“Uh … huh?”
“His night shift manager wants to become office management – she needs training for that, which he isn't providing. So in lieu of paying me, he's to put that money into her education.”
Holy shit. He'd basically given up his half of the club under the condition that Liam get Tori some management training.
Katya stared up at him, so in shock and awe of the amazing man in front of her. She smiled and blinked away tears.
“You're such a jerk,” she sniffled.
“I can't win with you, Tocci,” he grumbled, pressing his fingertips against the bridge of his nose. “Should I go back and demand a million and a half?”
“No!” she snapped, smacking him in the chest. “You shouldn't make me believe you're doing something awful when really you're being the best person there ever was!”
“Best person ever, huh,” he grumbled, grabbing her wrists and reeling her into a hug.
“Yes,” she replied, wrapping her arms around his torso. “That was amazing, Wulf. I can't believe you did that. You're amazing. I don't deserve you.”
“No, probably not,” he chuckled, and started walking forward. She kept her arms around him, hugging close to his side.
“Shut up.”
They were silent for a while longer, Katya pressed against him and listening to his heart beat through his chest. When they got to the food stand, she sat at a tiny table and waited while he got them some Indian-Peruvian fusion food.
“The shit you make me eat,” he grumbled, dropping the plates in front of her before taking his seat.
“You love it,” she laughed.
“No, I don't,” he said around a mouthful of food. Then he grabbed a napkin and wiped at his lips. “But you know what I do love?”
“What?”
“You, very much,” he started, pulling something out of his breast pocket. Katya started choking on her food as a small velvet box came into view.
“Wulfric Stone,” she started shaking. “If you propose to me after only three months of dating, while we're outside of a shitty food stand on the coldest day of the year, I will hate you forever.”
He snorted at her and rolled his eyes.
“Please. If I proposed to you anywhere, you'd feel blessed and privileged and would probably pledge your undying servitude right then and there,” he informed her. She sat back. “I'm not proposing, Tocci.”
She sniffled and took the box from him. “Oh.”
“I saw it in a store and thought of you. Just open it.”
Inside the box was a little charm. A pendant, nestled into the velvet squab. She laughed and stroked a finger across the small piece of jewelry. It was a tiny cupcake, made out of platinum and with a diamond in the center of the frosting. Tucked into the lid of the box was a small piece of paper, which she pulled out and unfolded. She laughed and almost started crying all over again.
It's been over five months - you still owe me those cupcakes, Tocci.
“God, I hope you never change,” she was still laughing as she snapped the box shut and dropped it and the note into her purse.
“But it's nice to know if I had proposed, I would've gotten a resounding 'yes',” he commented, his voice thick with sarcasm. She chuckled and pushed her plate of food to the side.
“Hey, you gotta work for that kind of reward,” she teased, moving to kneel on the table. He glanced at her once, then went back to eating.
“Where you're concerned, all I do is work,” he informed her. She nodded and moved so her knees were on either side of his plate, then reached out and grabbed his tie, pulling him close to her.
“Good thing the payoff is very worth all that hard work,” she whispered. He nodded and watched her mouth as she leaned down to him.
“It would be, if you'd talk less and be naked more,” he told her.
She burst out laughing, but it turned into a moan when he closed the distance and kissed her soundly.
Silly man, I would say yes any day. Who could resist a proposal from the most perfect neighbor anyone ever had?
The End
*
Continue reading for a sneak peek at Liam's book *
More books by Stylo – a little something for everyone:
Degradation, The Kane Trilogy #1
FREE in Kindle Unlimited
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M029T4O
Contemporary romance:
My Time in the Affair FREE in Kindle Unlimited
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UTTDXM4
Dark erotic romance thriller:
The Bad Ones
FREE in Kindle Unlimited
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E36EMUA
Action/adventure romance:
The Mercenaries BoxSet https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GXKMNM8
B&N, iBooks, Kobo, Smashwords:
https://www.books2read.com/links/ubl/mlnLMb/
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book was by far and away my toughest to write. The characters couldn't decide what they wanted to do, they kept changing their minds, and then the first book released and was so well received, it almost gave me anxiety, re-reading the original draft for this story. So of course, I rewrote the whole damn thing. A couple times.
Things we all missed out on from other drafts – a water fight, Katya's dad punching Liam, Liam's family and his awesome mom. Boo. But on the bright side, if you keep reading, you can get a sneak peek at Liam's book!
First and foremost, once again, this book simply would not exist without Ratula. You literally always know exactly the right thing to say. When I'm feeling stressed or down or disconnected or just not into it, you know how to get me on track, and you know how to make me feel better about everything. Thanks for being an amazing friend.
I cannot thank my beta readers enough. Not only do they just do a phenomenal job in general, but almost every single one turned the book around in under a week, and this over the holidays! You guys make everything amazing.
Thank you to Najla Qamber Designs and Champagne Formats for keeping my books looking pretty on the inside and the outside.
Thank you to Give Me Books to coming in during crunch time and doing my release and being so lovely to me, even when I'm late responding to things. Thanks to all the blogs who signed up to promote and review both books, it means the world.
Thanks to everyone who read and loved and reviewed Neighbors. Who knew tacos would become such a big deal!? Ironically – I'm not the biggest fan of them, HA HA!
I'm keeping this short and sweet so I can hit publish all that much faster. Of course, thanks to my friends for dealing with me when I'm in zombie mode. Thanks to everyone for being patient with me as I let messages and e-mails and notifications build up. Thanks for giving me the room to be me and work in my own weird way and just generally being understanding. I feel very blessed that my books have found their way to the readers they have – you are genuinely the nicest, most creative group people.
And thanks to Mr. F – for dreams and weekend getaways and sunny shorelines and laughing and adventures and late nights and not giving a fuck right along with me.