A little later, Keely, Daniel’s wife, pulled Karin aside and invited her and the kids and her dad for Christmas dinner. “I’m sure Liam’s already asked you, but I just wanted you to know how much we’d all love it if you guys would join us for Christmas Day, too.”
Karin shocked the hell out of herself and almost said yes on the spot. After all, Sten and Madison would be coming here to the Bravo house, as would Liam. She and her dad and the kids might as well come, too. But her reluctance to get swept up in too much togetherness with Liam and his family won out. She thanked Keely and promised to talk to Liam about it.
It was after nine when Karin glanced over and saw that Coco had fallen asleep on the floor in front of the tree.
She leaned close to Liam and whispered, “Time to go.”
Leaving Sten and Madison and the bodyguards behind, Karin, Liam, Otto and the kids headed for home.
Once they got everyone into the house, Otto said, “Give me that baby.”
Karin didn’t argue. She passed him the baby carrier in which Riley slept, his chin on his chest, drooling a little.
Her dad said, “I’ll put the kids to bed. There’s milk in the fridge if RG here gets hungry. You two have a nice night.”
“So much for not letting anybody know we’re together,” she grumbled to Liam several minutes later. They were already in his bedroom, under the covers, cuddled up close.
“You’re the one who’s all tied in knots over that,” he reminded her.
She used her fingers to comb his hair back off his forehead. “I’m...getting used to it.”
He ducked close, pressed his mouth to her neck—and blew a raspberry against the side of her throat. When she laughed and wriggled away, he said, “Good. Because I really am going nowhere—as I’ve said so many times I’ve lost count.”
She cuddled in close again. “Keely invited us all to Christmas dinner.”
He slid an arm under her shoulders and drew her closer still. “And you said...?”
“That I would talk to you about it.”
“And...?”
Really, why hold out against having Christmas at Daniel and Keely’s house? Her family loved going over there. And so did she. “Sure. Let’s spend the afternoon at Daniel’s.”
He tipped up her chin and stared into her eyes. “Tell me I’m not dreaming. Tell me you just said yes to Christmas dinner with the Bravos.”
“Yes, I said yes.”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “That wasn’t so hard, now was it?”
She laughed. “You are impossible.”
“But in the best kind of way, right?”
“Oh, absolutely.” She settled her head on his shoulder. “I do like this, Liam. You and me, how it’s all kind of working out.”
“We’re making progress, together.” He breathed the words into her hair.
“Umm-hmm.” Held safe in his arms, she shut her eyes and let herself relax completely. It really was getting easier, day by day, to put the past behind her, to start letting herself imagine a future with Liam.
Yes, at first it had seemed far too similar to the situation she’d gotten herself into with Bud—a baby on the way and a man just trying to step up and do right. But Liam really did seem to like being a family man. And he really did seem to care for her. Not to mention, she was so completely in love with him.
In love with Liam.
Just thinking those words sent a warning shiver through her, no matter that she’d grown increasingly sure they were true.
It wasn’t something she felt entirely ready to deal with yet. And she certainly wouldn’t be saying I love you out loud to him.
Not yet. Not until...
Who knew? She didn’t. But it was going to take some time yet, before she would be willing to declare her love to Liam. Right now, she couldn’t even let him say the words.
Right now, what she felt for him was for her to know and no one else to find out. She needed more time to become absolutely certain that what they had together really was as strong and enduring as she had started to let herself hope it might be.
* * *
Liam drove down to his Portland offices early the next day for a couple of meetings. He was finished before noon and decided to make a detour into downtown, do a little Christmas shopping at an upscale mall called Pioneer Place.
He picked up a few things for Coco and Ben on the first level and then rode the escalator up to the second. If he remembered correctly, there was a certain jewelry story up there.
Tiffany & Co.
He spotted it right away and a feeling of satisfaction spread through him as he thought of Karin. They were getting it together, him and Karin. They had a happy, healthy baby boy and every day he felt more a part of the Larson-Killigan family.
Her kids and her dad trusted him. And Sten had been on his side from the first, not even hesitating to lease him the cottage all those weeks and weeks ago, when he was a brand-new dad, desperate for a closer connection to his son and to the frustrating, unforgettable woman who was so determined not to let him get near.
Maybe it was a little early to go browsing engagement rings.
But hey, how often did he get anywhere near Tiffany & Co.? Pretty much never.
What could it hurt just to look?
Someday soon, he’d be needing the right ring. And when that happened, it would damn well be the best.
Inside the store, there were fancy wreaths on the walls, a tree all decked out with Tiffany-blue lights and white satin bows. Christmas music played, turned down tastefully low, like a hum of holiday cheer in the background. He was greeted by the guard at the door and by a couple of salespeople. A pretty woman with pale blond hair asked if there was something or someone in particular he was shopping for.
He shook his head. “Just looking.”
“Ah. Take your time. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”
He thanked her and browsed the big, gleaming cases of engagement and wedding rings, each one more sparkly and beautiful than the one before it.
