chapter FOURTEEN
For days Nick replayed his conversation with William Zelman in his head. He battled with himself, wondering if he should confront Laney and if so, how? What would he say and how would she react? He thought about how well she had handled their dinner party. Laney seemed to never stop amazing him. As dinner had progressed, her natural glow of enthusiasm took over. Like before, she took to her part seamlessly, responding to his staff with the grace of a princess. Though she might not have noticed it, she answered to the name „Mrs. Sinclair" with immediate recognition, which was a far cry from their first night together.
Though there was much bad blood between them, she hadn"t even flinched when he raised her hand to his lips to kiss her knuckles. Vivian, as always, had sighed at his romantic gestures while William Zelman grunted his approval. But none of that mattered. For the first time, he hadn"t cared that the Zelmans were present. There was only Laney. But she had made her stance. She wanted him out of life. He didn"t like it but he"d given her his word. And maybe--just maybe--she would eventually think fondly of him for it. Ironically, it was his secretary, Linda, who lit a fire under him and all thoughts of making amends with Laney went out the window. He was furious.
“She"s what?”
“I saw them myself. Her office is filled with flowers.” Linda Goldman nodded her head. “She"s been receiving them every day since she returned from vacation. You should have seen the ones yesterday. They were beautiful.”
Nick leaned back in his chair. Who was sending Laney flowers? And why? Was it Cooper? Was that how he swayed her to go out with him? Was she seriously dating him behind his back? Over my dead body.
Nick surged to his feet. He planned to set her straight. It was one thing to be upset with him, but she wasn"t going to date Cooper. He swung out of his office and stalked down the corridor leading to the art department. He could smell the fragrant flowers down the hall. Before he could step into Laney"s office, Mary-Knight spotted him.
“Mr. Sinclair, how wonderful to see you.”
He walked into Laney"s office and looked around. She wasn"t there, but it irritated him to see flowers on every tabletop. He jerked his head back to Mary-Knight.
“Where"s Laney?”
She shrugged her shoulders in a practiced dainty way. “I"m not sure.
Perhaps she"s at lunch. She should be back soon. Is there anything I can help you with?”
He was not in the mood to deal with Mary-Knight. He turned around and walked toward the lobby, intending to be the first face Laney saw when she entered the building. He rode the elevator down to the reception level.
As fate would have it, he saw Laney crossing the lobby just as the elevator doors opened. He advanced on her. Her eyes widened when she saw him.
She looked around, apparently searching for the best place to hide, but he was much quicker. He grabbed her upper arm, demanding her attention.
“Laney.” He struggled to keep his voice a reasonable tone. “We need to talk now.”
“Nick!”
Both he and Laney turned at the sound of a female voice. Nick groaned when he saw Vanessa walking toward them. He hadn"t spoken to her since their falling out and if that trench coat she wore was any indication, she was here to make up.
“Nick, sweetie, I"ve missed you.” Ignoring Laney, she leaned up on her toes and kissed him on the lips. “We have unfinished business to take care of.”
Nick was stunned speechless. How many times did he have to tell Vanessa not to come to his building? She was either deaf or crazy. He was beginning to believe the latter.
Vanessa leaned into his side. “Are you going to help me with my jacket or should I take it off here?”
Laney looked neither surprised nor offended by Vanessa. She pulled her arm free. “Excuse me, Mr. Sinclair.” And again she was walking away from him.
* * * *
The day couldn"t get any worse. Seeing Nick with that woman felt like having a knife in her heart. Unable to be in the same building where Nick was probably having sex in his office, Laney left work early, pleading sick.
And that was no lie. She felt sick to her stomach thinking about it. Another scene like the one today and she just might have a nervous breakdown.
Not for the first time, she considered resigning. What was the point of being employed at Sinclair Corp? She"d gotten exactly what she"d bargained for. Her career had taken a huge leap and she was gaining invaluable experience, but she was miserable. She was tired all the time, her stomach never seemed to settle and her nerves were shot. Although she and Nick had an agreement, she jumped every time her phone chimed or she got an e-mail alert. She was constantly on her guard, always wondering if Nick was in the building and, if so, was there a chance they might run into each other? How would he react? Would he acknowledge her presence or completely ignore her? Neither outcome was appealing.
