The whole room watched, frozen like elegant ice statues, no one daring to do so much as cough. Kayla walked toward him, her steps slow. “So talk, then.”
“I’m going to start at the beginning and tell you the truth about that flight. I didn’t have a first class ticket. I was supposed to sit in coach, but I paid an extra three hundred dollars to upgrade at the last minute after I met you.”
She finally reached the floor directly in front of the stage. He tried to ignore everyone else. It was just the two of them—and he was not up on the stage. It was an old military trick of his. He needed to act as if nothing else existed but his target—and this time, his target wasn’t the enemy. It was Kayla.
He took another deep breath. “I wanted to sit with you. I saw how nervous you were and knew you would be alone on the plane, with no one to help you forget about your fears. But it was more than that. I wanted an excuse to keep talking to you. I couldn’t figure you out, and if I sat next to you on the trip…I would have hours to get to know more about you before we landed. I needed to know more.”
She bit down on her lip and he couldn’t tell what she was thinking. So he soldiered on.
“After I met you, I couldn’t believe you were still single and sitting next to me. The first time I kissed you, I think I knew then that you were the one for me.” He broke off and scanned the crowd, acutely aware of his captivated audience. After clearing his throat, he continued. “They say when you meet the woman you want to spend the rest of your life with, you know it. There’s no questioning or second-guessing. You just know, like a punch to the face. That’s how I felt about you. No, how I feel about you.”
“Cooper…”
He held his free hand up. “When I met you, I told you I had to get this job overseas because I needed to make up for past mistakes. But you helped me realize that’s not true. That this…this single minded determination I have to commit my life to righting an unfortunate accident isn’t the best thing for me. You saw things in me that I didn’t even see in myself. And that’s something I love about us. We make each other stronger. Braver.”
She smiled and blinked back tears.
“I know I don’t need to be needed anymore. It’s not a requirement for happiness. I don’t need you to need me, but God I need you.” He held his free hand over his heart. “I need you here. And I have you to thank for the new perspective I have on life.” He looked out over the crowd. “All of you, actually. Thank you.”
He focused again on her and only her again. She covered her mouth with her hand, as if struggling to maintain composure, and hugged herself with her other arm. It was time to finish this speech up so he could hold her. “When I left after our fight last night, instead of feeling ready to move on, I felt empty. By the time I got to the hotel, I knew I’d made a huge mistake. I knew what I had to do, and I started making phone calls. I started changing my life.” He glanced at Mr. Holt, who was standing close to Kayla. “I’m not going overseas, Kayla. I’m staying in Maine, at my dad’s company. And with you, I hope.”
He saw her turn to Frankie, who nodded at her, an encouraging smile on his face. Turning back to Cooper, she took a step forward. Then another. Then another. “Cooper…”
He straightened his shoulders and waited to see if she’d accept him, flaws and all. “If you’ll have me, there’s a one hundred percent chance I’ll be forever yours.”
She grinned and put her hands on her hips. “So now you’re into percentages, too?”
He grinned. “God yes. Those, and everything else that matters to you.”
“Then there’s a one hundred percent guarantee that I’ll be forever yours, too.”
“I thought nothing was one hundred percent in real life.”
She held her arms out to her sides. “I was wrong.”
“Thank God.” He dropped the mic and leapt off the edge of the stage, his feet hitting the dance floor directly in front of Kayla. Picking her up in his arms, he spun her in a circle and then pressed his lips to hers. The crowd clapped and cheered.
He pulled back to grin down at her, wanting more than a chaste kiss, but it would have to wait until they had more privacy. Instead, he dropped his forehead to hers and hugged her tighter. “Can we get out of here before I puke all over the place? The aftermath of getting on stage is a bitch.”
“Hell, yes.” Grabbing him by the hand, she tugged him across the crowded room. They stopped in front of Susan and Max, who were both grinning from ear to ear. “Thanks for the use of the stage,” Cooper said.
Susan hugged them both, laughing. “You’re welcome. Now get.”
Kayla winked. “Whatever the bride wants.”
The second they cleared the restaurant and entered the lobby, Cooper stopped walking. He needed her now. “I want to stay here tonight. I’ll go get a room.”
“No need.” She pointed over her shoulder. “I’ve got one already. I was planning on drowning my heartbreak with vodka cranberries and knew I wouldn’t be driving since I don’t have a car to drive. It’s right down that hallway.”
When she started walking again, he grabbed her hand. She shot him an impatient look and huffed. He smiled at her, cupping her cheek in his free hand. “I can’t believe you agreed to a hundred percent.”
She smiled. “We’re a sure bet.”
“I’m going to make you the happiest woman ever.” He brushed his lips across hers. Light. Teasing. “Fair warning, though. I’m also going to make you fall in love with me. Consider yourself warned.”
“Consider me scared.” She ran her fingers down his jaw, her chest rising and falling rapidly. If he had it his way, he would do a lot more than make her breathe faster when they got to their room. “But honestly?”
He tugged her down the hallway. It was time to get her naked and screaming. “Yeah?”
“I’m already falling for you.”
