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I cupped her cheek. “Look at me, Alena.”
She raised her face.
“I thought a lot about the time I wasted. Wishing I could go back and do it all over again. Get to know you, spend time with you. All those weeks I could’ve seen you for who you really are instead of arguing with you.”
“I’ve wished that too.”
“Those few days we had together, they were the best of my life.”
Her eyes darted back and forth between mine.
“I mean it, Alena.”
“Do you?”
I leaned forward and kissed her. Warmth spread throughout my body, warmth I hadn’t felt in over two months, when she didn’t pull away.
“It was the first time in my life I fell in love.”
“Henry?”
“I love you, Alena. I’ll wait forever to hear you say it back to me, but I can’t wait another minute to say those words to you. I love you.” Not trusting what she might say to me, I kissed her again, gently at first, but when she deepened it, I matched her, passion to passion.
She abruptly ended it and put her hand on my face. “Can you forgive me?”
“There’s nothing to forgive.”
“I didn’t think…I mean, the surgeries and the recovery and?—”
I put my finger on her lips. “I want to know everything you went through, what you’re going through now, and what lies ahead. I only ask that you don’t say you’re sorry again. I understand. Everything you did was because you believed it was the right thing for you. I’ll never question those decisions. I also won’t force you to allow me to stay now. But, Alena, I will ask you to let me.”
“What about the mission? You know I can never…I can’t go back.”
“There is an entire coalition handling the mission. I go where I’m needed most, and the way I see it, that’s here, with you.”
“I can’t ask you to do that.”
“The only way I’ll leave is if you tell me you don’t want me here. If you tell me you don’t think you can ever love me.”
“I can’t tell you either of those things.”
I tightened my hold around her. “Why not?”
“Because I do want you here, and, Henry, I already love you.”
26
VERITY
Henry and I spent two weeks together, only leaving the chalet when we absolutely had to. We spent hours making love, talking, eating, and going for short walks so I could strengthen my legs.
We ordered food and groceries to be delivered, and other than when I had to go to physical therapy, it was the only time we saw any other people. Even then, it was only one person—Bernard.
When I returned to Châteaux Relais, I’d told him I was in a car accident and that my husband was working and unable to travel here with me. I’d asked him not to talk to anyone else about my situation, and he’d promised he wouldn’t. Since Hans was gone, there wasn’t anyone else here to meet him anyway.
I could see the anger he’d directed at Henry at first, but little by little, when he saw how happy I was, his attitude softened.
While Nemesis knew where he was and that he was with me, I’d asked him not to tell her what I went through. I wanted to do that myself and in my own time.