An Heir For Her Enemy (Bossy Bachelors #3)

22. Delaney

CHAPTER 22

DELANEY

D elaney wasn’t sure what she was doing here.

The exhibition room was filled with people, some of whom she recognized as either painters or collectors that she had met through work, and some of whom were unfamiliar. She spotted Carmen on the other side of the room in a pink sparkly number, chatting happily with a few other attendees. Delaney fiddled with the clasp of her clutch, which she was holding in both hands. A few weeks ago, she would have felt more comfortable here, in a museum, than anywhere else, but today she couldn’t stop scanning the room for signs of Logan.

“Bruschetta?” A waiter offered Delaney a plate of hors d’oeuvres. It was unusual to have food at an event in a museum like this, but Delaney was happy to take a piece. She did love bruschetta. The crunch of the bread and the sweet tang of the tomatoes made her smile.

Had Logan requested bruschetta for her? Delaney was sure he hadn’t, but the thought was another reminder of why she needed to go to Rome. Perhaps she shouldn’t even stay tonight. Not many people had seen her yet, and she hadn’t spotted Logan, so it wasn’t too late. She could slip out and hurry home in time for a nice bath and a relaxed evening on her last night in New York.

Then, she spotted Logan. He stood at the front of the room, deep in conversation with another man. As usual, he was dressed professionally, but tonight he’d taken it a step further. He looked dapper, and very attractive, in a tailored tuxedo that showed off his masculine form. At the sight of his familiar face, with those piercing gray eyes and strong jawline, Delaney felt a little weak in the knees. Memories flooded back, both of the beautiful times they’d spent together and of the heartbreak Logan had caused.

It had definitely been a mistake to come here tonight.

Delaney took a breath and stepped sideways towards the nearest exit. If she could just make it out of here before anyone spotted her…

“Welcome, everyone!” The man Logan had been talking to was in front of the veiled painting now, a microphone in his hand. As one, everyone turned to the front of the room, and Delaney realized that she’d missed her chance to slip out unnoticed. With the room this quiet, the door opening would be very loud.

“My name is Patrick Adaire, and I’m a curator here at the museum. Over my time here, I’ve seen a lot of striking pieces come into our collection, but today’s painting brought us all to our knees. Before you get a glimpse of The Cherished Infant , I’d like to introduce Logan Banks, who generously donated the work to us. Logan, would you please say a few words?”

Even if Delaney could have left now, she wouldn’t have. Even though she knew it was probably a bad idea, she needed to hear what Logan was about to say.

Logan nodded at Patrick and took the microphone. Then he turned to the crowd.

“Good evening, everyone. Thank you very much for coming today . I know you’re all eager to see the painting, so I promise I’ll be brief.” Logan shifted the microphone to his other hand, then scanned the crowd. His eyes landed on Delaney and, for a beat, he held her gaze. Delaney began to feel very warm. She looked away quickly.

“I want to tell you a little bit about the history of this painting. Not the history you know, about how it may have been painted by Botticelli, or the fact that it spent the best part of a century in a cellar, although all that is absolutely fascinating. Instead, I want to tell you a little bit about how the painting came to be in my hands.

“I heard about it from a close friend and mentor. However, I had no way of knowing whether it was genuine or not, as I’m not personally an art expert. To authenticate the painting, I drew on the expertise of a talented art consultant. She helped me ascertain the value of the painting, but that wasn’t all she did. She showed me that there’s a lot more to life than chasing financial wins. She helped me see the importance of embracing the everyday. She made my life better. On top of that, she’s the reason I donated The Cherished Infant to the Met, because she told me that art should be enjoyed by everyone. Because of all those reasons, I want to dedicate this exhibit to Delaney Cohen.”

At this point, heads began to turn. Several people had worked with Delaney, or knew her in other ways, and they were the first to search her out. Whispers erupted in the crowd as attendees wondered just what had happened between her and Logan.

For Delaney’s part, she was so astounded that she could hardly think straight. She’d prepared herself for almost anything this evening, but she wasn’t ready for this. Logan really had donated the painting because of her. And he’d said a lot of very nice things about her in front of everyone.

Still, she didn’t let herself get her hopes up. Logan had spoken highly of her, but that didn’t mean he wanted to be with her. Maybe this whole evening, and the donation, were just a way of evening the score.

Logan wasn’t done speaking, though.

“During our time in Rome, I fell in love with Delaney. I fell so head over heels in love with her that I acted like a complete idiot, and I’m sorry for that. I should never have treated her the way I did. A few months ago, all I cared about was winning everyone’s approval and earning more money. Now, I realize that there’s only one person whose approval I care about — and that there are a lot of things more important than money.

