by CJ Roberts
As they drifted back to their senses, he tugged on one of her curls. “Je t’aime, Lauren.” If he hadn’t known it before, he knew it now: he couldn’t live without her. And what was more, he didn’t want to live without her. She was his love, his life. His soul. Without her, there was nothing.
After rezipping his jeans, he took her hand. “Come, I have something to show you.”
She grinned. “I think you’ve already shown me everything.”
As they passed the bathroom, Nic reached in to grab the bathrobe off the hook and handed it to her. “Wouldn’t want you catch a chill. I have lots of plans for you, chérie.”
Once he got her bundled up and seated on the bed, he stepped into the walk-in closet. With butterflies in his stomach, he reached into the red hatbox on the top shelf and pulled out a small box. He ran his thumb over the velvet material before stuffing the box in his pocket.
His heart started pounding like a jackhammer and his mouth felt dry. Was it too soon? Maybe, but it didn’t matter. She owned a piece of his soul, and he needed to know what she meant to do with it.
After running through a few breathing exercises to settle his pulse, he walked back to Lauren. She stared, eyes wide as he knelt in front of her and wrapped his arms around her waist, putting them at eye level. With a slightly unsteady hand, he reached into his pocket to pull out the small jeweler’s box. “Will you marry me, chérie?”
Eyes locked on her face, he held his breath. Her answer would determine his future. Either he’d spend it living on a cloud or in the pits of hell. When she smiled, he started to breathe again. Capturing his face in her hands, she whispered against his lips, “Yes. I’d love to be your wife.”
His eyes burned as he held her in his arms. Lauren had agreed to be his, to spend the rest of her life with him. He wanted to open the windows and shout it out to the world. But first, he had to put a ring on her finger.
He opened the box and held it so she could see the antique diamond ring. “We can have it fitted.” When she raised her gaze, her eyes glistened with unshed tears. He removed the ring and slipped it onto the third finger of her left hand. It was a perfect fit.
She threw her arms around him. “It’s beautiful.”
Losing his balance, he tumbled backwards onto the floor, his fiancée on his chest. “It’s a family ring, handed down through the generations from father to son. When my mother died, she left it to me in her will with the admonishment that I carefully choose its next owner.”
Lauren pressed her face against his chest. “I don’t know what to say, except maybe, thank you. I wish I’d known her.”
Nic glanced out the windows at the twinkling stars. His hand stroked Lauren’s wild curls and he smiled. “She would have liked you. In many ways, you remind me of her.”
“How so?”
“She was smart, determined and fiercely loyal. And she was a wonderful mother.”
“I hope Jason feels that way about me some day.”
Nic laughed. “He will. And so will all our other children.”
A slight frown creased her forehead. “All our other children? Exactly how many kids do you want?”
“Enough to have our own hockey team,” he teased.
She grinned and socked him in the shoulder. After a moment, her expression grew serious. “You’ve made me happy again. And that’s only one of the many, many reasons why I love you.”
“I love you too,” he said, letting all his emotions for her show in his eyes. Love, desire, and just plain liking. He liked being with her and talking with her, hearing her opinions and seeing humor light up her face. He wanted to spend every day learning about her until he knew her better than himself. He wanted to spend every night exploring her body and hearing her sounds of pleasure.
He smiled. There was no time like the present to further his explorations.
Rolling them over, he brought his lips to hers in a heated kiss. His body was on fire. Blood roared through his veins. Every cell rejoiced and his heart pounded in the knowledge that they would have a lifetime together.
But first, they had to survive tomorrow.
Lauren woke up in heaven. Nic’s broad chest pillowed her head and his strong arm circled her waist as if to ensure she didn’t go far. She smiled as she rubbed her cheek against the patch of fuzzy curls that hid a small flat nipple, enjoying the sensation. Her tongue darted out to lick the small bit of flesh while she massaged his smooth skin.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a reflection bounce off something on her hand. Her heart stuttered as the memories of last night flooded back. Had it all been just a dream, another fantasy? With a gasp, she bolted up in the bed and stared at her left hand. No. With the sunlight reflecting off it, the antique ring was even more spectacular than she remembered.