His heart skipped a beat, and he spun to face her. He backed her against the wall and kissed her, putting all of his feelings and joy in that one kiss. Still, it wasn’t enough. Pulling back, he cupped her cheek and looked into her eyes, blown away by his happiness. “How did I get so damn lucky?”
She shot him a sexy come-hither look through her lashes. “I don’t know, but you’ll get even luckier once you get me into room 107.”
“Well in that case, I’ll speed up the process.” He swung her into his arms, and she clung to his shoulders. “You were right, you know.”
“About what?”
“My father. We talked it out last night.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yep. He isn’t ashamed of me, and he isn’t giving me the job because of my last name. He really thinks I’m the best. After the whole thing with Josh, I’d lost all faith in my abilities. He knew what was going on and was trying to reassure me that I still had the goods, but I was just too much of an ass to believe him.”
“I know you’re the best.”
His heart sped up. “Thanks. And thanks for opening my eyes. I told him I’ll train for a year, and then I’ll consider taking over the company. I still believe I need to work my way through the ranks—and he agreed.” He took a deep breath. “So I start at Shillings Agency next week.”
“That’s amazing.” She offered him a sheepish smile. “I talked to my dad, too. You were right about my parents. They really do love me, and even understand me.”
He laughed. “I know.”
She swatted his shoulder. “No need to be so cocky.”
“I can’t help it. I’m a cocky bastard.” He buried his face in her neck, inhaling her sweet scent. “And I’m selfish, too. I can’t wait to get you home so I can keep you all to myself every single night.”
“Oh God.” Kayla groaned and dropped her head on his shoulder. “Thanks for reminding me that we have to fly home. Why’d you have to go and ruin my happy buzz?”
He chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’ll be with you. I have ways to keep your mind off the fear.”
“Hm.” She smoothed
his suit jacket and entwined her hands behind his neck. Pulling him closer, she added, “And what ways are those?”
He opened the door and kicked it shut behind him. Backing her up against the wall, he tilted up her chin. He took a moment to savor her like this.
Passionate. Wanting. Beautiful.
He tugged up her thigh until she took the hint and wrapped her legs around his waist. Then he ran his hands down the curves of her body.
“Distraction…”
Epilogue
One Year Later
Kayla sat on the plastic chair in the airport, fidgeting with her purse and glowering at the waiting death trap she could see through the window. Christmas carols played in the background, and people laughed and chatted merrily.
Not a big shocker there. It was Christmas time.
And for the first time, she’d sent out a couples Christmas card. The same ones she always rolled her eyes at? Yeah. She’d done it. And she and Cooper had laughed at their matching red sweaters with every stamp they stuck on. She’d never had so much fun sending out cards, for the love of God.
But then again, she’d never had so much fun, period. He made her laugh every single day, and she constantly thanked God that he’d been stabbed in the stomach with a candy cane a year ago. She thanked God for Cooper.
Speaking of which…he was heading her way.
His green eyes were locked on hers, and he wore a smile, a grey sweater, and a pair of casual jeans. His hair was tousled to perfection, and he looked as if he was the happiest man on Earth. He always told her he was.
A kid with a candy cane ducked in front of him, and he lunged back. Kayla laughed, then covered it up with her hand. But he’d heard it. He turned to her with a mock glare. “You find my fear of kids with candy funny?”
“Um…we promised not to lie to each other. So I’m going to have to go with a yes.”
“What are the odds of me being stabbed again?”
“I’d put it at one in a billion.” She looked out the window, all traces of laughter fading away. “But our chances of crashing? Much higher. Like, one in—”
“Hey, now. None of that.” He sat down beside her and threw his arm over her shoulder. Leaning down, he kissed her temple and then rested his cheek on top of her head. “We talked about this, and I’ll be there the whole time to help you through it.”
“We should have driven.”
“To England?” He cocked a brow. “Even you know that’s not possible.”
That was her present from him. She’d told him she wanted to go almost a year ago—and he’d made it happen. He was so perfect it was almost sickening.
“When I said it was my dream to go to England at Christmas time, I didn’t think it through.” She fidgeted with her purse again. “Maybe we could take a cruise ship, or a submarine. Maybe before we die, they’ll make a really, really long bridge. And then we can drive across it on the safe ground—”
“Over miles and miles of water,” he said dryly.
“And not crash to our deaths.” She peeked at the plane. “Oh God. We’re boarding soon. Oh God.”
“First class, you may now board,” crackled over the speaker.
Cooper stood and held out his hand. “Ready, sweetheart?”
“No. Yes. I don’t know.” She took a shaky breath and then rose. “I’m scared. This is a long flight.”
“It’ll be fine.” He led her toward the gate attendant. “Before you know it, we’ll be drinking tea and eating biscuits with the queen.”
She snort-laughed. “Or recovering from the massive hangover from the in-flight beverage service.”
Kayla watched Cooper hand the gate attendant their tickets, then they walked down the jetway hand in hand. He held on to her so tightly that she wondered if he thought she’d try to run.
She was almost tempted to.
He stopped at the back row of first class and motioned her to her window seat. “Here we are.”