Combined with her heavy workload, it was amazing she"d lasted this long. At times, quitting seemed the rational thing to do. At any rate, things could not continue like this. She needed to get her head together and quickly. Her sanity was at stake. Like clockwork, Rob called her cell phone. She considered ignoring the call but she badly needed to hear a comforting voice.
“Hi, baby, I already know you"re upset about the flowers, but I have to ask if you liked them.”
She cleared her throat not wanting to sound as emotional as she felt.
“Yes, they were lovely.”
“I"m happy to hear it.” His voice dropped an octave. “It"s really great to hear your voice, baby. I didn"t think you would answer my call.”
“I almost didn"t.”
“So I won on a technicality?” he joked.
“Rob, I can"t do this, I want you to stop, okay? I can"t take the flowers any longer.” She had to pause to force the quiver out of her voice.
“If you really care about me, you would listen to me.”
“Have dinner with me.”
“No.”
“Please … just one dinner, I need to see you. If you want the flowers to stop, consider it done. Just give me an hour of your time and if you still feel the same way, I"ll leave you alone, Laney, I promise. I"ll even draw up a contract stating that.”
“We"re finished, Rob.”
“Then tell me to my face.”
* * * *
Nick stepped out of the shower mentally worn out. After that fiasco with Laney and Vanessa, he could use another vacation. Vanessa and her silly pranks had ruined any chance of him gaining Laney"s favor. If she was mad at him at first, she hated his guts now. Vanessa hadn"t deserved the way he had unleashed on her, but she had received it all the same. If he couldn"t yell at Laney, Vanessa would suffice. Shit, he had made the woman cry. Perhaps he would have regretted his reaction if he had been able to smooth things over with Laney afterward, but Laney had disappeared when he"d looked for her.
Why did it seem so impossible to get her to look at him without disdain? Everything was one extreme to another. They were either laughing together or screaming at each other. Drama had always been something that normally sent him running, but there was something about her--something he couldn"t explain. And it was that same something that made it impossible to get her out of his system.
Nick slid into bed. With his hands stacked behind his head, he weighed the bleakness of his situation. He finally had the Zelman account, but felt uneasy and was beginning to feel regret for the way he had gone about it. Laney was right, he was a sleazy salesman. It was no wonder she detested him. He had shown her the worst traits imaginable. It would be a challenge to stay away from her but if that"s what she wanted, he would conform. Having to go to work every day with him as her boss, after everything that had passed between them, must be difficult for her. The least he could do was be respectful to her wishes. It would be hard at first--
the past weeks had been agony- -but he would manage.
Laney had every right to hate him. He had treated her like he treated all the women in his life, useful until something better came along. No, she didn"t deserve that. She was worthy of true romance and all the syrupy words that came along with it, someone she could love and who would love her in return. She ought to have flowers, unpredictable gifts, a man who worshiped the ground she walked on—a man who could look into her eyes and see his future in those deep amber pools. No, she didn"t need him in her life. He couldn"t give her any of those things.
Nick rolled on his side, glancing at the picture on his nightstand. It was the photo of him and Laney at their „anniversary dinner". She looked great and he looked happy. He remembered it was the first of many nights that ended with arguing but all of that seemed strangely comical now.
Reflecting on the total trip, his time with Laney had been an adventure he could only appreciate now that it was over. He brushed his finger across her smiling image. Too bad, he thought. He"d really f*cked up.
* * * *
Against her better judgment, Laney found herself a few hours later seated across from Robert Smith III. He was every bit as smooth and handsome as she remembered.
“Laney, I know I f*cked up but I"ve learned my lesson. It was bad judgment on my part and I want to make things right. I love you, baby.
Don"t throw our relationship away.”
Laney looked at Rob from across the table. Even the intimate setting of the restaurant wasn"t enough to make her consider his pleas. Funny how she had thought herself to be completely content with Rob mere weeks ago, and now she wondered how she could have ever imagined a future with him and without Nick. He didn"t make her burn with wanting like Nick did. He didn"t hold her like Nick did. He didn"t make desperate passionate love to her the way Nick did. He wasn"t Nick. And the fact was she would not be happy without Nick. But Nick had moved on, proving that his feelings for her had been shallow at best.
She felt helpless and lost. Yes, she had gotten everything she"d bargained for, but not the one thing she yearned to have. Nick"s callous actions both saddened and angered her but after an hour of crying shamelessly in her bathtub she was now pissed. Pissed at Rob for talking her into this pointless dinner, pissed at Nick for treating her like shit, and pissed at herself for allowing herself to get into this mess.
