn it! If she looked out and saw him climbing through a window, she’d be calling the cops any second now. No time to waste.
He climbed in, hit his shin on the windowsill and muffled the curse that flew from his mouth. On the bed, Anna stirred beneath her blankets and turned so that the dim light of the rainy night fell across her features. Cedric’s chest tightened. He loved her more than he’d ever thought it was possible to love anyone. The room was small and filled with shadows. But he didn’t need to see to know where his destination was.
Walking quietly toward the bed, he shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it onto the floor with a sodden splat. Shaking his head, he sat down beside her, laid one hand on her hip and whispered, “Anna. Anna, wake up.”
She turned toward him with a slow, languid movement, opened her eyes sleepily and stared up at him. A second passed before she blinked and said, “Cedric?”
“Were you expecting someone else?” he asked wryly.
“No, and I wasn’t expecting you, either.”
She scooted back from him, but Cedric wasn’t going to lose his momentum now.
He reached out, grabbed her and pulled her to him.
“You’re soaking wet!” she said.
“It’s raining outside.”
“How did you get in here?” She was squirming, trying to get free of him, but Cedric only tightened his hold on her.
“Climbed through your window.” He looked down into her eyes. “You really need to lock your windows.”
“Apparently.”
“Look, Anna, your neighbor saw me climbing in, I think, so I’ve gotta talk fast, because she’s probably calling the cops to report a break-and-entry.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake!”
“You see what I’m willing to do for you?” He asked the question with a wide grin. He was soaking wet, cold down to the bone and yet he hadn’t felt so warm in days. Just having her here, beside him, made everything all right. Still smiling, he said, “I’m probably going to get arrested, so now you have to listen to me.”
“Cedric, you’re crazy.”
“Probably.”
She swung her hair back from her face and looked up at him, eyes shining.
“Why are you doing all this? Why do you keep trying?”
“Because you’re worth it,” he told her, his voice deep and low. “You’re worth anything.”
“Cedric, I want to believe you, I really do.”
“Because you still love me,” he said, tracing the pads of his thumbs across her cheekbones. “Why won’t you admit it?”
Her eyes closed and a single tear slid from beneath her eyelid. He kissed it away.
“I can’t. If I do, you’ll break my heart again,” she said, her voice almost lost in the steady patter of the rain falling outside.