Follow Your Heart (Catalina Cove #4) - Brenda Jackson Page 0,87

month?”

She smiled up at him. “Yes. However, I do have a request.”

“And what is that, sweetheart?”

“I want to tell my family about us first. I want them to hear it from me that we’ve started seeing each other. Christy already knows, but it will be quite a surprise to everyone else. I’m sure word has gotten around that Tanner is the man Mama Laverne has chosen for me and some might think I’m rebelling against her interference, when that’s not it at all. I just don’t agree with her choice for me. I believe she made an honest mistake.”

He didn’t say anything for a minute, then asked, “How do you think she’s going to feel about it?”

She shrugged. “I’m not sure. I’ll find out when she comes back from her cruise and have a chance to talk with her. But it won’t change anything. My mind is made up. I want to continue to be with you, and I honestly don’t see Tanner in my future.”

Roman drew in a deep breath as he drew her closer to him. “I want you to see yourself in mine, Victoria, and more than anything I want you to see me in yours. I wasn’t going to tell you this until you made your decision. I didn’t want what I said to influence you in any way.”

She tilted her head to look at him. “What?”

“I’ve fallen in love with you. That might not have been the plan when we began hanging together, but after getting to know you, spending time with you, making love to you, there was no way you could not wiggle your way into my heart. You have and it doesn’t matter if you love me back or not. I love you. I want forever with you. I couldn’t leave here with you thinking all we shared was a meaningless affair, because every minute I shared with you meant something special, Victoria.”

“Oh, Roman.” She dropped her head to his chest. He became concerned when he heard her crying.

He lifted her chin to look up at him and saw the tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry I’ve made you cry, sweetheart, but I couldn’t hold my love back a single day without letting you know.”

She swiped at her tears. “I’m crying because I’m happy. I’ve fallen in love with you, as well. And because I love you, I want to be with you. I want forever with you, too.”

“Oh, baby.” At that moment he felt on top of the world. The woman he loved just admitted to loving him in return.

Roman swept her up into his arms to carry her down below. Tonight’s lovemaking would have new meaning. They had declared their love for each other, and he believed in his heart that upon doing so, no one could come between them. No one.

PART 4

Nothing is impossible when you follow your heart.

—Anonymous

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

ROMAN DROVE THROUGH the streets of the nation’s capital to meet Mint for breakfast. It was a beautiful Monday morning and he couldn’t wait to give him the name of the woman who would be his date to the ball at the Kennedy Center. The woman he loved.

After making love on the yacht, he had taken Victoria home and then made love to her again, ending up spending the night. He had hated leaving her before daybreak Thursday morning but the sight of her lying in her bed with a satisfied smile on her face would forever be etched in his mind. Her plans were to visit her family in Houston this coming weekend to break the news about them.

Plans were made for him to fly to Houston and join her after she met with them on Saturday, and then the two of them would go to his ranch in Austin to decide on the best way to officially come out as a couple.

He resumed driving when the traffic light changed and turned into the parking lot of Bristol’s, one of his favorite places for breakfast in DC. Victoria had introduced him to the Witherspoon Café while he’d been in Catalina Cove, and he couldn’t wait to take her to Bristol’s. Hell, he couldn’t wait to see her again on Saturday. It didn’t matter that he’d just seen her Thursday. It had only been four days, but he still missed her something awful.

As usual, he pulled up to the restaurant’s valet-parking stand, then stopped the car and got out. The moment he closed his car door, seemingly out of nowhere,