“Laney, baby, are you listening to me? I said I want to make things up to you. Nina isn"t apart of my life anymore. There"s only you.”
She sighed. “Rob, the only reason I agreed to have dinner with you is to make you understand I don"t want you in my life. No more flowers, no more phone calls. You and Nina can do whatever you want, I don"t care anymore.”
He leaned forward, pinning her with serious brown eyes. “What happened to you? This isn"t the same woman who slapped me a few weeks ago. You can"t tell me you don"t care, Laney. I don"t believe you unless
….”
“Rob, I don"t have time for your games, I need to go.”
“Are you involved with someone?”
“You know, for a minute there I almost thought you had a right to ask me about my personal business.”
“Are you sleeping with him? Is it Danny?”
“Danny"s gay, Rob. You know that.”
“He"s still a man.”
“I"m leaving. Good night, Rob.”
Rob stopped her by towering over her with his large frame. “Answer me, Laney. Are you seeing someone else?”
She nibbled on her lip for a second before meeting his gaze. “No, I"m not, Rob.”
He must have seen the honesty in her face because he dropped the issue.
“I love you, baby. Think about us.” He leaned close to her. “I miss you, Laney, come back.”
There was a pang in her heart. She had to face it. She was in love and she had never felt lonelier in her life. Rob pulled her into his arms and she marveled at how well she fit into his side. Rob. The man she had loved faithfully for three years. This was the man she had planned her future with. But he wasn"t perfect. He"d made some wrong decisions and they had both paid dearly for it. Time was a funny thing. In the span of ten days, she had fallen in love with her boss only to have her heart handed back to her in pieces. And here she was with Rob again--the man she"d once hung the moon on. It had taken her three years to fall in love with Rob, and one fateful afternoon to destroy it. But when she needed someone the most, here he was. When she longed for another man, Rob was here pleading for her to love him again. She looked up into those warm familiar brown eyes and broke down crying.
* * * *
Laney pulled into her parking spot. Dinner with Rob had been a mistake, but as she was making plenty of blunders lately she wasn"t quite sure where that one ranked. Rob had been persuasive at every turn, reminding her of their good times and what the future could be for them. In the end, she couldn"t stop crying to the point that she couldn"t even speak.
How shameful. Her eyes were puffy and red, her throat was itchy and her head was pounding. The first thing she did when she was inside her home was take a long bath, trying to soak away the hurt feelings. No matter how many times she scrubbed her face the puffiness wouldn"t go away. Laney changed into a nightgown and clasped on the bracelet Nick had given her on their anniversary night. She found herself wearing it every night to bed.
In some small way it made her feel closer to him.
She yawned. The emotional collision course she had experienced today had drained her. She didn"t even have the energy to recap the day"s events for Danny, who she expected to walk through her door at any minute. Like clockwork, she heard her front door open and close as she was pulling back her bedspread.
“Hello?” he called out. “Where are you, Laney?”
“Back here.”
Danny walked into her bedroom with much comfort.
“Hi, sweetie, I brought over my favorite movies. I thought we deserved a movie night ….” He took one look at her face and knew something was wrong. Dropping his things he held his arms out to her and pulled her into a brotherly hug.
“Oh, Laney, what happened? Your face! Did someone hit you?”
Fresh tears gathered in her eyes. “Oh, Danny, I ….”
There was a loud crash in her living room. It sounded like her front door had just been kicked down. It happened so quickly neither she nor Danny had time to react before Nick appeared in her bedroom doorway.
She was both distraught and overjoyed to see him. His wild eyes took in the sight of Danny"s arms around her and she could literally see the pools of anger mirrored in his eyes. But he stilled when he saw her swollen face, then his gaze darkened as he turned on Danny.
“Are you responsible for this?”
Danny pushed Laney behind him protectively. “I was going to ask you the same question.” His voice was strong but Laney could feel Danny shaking with fear.
Nick slammed the door closed behind him, preventing any chance of Danny escaping.
“Who the hell are you?” he demanded.
“I"m Daniel Rush--”
“No.” Nick shook his head, taking an aggressive step toward Danny.
“I don"t give a damn what your name is. I want to know who you are to Laney and what the hell you"re doing in her bedroom.”
Danny took a nervous gulp. “I think you should leave.”
“I think you better answer my question,” Nick growled.
