What the Lady Wants
Page 32
“No, since you’re suddenly Simon’s number-one fan, I thought you might like to marry him. Of course, with me.”
Marry?
“Did you just ask me to marry you?”
“No,” he replied, scowling.
“Oh.” She was confused, and not a little mortified.
“When I ask, I’ll do it up right with flowers and champagne and a ring in-hand.”
“I’m sorry. That was presumptuous of me,” she stammered. “I didn’t mean—”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong.” Doyle took the hands she was wringing together on the tabletop and clasped them firmly in his own. “We are getting married. No way are you getting away from me, sweetheart. You’re mine.”
“I am? We are?” Her head was spinning, but it was a giddy sensation.
“I was just wondering if you would want to live here in the bungalow, or if we should search for a place of our own closer to town. I know your dad prefers the head of security to live on-site, but if we stay on the north side, I wouldn’t be more than ten minutes away if I were needed. He shouldn’t object to that.”
“Um, maybe?”
“Or if you’ve decided to accept that job offer from Matrix, we can look for places in California. I’m ready to get my security business going, but I haven’t committed to anything here yet, lease-wise, so I can set up shop pretty much anywhere we go.”
“Doyle…”
“Or we can—”
“Doyle!” She twisted her hands so they were holding his instead of the other way around, leaning forward over the table so she was looking directly into his eyes. “I don’t care where we live. As long as I’m with you, I’ll be happy.”
She watched the truth of that statement sink in, watched the tension seep out of his shoulders, and allowed him to pull her closer until their lips were a whisper apart.
“Mo chroi, m’anam,” he murmured. “You are my heart and soul. I love you, Cynthia Fordham.”
“And I love you, Brennan Doyle.”
They closed the last fraction of space and melted into the kiss, and Thea knew it didn’t matter if they lived in a condo in California or a house in Colorado or a double-wide trailer on the moon.
She was already home.
A word about the author…
Nika Rhone has been fascinated with storytelling from the moment that first book was placed in her eager little hands, starting a lifelong love affair with the written word. Eventually, though, reading other people’s stories just wasn’t enough, so she started to write down her own.
She lives in her hometown on Long Island, New York with her very understanding husband and their outrageously spoiled dog.
www.NikaRhone.com
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