Ian's Ultimate Gamble - Brenda Jackson [49]
A half hour later Brooke was convinced there was nothing more romantic than dining beneath the stars; especially when the person you were with was Ian Westmoreland. Dinner was delicious. Melt-in-your-mouth yeast rolls, a steak that had been cooked on an open grill, roasted potatoes, broccoli, the freshest salad to ever touch her lips and her favorite dessert— strawberry cheesecake.
Over dinner he surprised her by sharing with her his dream to open another casino in the Bahamas. He also mentioned the conversation he'd had with his mother earlier and her excitement over the prospect of her first grandchildren being twins.
"I just can't imagine Durango married," Brooke said, shaking her head, thinking about Ian's brother who'd been the biggest flirt she'd ever met. But then, Durango was also a really nice guy and she really liked him.
"Neither could I at first, but after meeting Savannah you'll see why. They may have married because of her pregnancy, but now there's no doubt in my mind that Durango really loves her. So it seems another Westmoreland bachelor has bitten the dust."
"Yes. it seems that way," Brooke said, lowering her head to take another sip of her wine to avoid looking into Ian's eyes. Maybe it was her imagination but she had caught him staring at her a number of times during the course of the evening.
When dinner was over he stood and crossed the room to turn on a stereo system. Immediately, music began playing, a slow instrumental performed by Miles Davis. Ian returned to her chair and stretched out his hand. "Will you dance with me, Brooke?"
Brooke sighed, wondering where all this was leading. The thought that he was going through all this just to tell her goodbye was unsettling, and when he wrapped his arms around her, she placed her head on his chest, fighting back the tears. They'd barely made it through the song when she pulled out of his arms, not able to take it anymore, and took a step back, withdrawing from him.
"Brooke? What's wrong?"
"I'm sorry, Ian. but I can't take it anymore. You didn't have to go through all of this. Why don't you just say the words so I can leave?"
Ian lifted a brow. He had planned on saying the words, but for some reason he had a feeling that the words he planned on saying weren't what she was expecting to hear. "And what words do you think I'm going to say, Brooke?" he asked, balling his hands into fists by his side to keep from reaching out to her.
"You know the usual. Goodbye. Adios. Sayonara. Arrivederci. Au revoir. Take your pick. They all mean the same thing in whatever language."
He took a step closer to her. "Umn, how about Je t'aime. Te amo. Kimi o ai shiteni. Nakupenda. And only because I hear Jamal say it often to Delaney in Arabic, how about. Ana behibek."
He took another step closer as his gaze roamed over her. "But I prefer the plain old English version," he said, reaching out and taking her hand and pulling her close to him. "I love you."
The tears Brooke had fought to hold back earlier flowed down her face. Ian had admitted he loved her. Did he really mean it?
As if reading her mind he tipped her chin up to meet his gaze. "And yes, I mean it. I never stopped loving you, Brooke, although God knows I tried. But I couldn't. Spending time with you this week and a half has been wonderful and it made me realize what you mean to me. I've been living and functioning these past four years, but that's about all. But the moment you walked into my office that day and I breathed in your scent, a part of me knew what had been missing from my life, and this morning when I admitted in my heart what you meant to me, I decided I don't plan to let you ever go again."
Brooke's heart felt like it was going to burst in her chest because she knew if he ever discovered the real reason she'd been here he would feel differently. She knew then that she had to tell him everything. "Ian, there's something I need to tell you. There're things you need to know."
"Sounds serious, but the only serious thing I want to hear is