Page 28 of Hayes

"Was I asking that of you?"

"I cannot just simply say yes to marrying you, there are things—so much that needs to be sorted out between us."

"And you think that by sneaking around to see each other, it will be solved." He sat on the edge of the bed. "I want to get the chance to take you with me, for you to be on my arm whenever I attend a function. I want it to be known that we are together at last." His hand lifted to cup her cheek. "I cannot accept anything less."

"You are with Simone."

"And I will be breaking it off."

"Not yet–"

"You don't get to tell me what to do."

"It's my life, too."

"And I am telling you, that as of now, we are going to be in this together."

"You are thinking of yourself!" she cried. "I cannot deal with the publicity, and that's what it's going to be. Everything in my past is going to come back to haunt me. I can see the headlines now: 'Daughter of famous murder-suicide couple involved with CEO of Marsden Industries'. I can see it because it would be something I would write."

"Then write it."

"What?"

"Get in front of it and put it out there first. Control the narrative if you must. You have an inside scoop. I am not hiding our relationship, and I am telling you that we can get through this."

"I am asking you for time. Break up with her if you must, but I need time, and if you continue to push me on this, I'll–"

"You'll what? Run away again? Break me all over again like you did before?"

"That's not fair," she said quietly, suddenly exhausted by the constant battle between them. "I just got back, and I am trying to find my footing. All I am asking is that we lay low. I am aware that it will not be easy for us to do so, but I need this."

"And when you attend the function on Saturday, what should I do? Pretend that we don't know each other?" he demanded.

"I am sure I will be attending." She flinched at the look on his face.

"Not even in support of me, the man you love?"

"You don't need me to support you."

"I do. I need you for everything, and that's something you are avoiding. I need you by my side, in my bed, in my damn life. We wasted twelve years, and I resent the fact that we did. We could have been married with children–" His voice tailed off at the pained look on her face, and he could have bitten off his tongue. "Don't."

"Don't what?" she asked quietly. "Regret that I will never be able to give you children. That I will never know the joy of motherhood? That there will never be a baby suckling at my breast? I do, and it's killing me."

"Am I not enough for you?" he asked softly.

"Damn you Hayes. You are not thinking, or you are thinking of the now and not the future. I have said my piece, and I am not going to budge."

"I adore you."

Camelia felt her heart turning over as she stared at him. She hated fate for dealing her the vicious blow that rendered her incapable of giving him everything. She felt inadequate as a woman and it was killing her, but he refused to see it.

"Please don't do that to me," she whispered.

"You are my life," he continued relentlessly. "My everything, and if it takes the rest of it, I am not going to stop until you stop this nonsense and be with me all the way."

"Hayes."

"I love you. I have always loved you. And do you know how I am sure about it? I have been with a number of women and none of them compares to you, not even close. It's always you; it will always be you until I close my eyes for the final time." He took her hand, his fingers linking with hers.