It was a little overwhelming—until he saw the ring. It was simple and perfect, with a gorgeous square diamond glittering so brightly on a platinum band.
The blonde stepped near again. In a soft, pleasant voice, she began talking about responsible sourcing, about the four C’s of diamonds—carat, cut, color and clarity.
He looked up and grinned at her. “I want that one, and the platinum band with the diamonds for the wedding ring...”
* * *
Liam left Tiffany & Co. feeling equal parts exhilarated and stunned. He’d just bought a matched pair of sparklers that cost more than his truck.
And he’d honestly only gone in there to look.
But hey. When he finally did get down on one knee and offer his ring to Karin along with his heart and all his worldly possessions, she was going to love that ring.
And if the impossible happened and the perfect ring wasn’t right for her, the nice saleswoman had assured him that he could bring Karin in to choose something else.
So it was nothing to get freaky over. He’d wanted the best for Karin and he’d gotten the best.
And for now, he had a plan: do nothing. Not for a while. He would put the perfect rings away, enjoy the rest of the holiday season and wait for the right moment, no matter how long it took to get there.
Karin was skittish about love, about marriage. He knew that. He got that. He honestly did. He understood her fears and her doubts. The catastrophe of her first marriage still haunted her. And she needed a whole lot of time to learn to trust that he was all in with her the way Bud had never really been.
His phone buzzed with a text just as he reached the parking garage a block from the mall. It was Karin.
Pork chops tonight. 6 o’clock. Interested?
He wore a giant gr
in as he paused on the sidewalk to answer. I’ll be there.
Dinner was great. RG was up, so Liam ate with the baby on his lap. Sten and Madison joined them. Afterward, Coco dragged Liam into her room and whipped out a pink plastic pitcher, her Christmas gift for Karin.
“Isn’t it beautiful, Liam? Won’t Mommy just love it?”
He agreed that it was one fine-looking pitcher and Karin would be so happy to have it. Next, he checked in with Ben to see how he was doing on his latest project for Science Club.
Around eight, he returned to the cottage and headed straight for the wall safe in the bedroom closet to check out his Tiffany purchase. A part of him still didn’t quite believe he’d just gone out and done it—bought Karin a ring.
But he had. And it was freaking gorgeous.
He’d just stuck the tiny black velvet box into the blue Tiffany box and then back into the safe and returned to the main room when she showed up at the slider.
He shoved open the door and she came straight into his arms like there was no place on earth she would rather be. “Dad shooed me out again. He promised to look after RG and make sure Ben and Coco get to bed on time.”
“Otto’s my hero.”
“Mine, too.” She sighed and tipped up her mouth in an invitation to a kiss. It was an invitation he accepted with enthusiasm.
Damn, she was beautiful. She just seemed to glow with happiness, so easy and comfortable with him, with the world, with the life they were making, day by day, the two of them—even if she hadn’t quite gotten to where she would admit that out loud.
They hung out in the main room for a while, enjoying the fire, discussing Christmas Eve, which they would share at the other house with the kids and Otto, Sten and Madison. Christmas morning, he would cook breakfast for everyone here at the cottage. Then they would return to the main house to open presents.
And then, as she’d miraculously agreed the night before, they would head up to Rhinehart Hill for Christmas dinner with his family.
Life didn’t get any better than this.
He scooped her up in his arms and headed down the hall to his bedroom, where he made love to her slowly, his mind and heart overflowing with words of love.
Words that he really didn’t intend to try to say out loud again. Not yet.
But she was moving beneath him, sighing his name, those blue-green eyes shining as she gazed up at him through the dark, thick fringe of her eyelashes. All that coffee-brown hair was spread out on the pillow, tangled and wild. He wanted to capture the moment, never let it go.
And then she said it, so soft and low he might not have heard it if he hadn’t been staring directly down at her beautiful face. “I love you so much, Liam. I love you. I do.”
And it was like a dam breaking inside him, the words spilling out of him, the ones she’d never let him say before. “I love you, Karin. You’re everything to me...”
* * *
Afterward, she seemed kind of quiet, but she tucked herself in nice and close to him. Idly, she traced the shape of his ear, brushed her fingers along his jaw, combed them up into his hair.
He pressed a kiss to the curve of her shoulder and she made a soft little sound in her throat. It sounded like approval. Affection.
Love.
And he just couldn’t do it. Couldn’t wait another day, another hour, another minute to ask her, to promise her everything, to give her the ring he’d chosen for her.
He kissed her shoulder again and breathed in the incomparable scent of her skin. “Do not move from this spot.”
She let out a throaty little moan. “No worries. I don’t think I can move. I just might be in an after-sex coma.”
He chuckled. “Try to stay conscious. I’ll be right back.” He slid out from under the covers and turned for the closet.
“Liam, what—?”
“Just wait. You’ll see.” He pulled open the closet door, switched on the light and shoved a row of shirts to the side. Four quick pokes at the keypad and he had the safe open. The blue box was waiting. He took out the black velvet box inside and returned with it to the bed.