“Delaney.” Now, Logan’s eyes met Delaney’s again. In that moment, the crowd of people and the exhibit seemed to fall away. It could have been just the two of them, in the rain in Rome or on a sidewalk in New York City or in Delaney’s bed. “I know I’ve made mistakes, a lot of them. But I still love you, and I’m ready to do whatever it takes to earn back your trust.”

Then Logan fell silent. All eyes were on Delaney now, waiting for her reaction, but she hardly saw them. She only saw Logan.

Thanking her past self for choosing comfortable shoes, because she was sure she would have tripped in nervousness otherwise, Delaney walked towards Logan. The crowd parted to offer her a clear path. In front of the painting, Logan handed his microphone to the man beside him. His eyes were still fixed on Delaney’s, and he wore a more vulnerable and hopeful expression than Delaney had ever seen on his handsome face.

Delaney passed through the parted crowd and walked up to him. She stopped in front of him as he leaned closer, speaking just for her now.

“I love you, Delaney. I’ve loved you for a long time, and I’m sorry that I acted like such a jerk because of it. I know you probably don’t feel the same way, but it would mean everything to me to have a place in your life. Any place you’re willing to make for me.”

“What about our baby?” Delaney asked, her voice soft. “It hurt me when you walked away from me, but it would hurt a child more. If you’re in this, I need you to be in it for real. For good. No more running when things get tough.”

“No more running.” Logan shook his head. “I swear, Delaney, if you’ll have me, I’ll never walk away from you again. I’ll never walk away from our child again. No matter how hard things get.”

Tears pricked at the back of Delaney’s eyes, even as hope surged in her chest. Still, she couldn’t let herself believe.

“I thought you weren’t the type for relationships.”

“I didn’t think I was. But you showed me that I was wrong. I realized that no one is perfect at love right off the bat — it always takes hard work. The same kind of work I put into my business. And with you, that work doesn’t feel hard. It feels right.”

Delaney stepped closer, a tiny step. She could feel Logan’s warmth across the mere inches that separated them. She reached for his hands, and he enveloped hers with his own.

“You’re sure about this?” she asked, her voice breaking slightly.

“I’ve never been surer of anything. I love you, Delaney. I always will.”

“I love you, too.”

Logan’s gray eyes lit. “You do?”

“Of course I do.” Delaney smiled up at Logan. “Even when we didn’t agree on everything, I’ve always found you amazing. And the time we’ve spent together has been some of the best of my life. I tried to forget that I loved you, because I was hurt and I didn’t think we had a future, but now…”

“We have a future. We have any future you want.” Logan leaned closer. “As long as we’re together.”

Finally, Delaney let her walls down. She flung her arms around Logan, and he embraced her, lifting her off the ground so that he could pull her closer. He was so strong, and he smelled like aftershave and hope. When he set her down, it was only so that he could tilt her head back and kiss her with the kind of passion Delaney had never expected to feel again.

It was the kind of kiss that was more than just the meeting of lips. It felt like a promise — and Delaney knew it was. In that moment, her future seemed to rewrite itself to include Logan. To include love. As he pulled her flush against him, applause rang out through the exhibit hall, and Delaney suddenly remembered that they weren’t alone. She broke the kiss, blushing furiously, and Logan took her hand.

“Are you still going to Rome?” he asked softly.

“Not anymore.” Delaney didn’t ask how he knew about that. It didn’t seem to matter.

“Good.” He grinned, an expression of pure joy. “Now, bow.”

“What?” Delaney giggled nervously.

“Bow.” He swept her hand up, then bent forward at the waist. Delaney followed, giggling openly now, as the applause swelled.

“I’ll leave Patrick to unveil The Cherished Infant, ” Logan announced. “I hope you can all enjoy the full significance of that painting — as I now can. Goodnight!”

Together, they hurried through the crowd, still hand in hand, waving like celebrities as everyone cheered. Delaney giggled, Logan chuckled, and it felt like they were running through the rain again. It felt like they were free.

As they burst through the doors and strode past darkened exhibits, then down the steps of museum and onto the streets of Manhattan, Delaney had the feeling that they were running into the future. Their future. Her heart had never felt fuller than it did in that moment.

“I love you, Delaney,” Logan said, spinning her around and pulling her to him right there on the sidewalk. The few brave souls still out at that time of night in such chilly weather parted around them, but Delaney had eyes only for Logan.

“I love you, Logan.”

And once again, under the gentle glow of a streetlight, Logan swept Delaney into his arms and kissed her.