“I’m sorry about your sister.” Her lower lip trembled for a millisecond before it stiffened. “You can leave now. I don’t think I want to hear anything else.”
“You said five minutes.”
“I changed my mind.”
I stalked around the table towards her. Before she could get away, I wrapped my arms around her waist and leaned down until my mouth was level with her ear. I couldn’t help noticing how the hairs on her body stood on end at my touch.
“We’re going to talk about us, and we’re going to talk now.”
If she refused to talk, I wouldn’t leave her alone until she caved. I wouldn’t give up.
Giving me a put-upon sigh, she lifted my hands from her waist and inclined her head toward the library. “In there.”
I studied the sway of her hips as she walked into the book-filled room and stood by a bay window. Snow drifted outside, and a twinkling pine tree in the corner gave the room the feel of an old-fashioned Christmas Card.
“What is it, Keegan?” she asked, her voice tired. “There is no us to talk about. The whole thing with Shane—”
“He’s going to prison.”
“What?” She pressed her fingertips against her lips.
“He tried to get me to pay him a hundred grand as well as put cameras in the castle bedrooms. I set him up. He was arrested.”
“When?”
“The day before you told Barb the truth. He’s the reason I hurt my head.”
“You got into a fight?” Her mouth fell open, and she rubbed the heel of her hand against her chest.
“Of sorts.”
“Why set him up? Why go to that trouble?”
“Because you didn’t deserve any of it. Him stealing your money. Me blackmailing you. I wanted to make things right.”
She held her fingers to her temples and sighed. “By lying? By making me feel like I was the only one in the wrong? Were you ever going to tell me?”
“As soon as the wedding was over, I would have. I swear.” I locked the door so we wouldn’t be disturbed. “I’m sorry. I was angry and should never have accused you of unethical business practices or trying to ruin my reputation. I did that all by myself.”
Her arms fell to her side, and she turned toward me with wide eyes. “Is that all? Don’t forget the kitten I kicked? The child I stole candy from?”
“Someone once told me sarcasm is the lowest form of wit.”
I waited for a response, a laugh, some kind of reaction, but none came.
“I like you, Tessa. It’s more than like. I might lov—love you, and that terrifies me. I never thought I’d have these kinds of feelings again.” My voice sounded rougher with each word like I was losing control of my emotions. “Grace left me in a dark place. Since then, I haven’t allowed myself to feel, to remember what it was like being with someone who gave me chills from walking into a room. Someone who gave me hope. Challenged me. I don’t believe in love at first sight, but we could be great together. There’s a chemistry I can’t explain.”
Tessa heaved out a breath, and my heart clutched painfully. Every muscle in my body went on high alert, ready to bolt. But no matter how much I wanted to run, I wasn’t going to. Not this time. Not ever.
“You were a jerk and an asshole.” Tessa crossed her arms and faced the window again. “But,” she said then sighed, “I’m as much to blame. I should’ve told you everything about Shane, and I should’ve talked to you before I said anything to Barb. I’m sorry.
“I don’t know what’s happening here either. Maybe this castle has some sort of Christmas love magic. And I-I guess I might… be falling in love with you. But you live in New York, and my home is here. A long-distance relationship isn’t going to be easy. I’m not sure it would even work.”
I walked toward her and rested my hands on the dip of her waist. The way her body shivered in response stopped my breath for a moment and told me everything I needed to know. Tessa was my future. My forever.
I swallowed hard. “I can move here for a few months.”
She slowly turned to face me. “You’d do that?”
“I’d do anything to give us a fighting chance.”
A quizzical smile replaced the sadness on her face. “What convinced you to come back? And don’t tell me it was to give Barb away.”
I reached into my jacket pocket and took out my phone. “This did.” I pressed play on the video. It showed Tessa in the foyer with her hands gripping a microphone as she shout-sang, “I will always love you, Keegan Devlin, even though you’re a douche canoe and an asshat.”
When the video ended, splotches of red colored her cheeks and chest, and she hid her face in her hands. “Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no. Delete immediately.”
“No chance.” I chuckled and slid the phone back into my pocket. “This is what I’m going to show our grandkids. I’ll tell them it was the moment their grandma admitted she was falling for their granddad. You can explain to them what a douche canoe and an asshat is.”
I pried Tessa’s hands from her face and tipped her head up until our lips were less than a centimeter apart. I closed the distance between us and pressed my mouth to hers.
Chapter Twenty-One
Tessa
I ran my hands down his chest, marveling at how much I missed touching him. All thoughts of anything other than being here with him evaporated, and I placed my hand on top of his thundering heart.
With a gentle push, Keegan walked me backward until