Had she been wrong to accept Nic’s proposal? She’d promised herself to take things slowly, and mere hours later, she was engaged. Maybe she’d gone crazy. Jesus. What if it was just the excitement and danger of the last few weeks that had brought them together? Would he change his mind when life got back to normal?
“Good morning, chérie.”
At the sound of Nic’s voice, thick with sleep, she looked up from the ring she’d been contemplating. He looked so good laying there, his skin burnished gold by the sun. Like a Greek god awaiting his pleasure.
She licked her dry lips and watched his eyes track the motion. Something twitched next to her thigh, catching her attention. She grinned. On second thought, maybe he was more like the Energizer Bunny. “Good morning to you, too.”
Feeling deliciously naughty, she leaned forward and traced Nic’s hard muscles with a single finger. His eyes darkened and his skin broke out in gooseflesh. Desire swept through her. “I love your chest,” she said, reaching with both hands to massage the wide expanse of warm skin.
“Feel free to wake me up like this anytime you want.” His husky voice stirred something deep inside her. A feeling of tenderness, a need to pleasure, to cherish.
“Anytime?” she asked, feigning surprise. He chuckled and the sound wrapped around her heart. Enjoying his laughter, she tweaked his nipple, making him growl.
He arched a brow and made snapping jaw motions with his fingers, inching closer and closer to her breast. When his fingers reached their destination and tugged at her tender flesh, she moaned. His slow cocky smile made her laugh.
Her hands slid up to his shoulders and she pushed forward to take his nipple between her teeth. Carefully, she bit down. He made a rumbling sound deep in his chest and his fingers gripped her hips. Against her lips, his heart raced. Her breathing increased to match the wild tempo.
Desperate to taste and touch all of him, she threw her leg over his hips and lay on him, covering him like a human blanket. He was hard where she was soft, rough where she was smooth. She arched her back, pressing her belly against Nic’s erection. He made a sound deep in his throat.
The stubble on his face rasped against her cheek when she stretched up to run her tongue along the rim of his ear. But she didn’t mind. Her pleasure spiraled to new heights as she imagined the slight abrasion on an even more sensitive part of her body.
Taking advantage of her position, Nic used his thighs to spread her legs wide and press his cock against her core. But instead of entering her, he used his feet to close her legs, trapping himself between them.
Then Mr. Lover started a rockin’.
With slow, steady thrusts of his hips, he eased his cock through her folds, repeatedly hitting her sweet spot. Moisture flowed from her, bathing them both in warm wetness. Her cheeks heated as the scent of her arousal rose between them.
Nic inhaled sharply. Flames danced in the blue depths of his eyes. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. One big hand clamped onto her butt cheek and pressed her down, increasing the pressure. Increasing the pleasure. The fingers of his other hand trailed along her spine, to the base of her neck, leaving behind a path of fire. Her skin burned and she wanted more.
Shamelessly, she writhed against him, arching and twisting until he groaned loudly. His hips bucked, and she found herself tossed in the air. With a thump, she landed half on his chest, half off. When she lifted her head, he was watching her with a sheepish expression that had her laughing. Sex with Todd had always been so serious, but with Nic each time was different. Slow and sweet. Fast and hard. Playful.
As if to prove her point, he opened his eyes wide and said in a haughty British tone, “I daresay, my dear, there’s nothing quite like a morning romp to start off the day.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” she said, infusing her voice with a healthy shot of Texas twang. “I think I prefer to ride.”
“You want me to play horse to your cowgirl? Just call me Black Stallion.”
After taking a shower and working her hair into some semblance of order, Lauren bounded down the stairs, drawn by the aroma of fresh coffee brewing. No way was she going to miss the chance to watch Nic drink his first cup of the day.
