“Is your girlfriend the reason you’re not defending the title?” another reporter asked. “Is it true you promised her this would be your last fight?”
Kiara’s stomach lurched as she imagined boxing fans the world over hating her for taking their champion out of the sport. She didn’t want to think about what that reputation would do to her career.
“I already told you why this was my last fight,” Blaise said, a harder edge to his voice. He glared at the man who’d posed the question. “I have a life to live, plans for the future. I’ve loved boxing. It gave me more than I ever thought I deserved, but it’s time to let go.”
Relief washed through Kiara, not only because he’d taken sole responsibility for his decision, but because he’d publicly declared his intent to retire for good.
“That’s all for now,” he said, stepping away from the crowd as he reached for Kiara’s hand. “My girlfriend and I have a celebration of our own planned tonight. If you’ll excuse us.”
“Blaise,” one reporter called as they made their way to the door, “do your plans for the future include a wedding?”
“Uh…” Blaise glanced at Kiara. “No.”
No? Kiara swallowed her disappointment as he ushered her to the waiting limousine.
“Thank God that’s over, huh?” Blaise reached for her hand when they were safely ensconced in the backseat. “One thing I don’t miss about my job is dealing with the press.”
Kiara offered him a tight smile, biting her lip as he popped the cork on the champagne bottle, barely spilling a drop.
He filled two glasses before handing her one. “To the future, Ki.”
What kind of future would it be if he’d changed his mind about committing to her? She touched her glass to his, forcing a smile. “To your future. Congratulations on your success tonight, Blaise.”
He frowned as he watched her sip the bubbly. “Is something wrong?”
“No, nothing.” She shook her head, rubbing her temple. “I guess I’m just a little tired.” She should tell him the truth, but it didn’t seem fair to ruin his big night by putting him on the spot about his response to the reporter.
“You’re lying.”
“No, I’m not.” She laughed lightly, but she felt more like crying. “Oh good, we’re at the hotel. That didn’t take long.” She felt claustrophobic and anxious to put some distance between them. She wanted to collect her thoughts before she made a fool of herself. She edged closer to the door, reaching for the handle at the same time the driver did. She smiled sweetly as she accepted his gloved hand. “Thank you.”
He was too polite to note the stains Blaise had left on her shirt, but she pulled her blazer around her as she walked toward the door, buttoning her jacket before she met the doorman. Blaise was a few steps behind her after tipping the driver.
“Hey,” he said, grabbing her elbow, “where’s your stuff?”
She lifted her oversized, leather Gucci bag. “I have the essentials in here. I bought them at the airport back home, and I figured I could buy a change of clothes wherever we stayed. I planned to go home and pack an overnight bag earlier today, but I got tied up at work.”
“Oh.” He frowned. “I was hoping we could stay on here for a few days.”
“I’m afraid not. I have to get back.”
“Ki, what the hell’s going on with you?” He grabbed her upper arm and pulled her toward a quiet spot. “If I did something to piss you off, you have to tell me what it is so I can make it right.”
She cleared her throat. “Don’t be ridiculous. You didn’t do anything.” She was grateful she hadn’t gone to see him before the match. If she had, she might have followed Dalton’s suggestion and brought up the subject of marriage. At least the reporter’s question saved her the humiliation of being shot down.
“Why are you lying to me?”
“Blaise, people are starting to stare,” she whispered. “I think they recognize you. We should go up to the room before you get mobbed.”
He glanced around the lobby, probably to confirm her claim, before he linked his hand through hers and led her toward the elevator. He was silent as he punched the button, his eyes fixed on the window of a jewelry boutique amidst the exclusive shops.
Rolling his finger around the diamond band on her right hand, he said, “I hate this, Ki. There’s this tension between us all of a sudden, and I want to know why.”
It wasn’t fair to keep him in the dark, but couldn’t he guess why she was so upset? Sure, they hadn’t talked about marriage since the night of his quasi-proposal, but did he really think it hadn’t been on her mind? The elevator was blessedly empty when they stepped on.
“It’s been an emotionally charged day for both of us,” she said. “It would probably be best if we just get some sleep and talk about it in the morning.”
He closed in on her, crowding her against the wall. “Are you saying you don’t want to make love to me tonight? Now I know something’s wrong.”
She could barely breathe when he looked at her as though he intended to have his way with her right there, heedless of the security cameras overhead. “I just thought you’d be tired.” She gestured to his body. “And sore, after tonight.”
“I’ll never be too tired to show you how much I love you, girl.” Stroking her face with the back of his hand, he whispered, “Don’t ever forget that.”
If you love me so much, why don’t you want to marry me anymore? Of course she couldn’t ask that, so she held him instead, hoping he couldn’t sense her sadness. She’d been hurt when he told the reporter he didn’t intend to marry her, then mad. Now she just felt sad, as if she’d missed out on the best opportunity of her life.
