[Quantum 01.0 - 03.0] Boxed Set

by Marie Force

  Dad puts his arm around Mom. “Take it easy, Stel.”

  Mom takes a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to ruin our time together by dwelling on things that are outside our control.”

  “I want you to know that it means the world to me to have your support,” Natalie says, addressing both of them. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had parents to lean on, and your outrage is actually rather comforting.”

  “You have parents now, love,” Mom says firmly. “We’ll be your parents. We’re actually rather good at it. Ask our kids.”

  Natalie blinks repeatedly, which is how I know Mom’s kindness has touched her deeply. She hugs my mom. “Thank you so much.”

  “How did the interview with Carolyn go?” Mom asks after they embrace for a long moment that has all of us dabbing at our eyes afterward.

  “It was good,” Natalie says. “She was very nice and respectful.”

  “I’m just glad it’s over,” I add.

  “When is it scheduled to air?” Dad asks.

  “Sometime next week. They’re going to let us know.”

  “What can we get you to drink?” Dad asks, his jovial tone lightening the mood considerably.

  We pass a relaxing hour with my parents, during which my dad tells me he heard there’s an underground plan afoot for celebrities on the red carpet at the SAG Awards to boycott the Hollywood Starz TV news magazine that broke the story about Natalie.

  I tell her this on the way back to the beach house in Malibu. I’m driving so Natalie doesn’t have to take on LA’s notorious rush-hour traffic.

  “Wow, so they’ll blow off those reporters because of what they did to me?”

  “Yep, and when they do that on live TV, it’ll send a big message to the others that if you cross the line, you pay the price.”

  She doesn’t reply, so I glance over to find her worrying her bottom lip.

  “What’s wrong, Nat?”

  “You’ll think it’s silly after I pitched such a fit about going to the SAGs.”

  “What will I think is silly?”

  “It’s just… You worked so hard on Camouflage, and everyone’s saying you’re going to win again.”

  “Ack, don’t jinx me!”

  She smiles, but I can tell she’s still troubled. “I don’t want that night to be about me. It needs to be about you and your amazing accomplishments.”

  God, she’s so sweet and so perfect. I want to take her to bed and not let her up until I’ve managed to slake the burning need she inspires in me. “It’s about us, sweetheart. Everything is about us now. Whatever happens with the rest of the awards, all I care about is I get to go home with you after. The awards are a distant second place to that.”

  “Do you ever wonder how something like this could’ve happened as fast as it did?”

  “Something like this? You mean me falling flat on my ass in love with you and hopefully vice versa?”

  “Yes,” she says, laughing, “that’s what I mean, and there’s no hopefully about it. I’m right there on my ass next to you.”

  “I don’t wonder how it happened. I know exactly how it happened. You came barreling into me, your crazy dog bit me and infected me with love potion number something. The rest, as they say, is history.”

  “Poor Fluff. She gets such a bad rap in all this.”

  “She deserves every bit of bad publicity she gets.”

  Her ringing cell phone interrupts our “argument.”

  “Make sure you check the caller ID before you answer it.” I’m always on guard against the relentless paparazzi. I wouldn’t put it past them to have hunted down her phone number.

  “It’s Leah. Hey, how’s it going?”

  I can’t hear Leah’s side of the conversation, but Natalie is rapt, listening to whatever her roommate in New York is saying. “When do you think they’ll decide?” she asks. “Wow, well, keep me posted and tell Sue thanks for the info.” After another pause, “It’s great. Sunny and warm every day. Today, I’ve been learning to drive—and we did an interview with Carolyn Justice.”

  I can hear Leah’s screaming reply to that, which makes me laugh.

  They talk for another couple of minutes before they say their good-byes.

  “What’s up?” I ask the second she ends the call.

  “According to our friend Sue, who works in the main office, the board is seriously considering overturning Mrs. Heffernan’s decision to fire me. Aileen and the other parents apparently presented one hell of an argument.”

