by Holly Rayner
“I love you, Nicole. Please, can you forgive me, one last time?”
As she gazed up at Bahir, Nicole’s guard melted away. She realized she’d been foolish, and, if she were honest with herself, childish. Her smile wobbled a little.
“Yes. And I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have ignored you like that. I was just angry and—”
Bahir placed two fingers against her lips. “You have no reason to apologize. It is I who will spend my life making this all up to you, that is, if you’ll allow me?”
With that, he knelt down on one knee and pulled a small box from his left pocket. When he cracked it open, an enormous diamond ring glinted in the sunlight, winking at Nicole. She held a hand to her mouth in shock.
“Marry me, Nicole. Be my wife—not because of some green card agreement, but because I promise to love and cherish you for the rest of your life. I will do everything in my power to ensure your happiness, if you just give me one more chance.”
Nicole glanced from the ring and back to Bahir, a man who for so long she had been forcefully trying to convince herself that she hated. As she stared down at him in that moment, though, her whole world flipped over. Everything that had been wrong righted itself, and she was ready to take on the world again, with him by her side.
“Yes,” she whispered. Then, a little louder, she said, “Yes!” and began to laugh.
Bahir joined her, rising up to capture her lips in a sacred kiss, sealing the promise they had already made. He twirled her around in a circle, and she clung to his shoulders as he whipped her around. When he stopped, she pressed herself against him, savoring the feel of his strong body against hers.
“Tell me that you love me,” Bahir said. It was a request, and Nicole willingly obliged.
“I love you now. I love you always,” she said, and he kissed her again, deeply.
When they broke apart, Nicole grinned at him, not releasing him from her grip. “What kind of man shows up with divorce papers and an engagement ring?”
Bahir grinned. “The kind who never gives up hope, even when all seems lost.”
“Mmm,” she said, kissing him again. “That is one smart man.”
“So what do we do now?” Bahir asked.
Nicole scrunched her eyebrows, thinking. “Well, it looks like we could both use some sleep. And I’ve got a fireplace at my apartment back home. I’d say we have some kindling sitting on my desk that we really need to burn.”
Bahir’s grin was roguish. “And after we burn the papers?”
Nicole smirked. “We’ll just have to see what happens, won’t we, Mr. Al-Jabbar?”
“I suppose we will, Mrs. Al-Jabbar.”
“Not yet,” she said. “Legally I’m still a Calvert.”
“Would you like to become an Al-Jabbar?” he asked.
Nicole pondered that for a moment.
“I believe I would. But this time, let’s do it in front of family and friends. Then we’ll really be held accountable for our actions.”
Bahir placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
“That’s a deal,” he said.
That night, the two of them held a glorious bonfire in Nicole’s apartment before they made passionate love and fell asleep in each other’s arms. This time when Nicole awoke, Bahir was right by her side.
She knew then that she would be safe with him for the rest of their lives.
The End
Holly Rayner
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