Laney didn"t like where this was going. If she didn"t do something quick,
Nick would have his hands wrapped around Danny"s throat. Stepping between them, Laney hoped to create a barrier between them. This seemed to only further irritate Nick, but Danny gave a sigh of relief.
“Nick, this isn"t what it looks like.”
“Who is he, Laney?” he thundered.
She could feel his desperation. He was nearly shaking with it.
“I promise you, Nick, there is nothing going on between me and Danny. He"s like a brother to me.”
“That doesn"t explain why he"s in your bedroom!” Nick dragged his hand through his hair but stopped mid-action when a thought occurred to him.
“Are you sleeping with him?”
She was really getting tired of being asked that question today. “No, I"m not sleeping with him,” she snapped. “We"re just friends. He"s not interested in me.”
Nick folded his arms across his chest. “He"s in your room, Laney. I"d say that makes him very interested.”
She closed her eyes and massaged her temples. “Danny"s gay, Nick.”
Nick looked Danny over. He said nothing but his expression told her he wasn"t convinced.
“I"d be happy to kiss you, if you like,” Danny suggested with a wink.
Nick didn"t respond to Danny"s joke but at least he took an apprehensive step backward. Thankful Nick"s temper had simmered a bit, she turned to Danny. “I"ll call you in the morning.”
He looked like he didn"t trust her alone with Nick. “I"ll be fine,” she assured him. “I promise.” Danny nodded and then kissed her on the cheek.
He and Nick eyed each other menacingly as he exited the room.
Laney waited until she heard him close the front door before she spoke.
“What are you doing here, Nick?”
“Who the hell was that?”
“I"ve already told you, he"s Danny.”
“Explain,” he demanded.
“I don"t owe you an explanation.”
“How often is he invited into your bedroom?”
“I"m not answering that.”
“Do you always dress like that for him?”
She looked down at her nightgown. The delicate satin trim stopped mid-thigh. It was a simple gown, too plain to be considered provocative but a far cry from decent. She imagined the scene Nick had walked in on did appear to be an intimate one but she would die a slow death before she"d admit that to Nick. This was her home and she"d do whatever she damn well pleased. Crossing her arms over her chest, she met his stare.
“Why are you here?”
“We aren"t finished talking about your visitor.”
“He"s my friend, that"s all.”
“He walked right into your home.”
“I leave the door unlocked for him.”
“You what?”
“You didn"t answer me. Why are you here?”
“I was checking on you. It seems I caught you at a bad time.” He surveyed her, beginning at her reddened eyes and puffy cheeks down to her painted toenails. The sight of her attire seemed to offend him but his gaze lingered over her swollen face. “Are you all right?”
“I"m fine.”
“Your face?”
“I"ve--I"ve had a rough day.” She nibbled on her lower lip.
“About the other night, when we ran into each other at the restaurant.
I ….”
“What about it?”
“I want to talk to you about Cooper.”
“What about him?”
“Are you dating him?”
“What does it matter to you?”
“Are you sleeping with him, too?”
“Exactly how many people do you think I"m sleeping with?”
“Answer me.”
“That"s none of your business.”
“Oh, yes, it is.” He stepped forward, making her step backward until the back of her thighs pressed against the edge of her bed. His blue eyes stormed a murky hue. “Are you sleeping with him?” he asked in a quiet voice.
She told herself she should lie to him so he could see how it felt to be hurt, but the look in his eyes was so grave that it frightened her.
“No, I"m not sleeping with Cooper.”
He suddenly seized her by the shoulders and shook her hard. “Are you trying to drive me crazy, Laney? Do you really think I"d believe that?”
“I"m not lying.”
He released her abruptly, as if her touch burned his skin. “I don"t believe you.”
“You don"t have to.” She rubbed her arms. “I want you to leave, Nick.”
“Why? Are you expecting more company?”
“Don"t you have a woman waiting for you somewhere? Who is it this time? Vanessa the nudist? Our Caribbean friend Heidi? Or is it your date from the restaurant?”
He threw his hands up. “Those women mean nothing to me.”
“Is that what you tell them about me?”
“Of course not. You should know that.”
“I don"t know anything anymore! Least of all about you, Nick. I"m an emotional wreck. I can"t stop crying or eating. Every time I see you there is a woman throwing herself at you and you treat me like a cheap rental wife.
I"ve had enough.” She sniffed.
“Just go. Don"t worry about me. If it eases your mind, I"ll be fine in time. I just need you to leave.”
