Landon

“Talk to me.” I had no idea what she was thinking.

“It really hurts that you lied to me.” I tensed at her words, until she wrapped her arms around my torso and clutched me tightly. When she added, “But I understand why you did,” an instant sigh of relief escaped.

“Zara, the last thing I wanted was to hurt you. I just wanted to spare you until you got to know me.”

“I understand. I can’t imagine what you go through on a daily basis. I’ve never had to worry about trust issues, especially when my entire life I’ve been surrounded by family and friends who love me. It wouldn’t be fair to judge you, never having walked in your shoes. I do know the man I got to know, the man I now care for, is someone I want in my life.” She held my face in her hands and smiled. “I guess my heart is telling me it doesn’t matter who you really are.”

I crushed her harder into my body. I thanked God and the universe. I even thanked the spirits at Sweetheart Rock for the outcome I couldn’t have predicted.

The relief was short-lived when she added, “I am scared how this will change things between us. I’m scared because…” Her panicked eyes held mine as a few tears escaped. And once those tears released, she turned back in to my chest and started to sob.

“Shh,” I soothed, smoothing a hand over her head and down her back. “Please don’t cry. Nothing will change between us, I promise. I won’t let anyone ever hurt you, baby. I swear.”

“I know,” she croaked against my chest. Her tears saturated the thin knit fabric of my T-shirt.

“Then what is it? Tell me what’s upsetting you the most.” I leaned back, forcing her to stare up at my face. The wet tracks of her tears glistened against her tan skin.

She dragged in a very deep breath and said, “I need to tell you my truth.”

“Your truth?” I asked, confused.

“Well, my family’s truth.”

I held her face with both my hands. “Nothing you can tell me will change how I feel about you, Zara.” My words did little to comfort her. I pulled her against me, wrapping my arms around her tightly. “You tell me whenever you’re ready to. And if you can’t do it, then I don’t need to know.”

“I want to tell you. It’s important to me that you know why we came here and to know me. Can we sit?”

I arched an arm under her legs and sat, situating her on my lap. In spite of the darkness that now covered the night sky, with her an inch away I could see every emotion playing on her face.

“You know my older sister Lilou died.” She waited for my nod before continuing. “She was murdered.”

“Oh, Zara. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s why we’re here. My father was a government official, well liked and respected among his peers. When he met my mother, things changed. Everyone they knew was against their relationship. Not only because she was younger, also because she was white. After he married her, the haters made it very obvious they didn’t approve of their mixed marriage. He received threats. It was enough for my father to give up his position and move us to another town, away from the only home we knew. He gave it all up for his family. One afternoon, Lilou never came home from school. She was found four days later—she’d been beaten to death. The men, man, whoever it was who did it, left a chilling letter on her body supporting apartheid, and threatening that Annia and I were next.”

My gut twisted as bile rose to the back of my throat. That explained so much in regard to her father’s behavior. “I’m so sorry,” I repeated, not having anything adequate to say.

“That’s why my father is the way he is.” She confirmed my theory. “But worse yet, he doesn’t like you. He will use your fame as an argument. My father is convinced those who murdered Lilou will eventually find us. And now if they do after all these years of being invisible, he’ll think it’s because of you, Lance—” She stopped abruptly, a small smile playing through her angst. “What do I call you?”

“Whatever you want.”

“You’re Lance to me. You’ll always be Lance.”

“I’ll be Mickey Mouse for you.” I used the backs of my fingers to dry the new tears that fell. “Zara, I’m so sorry. I am here for you no matter what. Yes, I’d like your father to like me someday, but if not then that won’t change how I feel about you. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Having said that, I can’t be the cause of ruining your relationship with your father. If you don’t want him to know who I am now or ever, so be it. Although that will be hard to hide once word gets out.” I pulled her closer and kissed her gently. “I have one more thing to tell you.”

Her breathing immediately accelerated. I almost smiled because of it. I placed a hand over her breast, feeling her heart pounding beneath my touch. “You assume I have more bad news?”

“No,” she said with a pout.

“Well, good, then. Because what I want to tell you is…I think I love you.”

I dragged my thumb across her bottom lip as it dropped open in surprise. “Didn’t expect that?”

“Not at all.” She held my face and crushed her lips against mine. Relief from finally telling her who I was and relief from finally uttering those words that had caused a ton of anxiety until they were spoken melded together, culminating in an explosive kiss.

Somehow we ended up lying down, my body pushing against hers. I actually considered taking her right there, right then. My cock practically jumped up and down in agreement. But it wasn’t right. Our emotions were still running high, and my newly professed feelings were hanging in the air between us.

I broke the kiss before it was too late.

“I should get you home. We’ll continue this tomorrow in Waikiki.”

“You bet your ass we will, Lance…Landon…whatever your name is.”

Fuck, Landon sounded even sexier in her accent than Lance did.

“I do have one question, though.”

I nibbled on her neck, because I just had to. “What’s your question?”

“You think you love me?” she asked, tilting one brow up challengingly.

“No.” I shook my head with a slow smile. “I know I love you.”

“Okay, good. Because Landon Price aka Lance White…” Her hands molded over my jaw, and her eyes drifted down to my lips before rising back up to mine. “I know I love you, too.”

This evening had turned out completely different from what I’d expected. She still wanted me. She loved me. She was mine. I knew it, the moment I saw her. She was what I’d been unknowingly searching for.

A stunning smile spread over her gorgeous lips. Her eyes sparkled in a weightless gaze, sadness no longer visible on the beautiful lines of her face. The moan she released when I resumed kissing her was a wordless confirmation of all of the above.

Zara Jobert was the missing piece to my puzzle.