The Ultimate Merger by Delaney Diamond Read Free Book Online

“Have you been happy over
the past month?”
    She nodded.
    “Are you certain of your feelings
for me? Certain you love me?”
    She nodded. “Yes.”
    “Then marry me.”
    “But my job—”
    “You do not need that job. They
don’t appreciate you. You are an intelligent woman, and I trust your judgment.
In the short time I’ve known you, you have given me good advice that I put to
use when I purchased the Samson Hotel. Think about it—as partners we could grow
the business and be unstoppable. You handle the finance side, and I will manage
the purchase and renovation of the properties. We could do this.”
    “You’re serious?”
    “Yes.” He smiled down at her. “Say
yes, because I won’t accept any other answer. Te amo com todo meu coração. ”
    “What does that mean?” Sabrina
asked.
    “I love you with all my heart.”
    Sabrina’s fingers encircled his
wrists. “You know I love you, too, but I have so much baggage. What about
Jewel? I can’t just abandon her. She needs me.”
    He paused and thought for a moment.
“Then bring her with you. In my country, family is very important. When we
marry, your family becomes mine, and my family becomes yours.”
    “She has a drug problem,” Sabrina
reminded him. “It’s very difficult to deal with. I can’t ask you to become a
part of this.”
    “Do you think there are no
treatment facilities in Brazil? She can receive excellent care there, and maybe
the change of environment will be good for her.”
    “I’ve never been out of the country
before, and I don’t even speak Portuguese.”
    “You can learn.”
    He had an answer for every
objection she tossed out. Sabrina blinked, trying to digest his words. “This is
happening so fast!” she said with a shaky laugh.
    He took her hands in his. “Are you
afraid?”
    She bit the inside of her lower
lip. “A little. What if it doesn’t work?”
    “It will work. We’re compatible in
every way.”
    “We haven’t even talked about the
basics. What about kids?”
    “Yes, I want them.”
    She laughed. “Me, too, eventually,
but not right now.”
    “Me, either. We’ll be too busy
working. Maybe in three or four years?”
    “Okay…well, how many?”
    “Four.”
    “Four! No way. One.”
    “One?” He looked aghast. “No.
Four.”
    “Two.”
    “Okay, three.” He grinned.
    “Renny! Two. That’s my final
offer.”
    “All right.” He pulled her into his
arms and kissed her temple. His unshaven jaw scraped her skin. “Just say yes.
Say you will marry me,” he whispered.
    She wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Yes. I’ll marry you.”
    He growled with joy and swung her
around in a circle. Her joyous laughter filled the room. When he set her back
on her feet, she pressed her lips against his.
    “We’re really doing this?”
    “We are really doing this,” he
confirmed.
    His eyes lit up with happiness, but
a small part of her hesitated. She couldn’t wait to turn in her resignation,
and she agreed a change of location might be good for Jewel. Getting her away
from the old life and the temptations presented here in Chicago could be what
she needed. Life would improve for both of them.
    She’d be a partner in a real estate
investment company, and as a bonus, she’d be married to a sexy man who adored
her. It was perfect. And that’s what she feared. It was too perfect.
    “Promise me something,” she said,
looking deeply into his eyes.
    “Anything.” He continued to smile
down at her. Noting her somber expression, he frowned and asked, “What is it?”
    “Promise me you’ll always love me.”
He laughed, as if her request was ridiculous. She squeezed his hands in hers. “Promise.”
    “ Meu amor ,” he said, “you
have nothing to fear. My love is real. I know we will be happy together. Believe
me, there is nothing you could ever do that would make me stop loving you.”
    Sabrina stroked his cheek and
allowed herself to bask in the warmth of his love. “Good,” she said. “Because