He looked at her hard before shaking his head. “I can"t, Laney, not this time. I can"t stay away from you. I think about you every hour of the day and I long to be near you.” He dragged his hand through his hair.
“This isn"t normal. I drive myself crazy wanting you the way that I do.”
She was stunned into silence. She told herself she couldn"t afford to be hurt by him again and she shook her head. “No, Nick, I"m not listening to this.”
“You"re gonna have to.”
“No!” She covered her ears like a child. “Get out, Nick.”
He pulled her hands away from her face and lowered his lips to kiss her. She refused him, pulling out of his grip. Her anger slipped a bit when she saw the hurt in his eyes. He looked helpless.
“Laney, please, stop this.”
She shook her head. “Nick, I"m tired of being hurt. Whether by you or by Rob, I"m tired of it. I told you that day on the boat you had the power to hurt me and that"s exactly what you did. Damn you, Nick. I can"t take any more.”
“You don"t have to.” He stepped close and lowered his lips to hers.
She turned her lips away from him again but he captured her face between his large hands and forced her to look up at him. “No more.”
His eyes remained hard but he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Laney came willingly this time, his lips caressing hers gently. Slowly he kissed her until her lips opened to him. He groaned. Her body ached to have him inside her. The feeling of being in his arms again was intoxicating, his familiar musky scent heavenly. His eyes were icy blue when he slowly opened them to look down at her.
“Get on the bed.”
She pulled away from him. “Nick, I can"t let you use me like that anymore.”
“Get on the bed, Laney.” He pulled his shirt over his head and began undoing his belt buckle. “Spread your legs wide. And if you value what you"re wearing, I suggest you take it off now.”
He stepped out of his pants and stood magnificently naked and unashamed before her. Her mouth went dry at the sight of him and it shamed her how attracted she was to him. Her body reacted immediately. A hot wave of arousal assailed her, sweeping down her spine and flooding her p-ssy. His eyes had become stormy. She knew that look. Seduced by his nearness, she numbly watched him rip the gown off her body. Her panties came next. He gathered her into his arms, his scent overwhelming her senses. Her arms wrapped around his neck. She let him lift her, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist. Holding him tight, she enjoyed the strength of his arms.
Heaven help her, she loved this man. Even though she knew he would only hurt her again, she was willing to sacrifice everything to have him again. If only for just one more time. He buried his face in the crook of her neck. She relished the silky feeling of his hair against her face. His hands kneaded her bottom, torturously skimming lower and lower to her p-ssy. Her cunt lips were swollen with arousal. His fingers played with her, spreading her vaginal lips apart before sliding inside. She moaned as he drew his fingers in and out of her wet p-ssy. Her head fell back on her shoulders as he pressed hot kisses along her neck. She moaned when the head of his cock, thick with excitement, brushed against her ass.
Frustrated with being so near her and not a part of her, Nick urgently lowered her to the bed, spreading her legs wide to receive him. Their eyes met. He kissed her soundly and with one determined thrust, he sheathed himself inside her, groaning loudly. The feel of her wet p-ssy gripping him tightly was exhilarating. He didn"t move for a long time. It was enough just to be inside her again. Holding her tightly, he buried his face in her hair.
When he"d caught his breath, he began to move inside her. He moved his hips slowly at first, wanting to prolong every moment. His thrusts were slow but powerful, shaking the bed with every plunge. Their heavy breathing soon filled the air around them. His hips jerked faster and faster, slamming into her. Her soft moans turned into cries of passion. She squeezed her cunt walls around him and it was his undoing. They came together violently, leaving them both weak and shaken. It was long minutes before he could regain his energy to speak. He sighed against her ear.
“Laney, you have no idea how badly I"ve dreamt of being with you. I can"t stay away from you again.”
Laney ran her fingers through his hair. “I missed you so much, Nick.”
He grunted. “I couldn"t tell.”
She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer. “I was hurt and confused.”
“That was my fault, I"m so sorry.”
She shivered. “Nick, I"m happy to see you but what does this mean?”
“Things can"t go on this way, something has got to give.”
She smiled. “Are you propositioning me to become your mistress?”
He went stiff in her arms. “I"m sorry, Laney, but if that"s what you had in mind I"m afraid I"m going to disappoint you.”
He could see the hurt in her eyes. She quietly rolled away from him and quickly brushed hot tears from her face.