His lips grazed her cheek. “Don’t you know by now I can read your moods? When you’re not happy, I know it. And I hate it. I want to make you happy, Ki. Always.”
Damn it. Why did he have to say that? She couldn’t stop the flow of tears even if her eyes were glued shut.
“Hey,” he said, tipping up her head. “What is it, baby? Just tell me.”
The elevator delivered them to the top floor, saving her from responding. Brushing away the errant tears, she nudged him out of the way. “Let’s go. We can talk in your room.”
She knew he wasn’t pleased she was putting him off, but how could she tell him the truth without making herself sound pathetic and desperate? Of course, if she didn’t tell him, it would fester and lead to resentment that could eventually destroy their relationship. Kiara didn’t know what to do. She felt damned either way.
Stepping into their room, she gasped. The puffy white linens were turned down, and red rose petals decorated the bed. There was soft music playing, lit candles, and champagne on ice. The suite felt like his room had the first time they made love.
“How did you do all this?” she asked, covering her mouth. “When?”
“I had someone on the staff help me with it.” He closed his arms around her from behind as he rested his chin on her shoulder. “I texted him and told him we were on our way.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“I wanted it to be special and to remind you of how far we’ve come since our first time together. We’re not the same people we were then. Everything feels different, at least to me.”
“To me too.” She covered his forearms with her hands, tipping her head back on his shoulder. “We were just getting to know each other then.”
“And now?”
She bit her lip, wishing she could say everything in her heart without fear of crossing some invisible line. “Now I know you better. I know myself better too.”
“How so?” His lips traveled across her cheek, making her close her eyes.
“I know what I want, what I don’t want.”
He peeled off her blazer and tossed it over a chair before undoing the top buttons of her blouse to reveal her white silk demi-cup bra. “Tell me what you want, Ki.”
“You.”
His touch was feather-light, g
liding over the swell of her breasts slowly, as though they had all the time in the world to explore each other’s bodies. “You have me.”
“Not the way I want you.” It was the moment of truth. She had to swallow her pride and tell him how much she wanted to build a life with him.
“What do you mean, beautiful?” He kissed her neck as his hands glided over her hips, reaching for the button fly on her low-cut black pants.
“I want…” She was temporarily distracted by the heat of his mouth searing her skin. “You… to… be… my husband.” Her stomach clenched.
His hands froze on her hips as he raised his head from her neck. “What did you just say?” He turned her to face him, clasping her hands. “Say it again.”
His look was one of disbelief, or was it hope? Kiara couldn’t tell, and not knowing was killing her. She’d said it aloud, so she couldn’t take it back. She said quietly, her eyes fixed on the door, “I want you to be my husband.”
A slow smile spread across his face. “Is that right?”
“Yeah, but, um, I know what you said to that reporter and—”
He threw his head back, laughing. “Is that why you were so upset in the limo?”
Frowning, she shoved him back a step. “What the hell’s so funny?”
“You.” He gripped her chin, leaning in to steal a kiss. “I said that because I didn’t want to tip you off and spoil my surprise.”
“Your surprise?” Her heart pounding, she turned to face the room. It started to click. He’d done all of this for a reason that had nothing to do with his success in the ring. “You mean this is…”
He led her toward the small table where the staff had left champagne, two crystal glasses, and a bowl of strawberries with fresh cream. “There are moments in life worth celebrating, and I’ve had a few.” He poured Dom Perignon into their flutes. “Mostly boxing-related. Aside from that, I haven’t done a whole lot in my life that I’m proud of.”
Kiara wanted to argue that he had every reason to be proud of himself, but she didn’t want to interrupt him.
He handed her one of the glasses. “I feel like I’m on a different path now.” He smiled. “Just the thought of opening that center in a few months makes me feel good.”
“As it should. You’ve worked so hard, and it’s going to make a difference for so many kids.”
“I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you, Ki. You’ve been by my side every step of the way, holding my hand, encouraging me, pushing me when I needed it, and coaxing me to pull back when I needed to look at things objectively.”
Working so closely with him had been one of the most rewarding experiences of her life. It proved they were a good team, that they belonged together. “You’ve done the same for me countless times,” she said, touching his cheek.
“We’re good for each other.” He lowered his head before looking at her for confirmation.
“I think so too.” She sensed his hesitancy, but she didn’t know why. Was he having second thoughts, wondering whether they should wait a little longer and get to know each other better? “Look, Blaise, I’m happy with the way things are. The last thing I want is for you to feel pressured just because I made that comment about—”
“Sssh.” He covered her mouth with his. “Just let me say what I have to say. Please.”
“Okay.”
“When I met you, I didn’t even know I was looking for a best friend.” He looked at his glass. “I had plenty of friends, but nobody who really had my back. Not until I met you.”