Nic and Rachel were already seated at the kitchen table, talking in low voices. Spotting Nic’s empty hands, Lauren smiled. “Good morning.”
When she reached his side, he cupped her neck and tugged her down until their lips brushed against each other. His lips curved into a smile, and she enjoyed the feel of it against her mouth.
“Coffee’s ready,” Rachel called out, chuckling.
With a last quick kiss, Nic released Lauren and they both turned to take the steaming cups of coffee Rachel handed them.
“Mmm… this smells so good.” Smiling at his sister, he added, “There’s nothing in the world like Rachel’s coffee. I don’t know how she does it, but if she could bring it to market, she’d blow the competition out of the water.”
Lauren watched Nic take a sip and grinned. He’d worn the same look in bed that morning. Bliss. She loved how wonderfully expressive his face was. It hit her then. She was seeing the real Nic. This was his home, a place where he felt safe, and he didn’t have to hide his emotions or his reactions. She lifted her cup to her mouth, and after inhaling deeply, took a sip.
“You’re engaged?” Rachel screamed, pointing to the ring on her finger.
Lauren choked. And Nic grinned like a loon.
Rachel took her hand and smoothed her thumb over the ring. Was she upset that Nic had given Lauren the ring? Lauren studied her face but couldn’t find even a trace of jealousy. “I’m so happy for you. For both of you.” Her voice was warm and rich with excitement. “Have you set a date?”
Lauren shook her head. “We haven’t talked about that yet.”
Nic took her hand from Rachel and kissed her wrist. The moist warmth sent a small shiver coursing from her hand to belly. Hooboy! She met his gaze. His eyes were dark, reflecting her own desire. He smiled and said softly, “We’re taking things slow. When Lauren’s ready, she’ll let me know.”
Warmth filled her heart and she grinned. “I knew I loved you for a reason.”
“Okay, I see who wears the pants.” Rachel laughed.
Nic rubbed a palm over Lauren’s butt. “I do have a thing for these cargo pants.”
Rachel pointed to a plate of muffins and biscuits and shot them a knowing grin. “Eat. You two need to keep your strength up.”
They ate, drank coffee and chatted. It all felt so normal, so good. Except Jason wasn’t here. And that wasn’t normal. She’d never gone more than a few days without seeing him, and now it had already been over a week.
Nic tilted her chin up and frowned. “You got quiet all of a sudden. What’s wrong?”
“I miss Jason.” She sighed heavily.
“I miss him too. As soon as this is all over, we’ll bring him out here.”
Like her mom said, he was darn near perfect. “I’d love that.”
“What about your job? You haven’t called Helen yet, have you?”
Her eyes widened. “I forgot all about it.”
Rachel laughed again. “Who could blame you?”
“I’ll call her now.”
As she started to push away from the table, Nic laid a restraining hand on her arm. “Before you do that, there’s something else I need to tell you.” He glanced at Rachel and she nodded.
Lauren stomach rolled. Please God, don’t let it be something bad. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she resettled in her seat.
“Yesterday, Rachel and I cleared the air about a lot of things, and we’ve come to an understanding of sorts.”
Rachel leaned forward. “We understand that Nic’s a big twit and I’m the perfect sister.”
Nic shook his head in mock dismay. “See what I have to put up with?” Lauren smiled. She loved seeing this side of him. “I realized I wasn’t keeping the accident a secret to protect her but rather to protect myself.” His gaze drifted to the window. “It was a hard truth to accept.”
Lauren’s chest tightened with a bittersweet mix of sympathy and pride. “It takes a big man to own up to his mistakes. And an even bigger one to forgive himself.”
“I’m going public with it. Rachel agrees. We’ll invite the press, explain about the hippo therapy, everything.”
Her breath caught in her lungs. It was a huge risk. If people reacted as he expected, he’d be devastated, not to mention that his career would be trashed. But given the right spin….
“With everything out in the open,” Rachel added, “we take away the ammunition for any further blackmail.”