Her voice trembled when she spoke. “Why did you come?”
He sat up. “I came to return something to you.” Rolling off the bed to retrieve his pants, he pulled something out of his pocket. He stared at her thoughtfully before opening his hand. “These belong to you.”
The moonlight revealed the sparkle of brilliant diamonds.
Laney stared at the treasure, unable to believe her eyes. “My rings,”
she whispered.
“I love you, Laney.”
“You what?” She couldn"t have heard him right.
“I said, I love you.” He knelt before her. “I don"t want a mistress. I want a wife. A real wife. I want you, Laney.” He slid the rings onto her trembling finger. “I want to wake up next to you every morning, wait an unreasonable amount of time for you to get out of the bathroom, and watch you blush when I tease you.” He pressed her hand against his cheek. “I know I"ve done and said a lot of hurtful things, but if you give me a chance, I"ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Marry me, Laney, I"m begging you.” He kissed the palm of her hand. “I want you to be my wife, permanently.”
“I don"t understand. I thought you were involved with those women.”
He shook his head. “No, I"m not. I haven"t been with anyone since you.”
He held her hand against his chest. “Say yes.”
Laney felt her eyes mist. “Yes! How could I ever say no?” She hugged him, pulling him down on the bed with her to kiss him.
“Do you care for me?”
“I love you, Nick, very much.”
“I"ve been waiting for you to come home for over an hour and then when I saw that guy walk into your place--”
“Shh…,” she pressed her finger against his lips, “you have no need to worry about him.”
He looked thoughtful for a moment. “Are you sure your friend Danny is….”
“Yes.” She laughed. “I"m positive. In truth, he"s been nursing a huge crush on you for weeks, although I doubt you made a good first impression tonight.”
He huffed. “Let"s hope so.”
“Danny"s just my neighbor, Nick.”
“You"re moving in with me tomorrow.” He held her tight. “Just to make sure.”
She laughed. “Oh? And what else do you plan on changing?”
“You"re fired.”
“What?”
He pulled her back under him. “I have to, sweetheart, for several reasons.”
“Why?”
“You can"t work for me now. It wouldn"t be fair to the staff. They would think I"m giving you special treatment.”
“Would you?”
“Of course I would. You certainly wouldn"t be able to receive flowers from admirers any longer. How long has Cooper been sending them to you anyway?”
“He didn"t, they were from Rob. Are you really firing me?”
“Rob? When were you going to tell me that?”
“Never mind him. Is that your only reason for firing me?”
“No.” He sighed. “Laney, I adore you but let"s face it, I wouldn"t get any work done around you. You"re too much of a distraction. I"d spend the entire day wondering who was flirting with you.”
“Okay, you"ve lost your mind.”
“I"m a selfish bastard, Laney. I don"t share my toys.”
“You sound more like a spoiled child.”
“That"s probably true.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Seeing as you"re so popular, I have no choice but to keep you locked up at home.”
“I could say the same for you.”
“I"ll work from home, if you like.”
She knew he meant it. “That won"t be necessary. You"ll drive me crazy.”
“That"s a definite possibility, sweetheart.” He stroked her face tenderly.
“Are you ready to tell me what happened to your face?”
She nibbled on her lower lip. “I"ve been a weeping willow for weeks and dinner tonight with Rob was more difficult than I"d expected.”
His features stiffened. “I"ll pay him a visit in the morning.”
“No need. We worked everything out.”
“And the flowers?”
“A thing of the past.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” she assured him. “I have a signed contract.”
“Excuse me?”
She giggled.
Leaning up on his elbow, he pinned her with a serious blue stare.
“It"s taken me a long time to get here, and now I know why. I had to learn the hard way.”
He kissed her tenderly. “I love you, Laney Parks, and I don"t plan to lose you again.”
“I love you, Nick.”
“Thank God. I was prepared to pay you to marry me.”
“That"s not funny, Nick.”
He didn"t smile.
“Nick! You can"t be serious.”
“I"m a desperate man, Laney. I"m just grateful you agreed to marry me the first time I asked.”
“You were prepared to ask me more than once? I didn"t think you ever wanted to see me again.” She laughed and snuggled closer to him, knowing this was where she was meant to be. “So I guess there"ll be a new script involved.”
He laughed. “No more scripts, it"s just you and me.”
She leaned up to kiss him. “That"s Mrs. Sinclair to you.”
“I like the sound of that.”