Page 74 of Love Bomb

“Rona,” he said. “You’re the only woman who’s been in this bedroom. I’m not the guy I used to be. Please believe me.”

Oh, how she wanted to do just that. Every fiber of her being wanted to grasp onto his words, forget her fears, and lose herself in Bain.

But she couldn’t.

All she could imagine was the morning after. Bain smiling at her while he thanked her for the memories and told her she’d always be a cherished part of his life. Bain turning away from her, having had his fill. Bain moving on with his life.

No, she couldn’t do it.

She’d heard how he gently let girls down, knew he left them wanting more. And yes, they’d had a smile on their faces when he did it. But she wouldn’t smile if it happened to her. He meant too much to her.

After a lifetime of being cast aside by the people she loved, she couldn’t let it happen again. Especially not from Bain. It was a risk she just wasn’t willing to take, no matter how good a night with him might be.

And, it was no great surprise to realize that after half her lifetime away from him, Rona still loved Bain. She’d loved him with the naïve hope of a young girl before she’d left Invertary, and now she loved him with the desire of a woman. A desire that wanted not just passion, but love in return.

And she wasn’t even sure Bain could feel romantic love.

“I’m sorry,” she said again.

She knew the words weren’t enough. Not for either of them. Even now, resolved in her decision, she was still tempted just to give in. It hurt not touching him. Leaving a deep ache inside of her that she wasn’t sure would ever be healed.

“I’m sorry too,” Bain said. “I wish you’d believe me when I say I’ve changed. I’m not looking for another one-night stand. How am I supposed to prove that my man-whoring days are over, Rona? I want a relationship. With you.”

Wait. What?

“You want a relationship?” Her mind was reeling.

“Aye, but I see now offering something as vague and open-ended as a relationship isn’t enough to prove I’ve changed.” A look of utter determination passed across his face. “But don’t worry, I know what to do to convince you to give me a chance.”

WAIT! WHAT?

Suddenly, he got up from the bed, went down on one knee, and said, “Rona, will you marry me?”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth Bain knew he’d hit on the perfect solution to all of his problems. He wanted a committed relationship, and there was nothing more committed than marriage. And who better to take as his wife than Rona?

He mentally ticked off all the check boxes she filled. He already knew her, which meant he didn’t have to waste time breaking in someone new. They got on great together—usually. They had a shared history which, he noticed, gave couples something to talk about when things were slow. On top of that, she’d grown up to be gorgeous. And they were clearly sexually compatible. It was bloody perfect.

The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that he’d stumbled on the holy grail of ideas.

He was a genius.

“Are you mad?” Rona yelled.

Okay, not the response he’d been hoping for, but then she was probably in shock.

“No, I’m totally serious,” he said. “We already know all the bad stuff about each other and we still like one another, so there will be no unpleasant surprises in the future. We enjoy each other’s company. And we obviously have no problems in bed.“ Other than he might die from frustration if they didn’t finish what they kept starting. “I think we should give this a go.”

“And I think you should get some counseling!”

She climbed out of bed and he was momentarily distracted by her swaying breasts and lush rounded hips.

Focus!

”Don’t dismiss this out of hand,” he said, scrambling to his feet. “Mull it over and you’ll see it makes perfect sense. In fact, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it earlier.”

“I don’t know if you’re even thinking at all,” she snapped as she quickly threw on her clothes.

“Look,” he said. “I know this proposal comes as a shock, but I mean every word. Neither one of us wants a one-night stand, and I’ve been thinking about having a long-term relationship for a while now. If we get married, it solves all our problems.”