  “That’s great, Nat.” It is great, and I’m happy for her, but the thought of her returning to New York is thoroughly depressing.

  “Yeah.”

  “They should reinstate you. It’s the right thing to do.”

  “I know.” She runs her fingers through her long hair as she stares out the window at the scenery on the way into Malibu.

  I want to know what she’ll do if she gets her job back, but I don’t ask. I’m afraid of her reply.

  “How about a walk on the beach?” I ask when we’re back at the house. We’ve been sticking close to the house since we’ve been here, but I recall how much Natalie loved the beach the first time she experienced it. And since Addie handed me the package I’ve been waiting for, I can move forward with my plans. My stomach is full of butterflies, but they’re the happy excited kind.

  “Can we do that? You don’t have your Russian mafia hat with you.”

  “That would draw too much attention here. I do have a Dodgers ball cap and dark sunglasses. And we’ve got them.” I gesture to the security guys who pulled into the driveway behind us.

  “Sure, if you think it’s okay.”

  After we change into shorts and T-shirts, we head out with Fluff, who’s thrilled to have us back at home. Well, she’s thrilled to have Natalie. She’s tolerating me. The beach is largely deserted this late in the day, so we have the place to ourselves, other than the security team that trails at a decent distance. I’ve asked them to give us some privacy for what I have planned for this walk of ours.

  We hold hands as we stroll along the edge of the cold water that sloshes over our feet.

  “Does the water ever get warm?” she asks.

  “In the summer, it gets tolerably cold.”

  “It’s so pretty here. If I lived here, all I’d do is stare at the ocean all day.”

  “Do you want to live here?”

  “I don’t know,” she says with a nervous laugh. “I have no idea where I belong anymore.”

  She’s handed me the perfect opening for the conversation I wish to have with her. “I do.”

  “You do what?” She’s staring out at the ocean, so she doesn’t see me staring down at her, captivated by the way the breeze flutters through her hair. I will never get tired of looking at her, of talking to her, of holding her hand, of making love to her or anything else I get to do with her. “I know where you belong.”

  “And where’s that?”

  “With me.” I stop walking and turn to face her, dropping to one knee before her.

  She gasps, and Fluff barks. “Flynn! What’re you doing?”

  I push my sunglasses to the top of my head. “Natalie, I love you more than I ever imagined it was possible to love anyone. When I heard the other day what the press was doing to you, I felt like my own heart had been ripped from my chest. I couldn’t think or breathe or do anything until I got to you.”

  Natalie wipes tears from her face. “I don’t expect you to do this because of what happened with the press.”

  “You think I’m doing this because of that? My darling love, this is because of what happened in a park when you and that vicious wildebeest of yours mowed me over and changed my life forever with one look into the most amazingly beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen in my life. I’m doing this because every second I spend away from you feels like the most painful form of torture I’ve ever endured. And I’m doing it because I quite simply can’t live without you. So do you think maybe yo
u could help me out here and have some mercy on me? Will you marry me, Natalie?”

  “Your parents… Are you sure they want all the crap that comes with me?”

  “You heard them today. They’re thrilled to welcome you into our family. And besides, they’ll be busy celebrating the fact that a woman they too fell in love with at first sight has finally brought me up to scratch.”

  “Yes, Flynn,” she says, laughing as she wipes away her tears. “I’ll marry you.”

  “Why?”

  She tips her head to look at me inquisitively. “Why?”

  “Tell me why you want to marry me.”

  “Because I love you desperately—” She never gets to finish that thought because I stand up to kiss her.

  “That’s all I needed to hear.”

  “Let me finish.” With her hands on my face, she stares into my eyes, and I feel as if she’s showing me her very soul. “I don’t love you for all the reasons the rest of the world does. I love you for all the other things about you that no one but me will ever get to see. I love you for your kindness, your generosity, your humor, the way you don’t take yourself too seriously but take your work very seriously. I love you for the way you take care of your Great-Aunt Sally—”

  “How do you know about that?”