She was sitting up by then, clutching the sheet to her chest. “What are you up to?”
He dropped to a knee, held out the tiny box and flipped the lid back.
She stared down at the ring, eyes big as sand dollars. “Liam.”
“Marry me, Karin.”
She just kept staring, clutching the sheet even tighter. “I, um, that’s the most gorgeous ring I’ve ever seen.”
“Say yes.”
She winced—she actually winced at him. “Liam. I’m so sorry. I can’t do that. You know I can’t. Not right now.”
Chapter Twelve
Karin sincerely hated herself at that moment.
Liam stared up at her from where he knelt on the rug, a frown creasing his brow. He flipped the box shut, fisted his hand around it and let his arm drop to his side. “You said you love me.”
“I know. And I do, but...” Really, what was he supposed to think? “I’m sorry,” she babbled. “I shouldn’t have said it. I didn’t mean to say it.”
He rose and set the magnificent ring in its velvet box on the nightstand. And then he just stood there by the bed, so tall and strong, wearing nothing but a somber expression, his eyes full of shadows and sadness now. “You didn’t mean to say you love me?”
“No! I... Well, of course, I...” She stopped, forced herself to take a slow breath, and tried again. “I do love you, even though I tried really hard not to.”
He almost smiled, but then his fine mouth flattened out again. “No kidding.”
“I fell for you, Liam. I’ve fallen. I’m just gone on you. I wasn’t going to tell you, though. Not until I was ready to, um, move on to the next step. But it’s been so good between us lately. And tonight was so perfect and beautiful and true. I got carried away, I guess. The words just slipped out. I’m so sorry.”
One golden-brown eyebrow inched upward. “Sorry that you love me?”
Could she be more confusing? “Please. No. That’s not what I mean.” She reached out and took his hand. He didn’t exactly give it to her, but he let her have it, he didn’t jerk away. “Come back to bed.”
He stared at her so strangely, like she’d hurt him so bad, broken something inside him. “Karin. Are you gonna talk to me about this? Tell me, honestly, why you keep refusing to take a chance on us?”
“Please...” She tugged on his hand. “Come here.”
He gave in and got back under the covers with her. They propped their pillows against the headboard and sat up, side by side. “Okay,” he said. “Talk.”
She put her fingers to her temples and rubbed to ease the tension that caused a dull throbbing behind her eyes. “I just have to be sure that we can really make it work before there are rings and promises of forever. I have to be 100 percent certain. I can’t take a chance that I’ll mess up again. It’s just not fair to the kids—or to you, really. Some things, you can’t come back from, Liam.”
“You have to know that you’re never going to get the certainty you say you need. When you love another person, you’re always taking a risk. There are no guarantees.”
What could she say to that? She knew he was right.
He held her gaze. “So, Karin. Take a chance. On me. On us.”
A frustrated cry escaped her. “But horrible things can happen. You have no idea.”
“Yeah, I do. When he was only eight years old, my brother disappeared in Siberia, vanished without a trace never to be seen or heard from again. Two years later, my mom and dad died in a Thailand tsunami. Believe me, I know about horrible things.”
Shame made her cheeks burn. “Oh, my God. You’re right. Of course, you know exactly what I’m talking about. And I am so sorry—about Finn, about your dad and mom. Could I be any more insensitive?�
� She covered her face with her hands.
“Hey. Look at me.”
She dropped her hands and made herself face him. “Yeah?”
“Bad shit happens. To everyone. And for you, that means Bud, right? You’re trying to tell me that you’re not really over his death, that he’s always going to be a barrier between us?”
“Not in the way that you think. It’s not like I’m in love with his memory or anything. Liam, what haunts me is that I rushed into marriage with him and it all went to hell. Everybody got hurt—my children included. I wish I could make you see.”
He regarded her so steadily. “I think I do see. I don’t like it. I think you’re punishing yourself for something that really isn’t your fault. But I get it. I do.” He looked so exhausted, suddenly.
And seriously, who would have guessed that sexy, charming, commitment-phobic Liam Bravo would grow up to be such an amazing man?
She reached out a tentative hand and combed his hair back with her fingers. He didn’t duck away. She tried to take heart from that. “You look worn-out—worn-out from dealing with me.”
He caught her hand, opened her fingers and kissed the center of her palm. His lips were so warm, his breath a caress in itself. “Let’s try to get some sleep, okay?”
“Yeah. Okay.”
They settled down into the bed. He turned off the light and then pulled her in close. She cuddled against him, grateful for his arms around her.
And all too aware that she was the one holding them back.
* * *
Karin opened her eyes to daylight.
Morning?
It was morning already? She slid her hand across the bottom sheet.
Empty.
Liam had left the bed.
“No!” She popped straight up to a sitting position, her heart going a mile a minute.
The kids would already be up by now. Up and wondering where Mom had gotten off to.
And her dad...
The Right Reason to Marry Page 16