The Summer of Sunshine and Margot(113)

“Not Sunshine,” Alec told her. “Sorry to disappoint.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Waiting for you.”

“In my apartment?”

“So it seems.”

“You broke into my apartment?”

She was having trouble grasping the fact that he was here and he was cooking.

The big kitchen windows were behind him so she couldn’t see much beyond his silhouette. She had no idea what he was thinking, but figured it couldn’t be bad. He’d hardly break into her place and heat leftovers so he could hurt her again.

He leaned against the door frame and raised and lowered one shoulder. “One of my mother’s boyfriends was a cat burglar. He taught me a few basic skills. I never thought I’d use them, but it turns out they came in handy.”

“You broke into my apartment?” she repeated, then shook her head. “Wait. That’s not like you at all.”

“You’re right. It’s not. It’s something my mother would do, though.”

Now Margot was confused. Kind of hopeful, but confused. “I don’t understand. Is Bianca here?”

“No. Just me.”

He walked toward her, his stride just a little bit predatory. As if he was going to... What? Claim her? No, that wasn’t his style, but neither was an early evening B&E.

He stopped in front of her. At last she could see his face. His expression was warm, his eyes filled with affection as he smiled at her.

“I screwed up,” he told her. “I was wrong to end things the way I did. Actually I was wrong to end things at all. My feelings for you terrified me.”

“You didn’t want to turn into your mother.”

He raised his eyebrows. “You knew that?”

“Everyone knew that. The gardeners knew that. Why else would you keep yourself so tightly wound and your world so controlled?”

“And I did want to be that man of mystery.”

“Sorry. That’s not going to happen.”

He touched her cheek. “I love you, Margot. I have from the first day you walked into my office, although it took me a while to figure it out.”

She forced herself to stay silent. She wanted to hear all he had to say and not just the highlights.

“I don’t trust easily,” he said. “You know many of the reasons. Bianca can be wonderful, but she can also be difficult and there were times when she downright terrified me. I was determined to be nothing like her. I defined my life by that credo and built up walls.”

“Literal and figurative,” she murmured.

He smiled. “Exactly. But what I didn’t notice while doing all that is that my mother is strong and passionate and brave. We all have flaws, but few of us have her courage. I didn’t until now.”

He stared into her eyes. “You are my world, Margot. My one true love. I hope you can forgive me for reacting so poorly to my ridiculous fears. We’re good together and I’d like the chance to spend the rest of my life proving that to you.”

“I’d like that, too.”

The smile returned. “You would? And why is that?”

“I love you, too.”

He cupped her face and kissed her. “Thank you for giving me a second chance.”

“I couldn’t help myself. I was lost without you.”

“And I was a fool to push you away.”

She nodded. “You were. And now you owe me.”

“It’s why I made dinner.”

“You heated up something I’d already cooked.”

“I brought a loaf of French bread and a bottle of good wine.”

“Oh, then it’s okay.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “You really broke into my apartment.”

“I did.”

“What other skills do you have that I don’t know about?”

He grinned. Right before he kissed her, he said, “Let’s go find out.”