  “You’re not going to tell me the press got that wrong, are you?”

  “No,” I say with a laugh, “that’s one thing they got right.”

  “I love you for who you are, not what you have. That’ll never matter to me as much as you do.”

  “And that, my love, is why, for you, I’ve broken all my earlier vows to never marry again and exactly why I’m willing to take all new ones with you.”

  I pick her up and twirl her around, bringing her down for a kiss that’s far more chaste than I’d like it to be, but I’m mindful of the security detail watching us.

  “I can’t believe this is happening. Are we really getting married?”

  “We really are. What’re you doing tomorrow?”

  “As in the day after today? You want to get married tomorrow?”

  I love her so much. I don’t have the slightest doubt that this is the right thing for both of us. “Yes, I do. We’re checking on what we can pull together for tomorrow or Monday.”

  “We? Who is we?”

  “Addie and me, of course.”

  “I think I’m hyperventilating. Am I hyperventilating?”

  Laughing, I put my arms around her and kiss her. “Oh my God! I forgot the most important part of this whole proposal thing.” I reach into my pants pocket for the ring I stashed there before we left the house. I’ve checked at least twenty times to make sure it’s still there. Reaching for her left hand, I slide the ring I had made for her onto her finger.

  “Flynn! Oh my God! It’s gorgeous.” She’s crying freely now as she stares at the four-carat one-of-a-kind diamond in the platinum setting I chose for her. At times like this, it helps to have a brother-in-law in the jewelry business. Hugh and I have been in cahoots for days now, and the ring is perfect on her.

  “So tomorrow or Monday? Unless you want the big white wedding. In that case, I suppose I could be convinced to wait a month or two, but absolutely no longer than two months.”

  “I don’t care about a big wedding.”

  “I’ve already had one, and it was a lot of headaches for one day of partying.” I hold her close to me with my chin resting on the top of her head as I watch the sun dip toward the horizon. “You don’t care about the big wedding. I certainly don’t want to go down that road again if you don’t. We really ought to take advantage of this break in the action to take care of business.”

  “What about your parents? And your sisters. The kids…”

  “This isn’t about them. This is about you and me. We can have a big party later to celebrate. I don’t need anyone else there. Do you?”

  “Other than Leah and Aileen, I really don’t have anyone else.”

  “You do now, sweetheart. You have me and an entire family that will love and protect you always. You are not alone anymore.”

  “This has to be a dream. Nothing this amazing could possibly be real.”

  “It’s very real, and I’ve gone from publicly swearing I’d never get married again to needing to be married to you so badly, I can’t bear the idea of waiting even two more days to make you my wife.”

  “Flynn… God. This is crazy.”

  “Is that a yes?”

  “Yes!” She laughs even as she cries. “It’s a yes.”

  I pick her up again and swing her around, making her scream with laughter, which of course makes Fluff bark and snap at my legs. The sound of Natalie’s laughter is the sweetest music I’ve ever heard. I put her down, make sure she’s steady on her feet and withdraw my phone from my pocket. I keep an arm around Natalie as we start back toward the house.

  “Well?” Addie says when she answers.

  “Green light for ASAP.”

  “Flynn… That’s fantastic. Congratulations to both of you. The soonest they could do it was Monday, so I’ll set everything up and call you tomorrow with the details.”

  I know she’ll work nonstop to make it happen, but I also know she doesn’t mind. She’s a sucker for romance. “You’re the best, Addie.”

  “I know! Congratulations again. I’m so excited for you.”

  “Thanks. Me, too.” I stash the phone in my pocket and return my full attention to Natalie. We walk slowly, taking our time returning to the house.

  “Are you happy, Nat?”

  “I’m so happy. I had no idea it was possible to be this happy.”