Kiara gripped his hand, willing him to look at her.
He finally did, sighing heavily. “I can’t say that I never trusted or counted on anyone. I had Charlie. But I’d never been in a relationship with a woman who was my everything. Putting that kind of faith in someone is scary as hell.”
“I know.”
“When you told me you wouldn’t marry me, I was hurt and angry, but I understood.” Blaise rubbed his thumb over the glass. “It was too soon. After that, I found myself pulling back a bit, afraid to let you get too close, but every time I shut down, you’d whisper that you loved me, that you believed in me, or you were there for me, and I fell in love with you all over again.”
That he’d been pulling away without her even realizing it scared Kiara. She’d felt they were getting closer with every passing day. “Just because I wouldn’t marry you then doesn’t mean you didn’t have my heart. You did. You still do. The question is, what are you going to do with it?”
“Treasure it.” He kissed her hand. “Protect it. Promise never to break it. When it does break, through no fault of mine, help to heal it.”
“I’d like that,” she said, feeling overwhelmed by her love for this man. Kiara saw how much she meant to him in his eyes, and she felt gratitude unlike anything she’d ever experienced. She didn’t know what she’d done to deserve him, only that she would never stop giving thanks for what they had.
“You helped heal me, Kiara.” His eyes shone with tears. “I was broken, angry, enraged even, bitter, resentful, and your love changed all that. You made me a stronger man, a better man. Someone who finally feels worthy of you.” He smirked. “That’s a pretty big deal for me, ‘cause when we first met, I was pretty sure I could never feel that way.”
Kiara brushed away the tears sliding down her cheeks. “You were always worthy of me. I questioned whether I was worthy of you sometimes, Blaise.”
“Let’s stop doing that, questioning each other and what we have.” He chuckled. “How about from now on, we just assume we were put on this earth for each other and leave it at that?”
She laughed, raising her glass. “I’ll drink to that, Mr. Thomas.”
“Uh uh,” he said, holding his glass just out of her reach. “Not so fast. You haven’t agreed to all of my terms yet.”
“Oh, really?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “What are your other terms?”
“Just a few more.” He reached into his pants pocket and withdrew a velvet pouch. “Promise you’ll always be by my side, through the good times and the bad.”
“I can do that.” She held her breath as he took her glass and set it beside his on the table.
“Can you promise you’ll love me even when you hate me?”
She giggled. Given some of their arguments over the center, they’d already put that theory to the test a few times. “I think I can do that.”
“Can you put your faith in me, in us, and trust that I’ll never, ever let you down?”
“Yes.”
He opened the pouch to reveal her grandmother’s ring. “In that case, can you do one other thing for me?”
She covered her mouth with one hand, nodding when words failed her.
He held up the ring. “Your mother explained to me how much this ring means to you and what it represents—a once-in-a-lifetime love. She said you’d never agree to wear it unless you believed you’d found the man of your dreams. So will you do me the honor of letting me be the man to put this ring on your finger?”
“Yes.” She threw her arms around his neck, making him laugh. “Yes!”
“Let me do this before you change your mind,” he said, chuckling. He slid the ring on her finger before kissing her hand, then her lips, slowly and sensuously.
She believed their next stop would be the bed, but when her mouth sought his neck and her hands found the buttons on his shirt, he moved his head.
“Before we get to that, a toast.” He handed her a glass.
“Fine,” she said, rolling her eyes. “A toast.”
“Hey,” he chided, “I know you’re a romantic. You’ve probably been dreaming about this moment for years. I don’t want to look back and curse myself for leaving things unsaid.”
She loved that he’d put so much thought into making this perfect for her, but she didn’t need flowery declarations or sparkly diamonds to remember tonight. It would be seared into her memory forever as the first day of their life together.
He looked into her eyes, brushing a lock of hair off her forehead. “The first time I saw you, I realized nothing would ever be the same for me again. When I thought I lost you, I felt like I’d lost everything. I’ve treasured every moment since, just having you back in my life.”
Kiara touched his chest to feel the solid beat of his heart, the heart he’d entrusted to her.
“But now that I know you’re mine, officially…” He looked at the ring on her finger. “I feel at peace, Ki. Everything in my life has been leading up to this moment, to finding you. Now that I have, I feel like I can finally breathe ‘cause I know we’re gonna be okay. Better than okay. We’re going to be happy, and that’s more than I could have hoped for. Growing up, that’s all I wanted—just to be happy. You make me happy. Thank you for that.”
Kiara understood how much the simple act of being happy after so many years of misery meant to him, and giving him that meant more to her than all of her other accomplishments combined.
“So here’s to being happy.” He touched his glass to hers. “For the rest of our lives.”
“To being happy.”
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Going For It (Texas Titans #7) Page 24