Free His to Command #6: The Surrender by Opal Carew Page A

you told me what really happened, and Ileana’s part in it, I went back and had her removed as our contact immediately. I told the senior partner of her firm that I didn’t want her having anything to do with my business.”
    She nodded, and he glided his finger along her cheek, then she settled her head against his chest again.
    “As it turns out, he was only too happy to replace her. It seems she’d been indiscreet while having an affair with two of the partners at the same time, causing jealousy and a lot of friction around the office. The only reason they’d kept her around was because of her connection to me. As soon as I severed that, they fired her.”
    “So she’s out of a job?”
    “Kate, you can’t tell me you feel sorry for her.”
    “No, it’s not that. When she was here, she wanted to get the ring, saying it was hers and she shouldn’t have given it back to you.”
    “It was never hers.”
    Kate nodded. “But do you think she would actually have taken the ring? She’d said something about moving to California to start again, and that the ring would go a long way toward a down payment on a house.”
    “She would certainly have trouble finding work in New York again after the problems she’s caused. I wouldn’t put it past her to take the ring. Then, if I tried to charge her with theft, she might find a way to turn it around on you if you had let her take the ring, or just deny that she had it.” He shrugged. “Or she probably just expected that I couldn’t be bothered going after her for it.”
    She tightened her arms around him. “I’m just glad she’s no longer a part of our life.”
    Our life. She gazed up at Matt. She so much wanted a shared life with him. She loved him so much her heart ached.
    But there was something standing in the way of that, and she had to know what it was.
    “Matt, last night you wouldn’t talk about it, but I really want to know about the woman you bought the ring for.”
    “Kate…”
    “No, please. I know she hurt you. And I assume you still love her. But you need to move on with your life. You need to get over her.”
    “Kate, that’s what I’ve been trying to do.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and pressed her back. Their bodies parted and the comfort of being close to him slipped away. He stared at her, pain emanating from his eyes. “But it’s harder than you know.”
    “Why, Matt? Who is she? What did she do to you?”
    “She didn’t do anything. It’s what I did.”
    She looked at him, confused. She couldn’t imagine Matt doing anything that would drive a woman away.
    He tucked his finger under her chin and tilted her face toward him. “And the woman is you.”
    She shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
    “Kate, I bought the ring for you. Before the party. Ileana came with me to pick it out. I was going to propose the following weekend.”
    Her chin trembled as she gazed at him. “You were going to propose…to me?”
    He nodded. “I had it all planned out. I booked a romantic getaway and I was going to propose on bended knee under the stars. I bought this house for us to live in.” He stroked her cheek with yearning in his eyes.
    “Oh, Matt.” She surged forward and kissed him, her lips moving on his passionately.
    His arms swept around her as he answered her loving kiss.
    “Oh, Matt, I love you.”
    His eyes turned guarded and he tried to draw back, but she tightened her arms around him.
    “Kate, I shouldn’t have told you that. It was selfish and—”
    She stopped his words with another kiss, wanting to break down his resolve.
    “No, I won’t let you take it back. You love me. No matter what else you have to say, no matter what happens in the future, right now I know you love me.” She stroked his cheek, tenderness flooding through her. “And I love you. Give me this.”
    Emotions warred in his eyes, then he relented and dragged her against his solid chest again. His mouth consumed hers, his tongue delving