“Okay. I can do this.” She slid into the window seat. “I might be taking a sleeping pill for this one.”
“You mean a ‘vitamin’?”
She laughed. “Yeah.”
“You can drool on me. Wouldn’t be the first time.”
She pulled the tray down and wiped it off with one of her ever-present anti-bacterial wipes, then handed Cooper one for his. He shook his head but did as she asked, then they both waited. She waited for this plane ride to be over and he waited for…what?
He looked nervous.
As they sat there, he tapped his foot on the floor and drummed his fingers on his knee at the same time. He was fidgeting. He never fidgeted. “You okay over there?”
“Huh?” He turned to her and blinked. “Oh. Yeah. Fabulous.”
She pursed her lips. “Don’t tell me you’re nervous about this flight.”
“Of course not,” he scoffed. He craned his neck and looked over his shoulder. “I’m just waiting for our drinks. I ordered them before we even got on the plane.”
She glanced out the window. “They’ll be here. I think we’re taking off soon.”
“You need a drink before we do.” He stood up. “I’ll go and grab—”
“She’s coming.” Kayla grabbed his hand and yanked him back down into his seat. “And you’re not leaving me. If you aren’t here when we move, I’ll lose it.”
He patted her leg, but still seemed distracted. He was watching the flight attendant as if he knew her or something. “I’m not leaving,” he assured.
The flight attendant came over and smiled at them. “Here is the champagne you requested, sir.”
“Thank you.” Cooper took the glasses, then handed one over to Kayla. “And if you have a blanket, that would be great.”
“I can do even better than that. I could bring two.”
“One will do.” Cooper grinned. “We share.”
The attendant nodded, while Kayla blushed. She knew exactly why he wanted that blanket—and she couldn’t freaking wait. “It’s a little more crowded in First Class than last time.”
“Then you’ll have to be even quieter.” He turned to her and held his glass out. Was it just her imagination, or did his hand tremble? “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Kayla leaned in and kissed him, not bothering to take a drink. All she needed was right here with her. “Thank you for my present.”
“Thank you for loving me.” He lifted his cup. “Now drink.”
She lifted it to her lips and took a sip. It was delicious.
He took a shaky breath. “I’ve never been happier than I have been with you, you know. I thought over all the ways I could do this, and a million scenarios came to mind. But the best one was staring me in the face.” Cooper reached into his pocket. She arched a brow and watched. What was he up to? “Tell me, what are the statistics for people who get engaged? How many of them get married?”
Her glass hit the tray with a clunk. “W-What?”
“You heard me,” he said softly. “What are the numbers?”
“I-I don’t know.” She wrung her hands in her lap. “Maybe Eighty? Why are you asking me this?”
“The chances you don’t know the answer to that question are one in a hundred.” He pulled a black box out of his pocket. When he opened it, she saw that it held a beautiful diamond. “Kayla, will you do me the honor of being my wife? I promise to spend the rest of my life making you as happy as I possibly can—distracting you on planes, and making you laugh—with a few fights thrown in for the amazing make-up sex. Will you say yes?”
She covered her mouth with her hand, then nodded frantically. “Yes! And not just temporarily yours. Forever yours.”
Unable to stop himself, Cooper grinned and slid the ring onto her finger. “Fuck yeah. Let’s do this.”
Their laughter could be heard throughout the plane.
Acknowledgments
Thank you, Shannon, for being a wonderful editor and always being in my corner. I appreciate you, and I’ll miss having
you by my side! Love ya!
Thank you to the whole Brazen team, for helping this book shine! The cover, the editors, all of you! Thank you so much!
To my family, I love you. Thank you for never letting me doubt myself, and for always being there for me.
To my agent, Louise, thank you for being my rock star agent. You’re the best!
To all my friends and loved ones, thank you! I don’t know what I’d do without you!
And, as always, a huge thank you to the readers out there. Without you, I wouldn’t be doing what I love…
Writing sexy romance books.
About the Author
Diane Alberts is a multi-published, bestselling contemporary romance author with Entangled Publishing. She also writes New York Times and USA Today bestselling new adult books under the name Jen McLaughlin. Diane has always had a vivid imagination, but it wasn’t until 2011 that she put her pen where her brain was and became a published author. She is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency. Though she lives in the mountains of Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, a cat, and a Senegal parrot, she dreams of being surrounded by hot, sunny beaches with crystal clear water. In the rare moments when she’s not writing, she can usually be found hunched over one knitting project or another.
www.dianealberts.com
Also releasing this month…
She thought she’d sworn off military men for good…
Marine for Hire
a Front and Center novel by Tawna Fenske
Sam Kercher is every inch a wickedly hot Marine. But when his best friends call in a favor, Sam is forced to face an entirely new line of duty—playing nanny for their newly divorced sister and her seven-month-old twins. Problem is, Sheridan has sworn off overbearing military men, so Sam must hide his identity. And that he’s been ordered not to touch her. Ever. But even the most disciplined Marine has weaknesses...and Sheridan is one Sam might not be able to resist.
Temporarily Yours (Shillings Agency) Page 15