Nic watched her for a moment. “Do you think Vanity Fair would be interested in an exclusive?”
Lauren’s eyes widened. “I’m sure they’d jump at the chance. It would be a great cover story. Do you want me to ask Helen?”
He nodded. “Yes, and she can pick the reporter. But you’re the photographer.”
“Are you doing this to save my job?”
Nic chuckled. “No, but if it helps….”
Lauren shook her head. “You know they won’t turn down an opportunity like this. When do you want to do the interview?”
“Next week.” His face darkened. “I have to take care of Vivian first.”
“I’ll call Helen now.”
“Wait.” A smile broke out across his face. “I have a surprise for you.”
Lauren had to laugh. Jason wore the same expression whenever he had a gift for her, as if giving her a present were more exciting than receiving one. “A surprise? Where?”
“In the stables.” Nic leaned back in his chair, and she wanted to shake him. Why was he just sitting here when he had a surprise to show her?
She pushed her chair back and jumped up. “I’m ready.”
“Now I know what to do whenever I need to get you moving in a hurry,” he teased.
“Come on. Let’s go,” she urged him as she grabbed her coffee mug.
Nic laughed as he followed her out of the house. They crossed the field hand in hand. She was so excited she would have been skipping had she not been holding the coffee mug.
“Is it a horse?”
“No.”
“A new cowboy hat?” Nic arched a brow and she huffed. “I’m just trying to think of things that might be in the stables.”
He led her to a door on the side and opened it, ushering her inside with a wide sweep of his arm. “Après vous, Madame.”
Lauren stepped inside and froze. The spacious room had two large windows on the west facing wall and had been set up like a studio. “This is where you’ll bring Vivian?” she asked, uncertain what to say.
He nodded. “Yes. But I didn’t stage this for her. I ordered the equipment after our weekend at your place. This studio is for you.”
“But you couldn’t know that I’d come here.”
He smiled. “A guy can dream.”
Lauren returned his smile. She knew all about dreams.
Her eyes bounced around the room. Nic hadn’t missed a thing. On the back wall was a desk on which sat a large widescreen LCD monitor connected to a state of the art desktop computer. But what immedia
tely caught her attention and got her feet moving again was the brand new Nikon D3S that rested next to it. She picked it up as if it were a newborn child and with much the same awe. “How did you know I wanted this one?”
“You told me when you showed me how to use your camera.”
“You remembered?”
“I remember every minute I spend with you.”
“Thank you so much,” she said before carefully setting the camera on the desk and wrapping her arms around him. “But why?”
“Because I’d do anything for you, ma bien aimée.”
“Ma bien aimée. What does that mean?”
“My beloved.”
Her heart bursting, she swallowed past the lump in her throat. “You should have a pet name too.”
“How about master? That has a nice ring to it.” She smiled and shook her head. “No? Maybe stud then?”
“I see where you’re going with this.” She laughed. Then she spotted something hidden in the umbrellas. “Oh! You got me a wireless flash system.” After examining her find, she pressed his hand to her heart. “I can’t believe you did all this for me. Everything I could ever imagine needing is right here.”
With a feather-light brush of his thumb, he stroked her cheek. “Do you have any idea how talented I think you are? I want to support you as a photographer in any way I can.”
“In any way, huh?” She flashed him a naughty look. “In that case, I think we should take some sexy shots of you. You know, to test out all this wonderful new equipment.”
“Your wish is my command.” He whipped off his T-shirt. “Where do you want me?”
Her gaze trailed over the length of him and she lingered on the sculpted muscles of his chest. “Anywhere, everywhere.”
“Right here, right now?”
“God, yes,” she agreed, falling into his arms.
23
Kaden snapped his phone shut. “That was the limo driver. They’re about ten minutes away.”
Flanked by Kaden and Rémi, Nic had been watching the horses in the field as he awaited Vivian’s arrival and mentally readied himself for what he had to do.