  “That’s all that matters to me. That’s all that will ever matter.” Before I marry Natalie, though, I need to talk to Hayden and quit the club. I need to deal with the playroom in the basement of my house as well, although I can do that later. It’s under lock and key, so there’s no chance she’ll discover it. There’s no place for the club and what goes on there or the playroom at home in my new life with Natalie.

  Chapter 9

  We return to the house to find Marlowe sitting on the back deck waiting for us. She jumps up when she sees us coming. “There you are!”

  “Hey, Mo.” Flynn greets his close friend and business partner with a kiss. “What’s up?”

  “I brought dinner. I’ve been thinking about you guys and wanted to check in to see how you’re doing.”

  He pushes his sunglasses to the top of his head. “How’re we doing, Nat?” His eyes dance with the kind of glee I haven’t seen since before my story was made public.

  I hold up my left hand so she can see the ring I still can’t believe he just put on my finger.

  Marlowe lets out a scream and gets up to hug us both. “Oh my God! Flynn Godfrey is engaged! This is going to be the story of the century!”

  “Shhhhh.” He’s amused by her reaction. “We’re not telling the world yet.”

  “We need to have a party! Can we have a party? Please? Or do you guys want to be alone? Because if you do, I’ll invite the boys over and have a party on your behalf at my house.”

  Flynn glances at me. I can tell just by looking at him that he’d rather be alone, but these are his closest friends and business partners—two of whom I haven’t met yet. “A party sounds fun.”

  “Yay!” Marlowe claps her hands in delight. “I left my phone inside. I’ll go make the calls.”

  When we’re alone, Flynn puts his arm around me and steals a kiss. “You’re sure this is all right?”

  “It’s perfect. Look at this night and this ring and this view and my gorgeous fiancé. So much to celebrate.”

  “I love to see you glowing with happiness.”

  “I’m glowing because of you. Because you love me.”

  “I love you so fucking much.”

  “And you wonder why I’m glowing.”

  We stand there like that, wrapped up in each other, until Marlowe returns. “Everyone is coming, and they’re bringing bo
oze and more food. I love a party that comes together without me having to do anything other than decide to have it.”

  Her excitement is contagious. What am I doing at Hayden Roth’s Malibu beach house about to party with Marlowe Sloane and my new fiancé, Flynn Godfrey? It’s beyond surreal, but it’s also my life now. My new life. With a pang of regret, I think of my kids in New York and hope they’re getting by without me.

  “You okay, sweetheart?” he asks, tuned in to me as always.

  “Yeah, I’m great.” I’m better than I’ve been in eight long years.

  “Hey, Mo, what’d you make for dinner?”

  “Enchiladas, baby! Is there anything else?”

  Flynn laughs. “Marlowe can’t cook anything other than Mexican. We think she might’ve been kidnapped from a Mexican family at some point.”

  “What can I say? I’ve got tamales in my blood. Margaritas for everyone, coming right up!” She goes back inside to make the drinks.

  Flynn’s phone rings, and when he checks it, he grimaces. “I’ve got to take this.”

  “I’ll go help Marlowe.” I start to walk away, but he brings me back for a kiss.

  “I’m good now. You can go.”

  He makes me light-headed with the way he loves me. It’s all-consuming and overwhelming in the best possible way. Inside, I find Marlowe in the kitchen running the blender as she mixes the drinks.

  “Anything I can do to help?”

  “Crack open that bottle of tequila.”

  “Got it.” I twist the top off the bottle and hand it to her. “Hey, Marlowe?”

  “What’s up?”

  “Can you recommend a good doctor here? A female preferably.”

  “Are you sick?”

  “I’m fine. I just need, you know…” I realize I’m about to share something rather personal with a superstar I haven’t known that long. But I like her, and I’d like to think of her as a friend. “Birth control.”

  “Ahhh. Gotcha. I have the best doctor ever.” She pulls out her phone, and before I can say a word, she’s making a call, explaining who I am and what I need and setting me up with an appointment at seven thirty Monday morning—all of this while continuing to run the blender.