"Bianca," his voice dropped into a low, gravelly rasp, "could you maybe not be so incredibly sentimental?"
"I learned from the best."
"I certainly never taught you to be this tear-jerking."
"Well, you taught me plenty of other things."
He pulled me firmly back into his arms, resting his chin gently on the crown of my head. His voice vibrated against my scalp, each word carrying a deep, resonant rumble. "My absolute biggest mistake in our past life was failing to tell you something before you ever married Roderick."
"Tell me what?"
"You already know."
"I want to hear you say the words out loud."
Hector loosened his embrace and stepped back half a pace, his dark eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that burned.
"I love you," he said, his voice entirely steady. "From the exact mo
