Love Thy Neighbor

by Sophie Wintner

  He also knew the time had come to finally muster up the courage to tell her exactly how he felt. He was determined to take that leap of faith, open his heart all the way, and free-fall into whatever the future could be with her.

  He had no idea what he was coming home to. He had prepared himself for the worst-case scenario. He assumed her engagement was back on. She was probably wearing a big, blinding rock on her finger. But he wasn’t going to let that stop him. He wanted her, and he would go after her full steam ahead.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Nikki looked out her window at the Seine across the way. Here she was in Paris, the most beautiful, romantic city in the world, and she was all alone. She’d always wanted to come here to study the architecture—Baroque, Neoclassicism, Second Empire—and unexpectedly she’d gotten her chance. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity had come her way and she couldn’t afford to pass it up. But it was fall and the leaves were changing colors, practically before her eyes. It was going to be a long winter, and she wasn’t looking forward to all those cold, lonely nights.

  Thank God she had her work to keep her busy.

  She grabbed her clipboard and the spare keys and headed into the streets of Paris to her client’s three-bedroom apartment on Rue Pergolese. As amazing as this French apartment was, her favorite was still Dallas’s loft.

  She remembered how each time she keyed into his place, she had foolishly hoped that he would be sitting there, waiting for her. She’d missed him more than she could have possibly imagined. The longing hadn’t lessened over time. Instead it had grown more severe, even more intense. She’d gotten so desperate at one point that she’d even worked up the nerve to email him. Her heart raced when she hit send and she had spent the next week torturing herself, compulsively checking her in-box. He never responded, and that was a fresh hurt all over again. She called his cell phone once, too. Heard his voice on his outgoing message and her heart melted. Oh, how she missed his accent, and when she heard the beep, she froze. Hung up without saying a word. She’d spent hours on the internet Googling things like glacier repeat photography, hoping to find some news about their project, some indication that Dallas was okay and that he was coming home soon.

  And in the meantime, to keep herself sane, she kept busy. Jenna had another falling-out with Tyler—this one seemed to be permanent—and so she was back on the single market again, too. It was Jenna who had dragged Nikki out for happy hours and street fairs and the dreaded occasional singles mixer. Every time she heard an English accent, she whipped around, hoping to find Dallas standing there. Each time she’d been crushed. At Jenna’s insistence, Nikki had gone on a handful of dates, but never saw any of the men again after their initial get-together. Perfectly nice men, successful, attractive, even a bit charming, but still, they all paled in comparison to Dallas.

  When she couldn’t bring herself to try the online dating site that Jenna was on, she turned to the one salvation she had: her career. She threw herself into her work. She spent hours at the Merchandise Mart walking through the showrooms, taking note of the latest lighting and bathroom fixtures, new flooring and window treatments. She dropped off her business cards and reconnected with designers and introduced herself to new faces on the scene.

  It was one of those faces who had introduced her to her new French client, Brigitte Gourdin. She had just purchased a place near Le Marais and planned to gut the whole thing and redesign it from scratch. The two women met for lunch and instantly clicked. Nikki was awarded the project right after that. She had even received a lot of press for having beaten out three top firms for the job. Of course it didn’t hurt having the name Troy Dallas attached to her firm’s first project. Articles had appeared in Crain’s Chicago Business, in Michigan Avenue, Today’s Chicago Woman and the Sun-Times. She still hoped her work would land on the pages of Architectural Digest, but the point was that finally, Norris Interiors was on its way.

  …

  The first thing Dallas did when he got back to Chicago was knock on Nikki’s door. He hadn’t even bothered to stop in his apartment yet. All his luggage was at his feet as he waited in the hallway, listening for the soft footsteps padding across the floor on the other side of the door.

  His heart pounded, but it wasn’t from fear. It was sheer excitement. He couldn’t wait another minute to take her in his arms and tell her he was in love with her.

  Finally the door swung open, and Dallas found himself face to face with a blonde he’d never seen before.

  “Dallas?”

  “Who are you?”

  “Hi. I’m Jenna.” She held out her hand. “Nikki’s best friend. Is that really you under that beard?”

  “Is Nikki here?” His heart was doing double time.

  “Sorry. Afraid not. She’s in Paris.”

  “Paris?” His stomach did a flip. Shit, he was too late. She was in Paris. She was on her honeymoon. His head spun. The room spun, too.

  “She’s got a project there. She won’t be back until the end of December. I just stopped by to water her plants and pick up her mail.”

  “A project. Did you say a project?”

  “She’s gutting an amazing apartment there.”

  “So she’s not on her honeymoon?”

  Jenna laughed. “Hardly. Matthew’s engaged to marry his very pregnant girlfriend.”

  He gasped with relief. “Is Nikki okay about that?”

  “Please.” Jenna rolled her eyes. “She’s knows she’s better off without that loser.”

  “Is there anyone else?” he asked and held his breath, anticipating the answer.

  Jenna shrugged. “I think she’s still kinda hung up on this English guy.”

  Dallas grinned. The wheels were already turning inside his head. He couldn’t let Nikki get away from him a second time. He had to do something to get her back in his life for good.

  Jenna tilted her head and smiled. “So, what do you think of your place? Pretty spectacular, huh?”

  He laughed and gestured toward his luggage. “I haven’t even looked yet. I wanted to see Nikki first.”

  Jenna’s smile grew bigger and it sparked an idea. In a split second he knew exactly what he had to do. He had a plan.

  “Do me a favor, Jenna. If you speak to Nikki, don’t tell her I stopped by. I want to do something special for her. I want it to be a surprise.”

  “I like the sound of that. Mum’s the word.”

  He thanked her and keyed into his place. His luggage dropped to the floor along with his jaw. He couldn’t believe his eyes. “Pretty spectacular” was an understatement. Talk about a transformation. It was hard to believe it was the same unit. The rich earth tones had definitely been the right way to go. They warmed up the space and made it welcoming and homey. He was blown away. All he wanted to do in that moment was hold her and kiss her and thank her. And welcome her home, into his home.

  With each new room, each new detail he spotted, he was more and more impressed by what she’d done. It only confirmed that his plan was the way to go. He reached for his mobile phone and dialed his friend at Architectural Digest.

  “Babe, I just had my place redecorated and I want to photograph it for you…” She squealed so loud, he had to hold the phone away from his ear. “So I take it that’s a yes. You’d like to publish them?”

  Chapter Twenty

  New Year’s Eve

  Nikki was jet-lagged when her cab pulled up to her building. There were still holiday lights up in the neighborhood, and a fresh blanket of snow covering everything. It was festive all right, but she wasn’t feeling it. It had been a long flight from Paris, and even though she was glad to be back in Chicago, she was still melancholy. Partly because it was New Year’s Eve and she had no plans, and partly because that’s what happened every time she thought about Dallas.

  And honestly, when wasn’t she thinking about him? Dallas—sexy, gorgeous, kissable, lovable Dallas—was never far from her mind. Especially at night when her work for the day was done and lif
e around her grew still and quiet. That was when she longed to be back in his arms, longed for the feel of his kiss, his touch. She’d slip her hands under the covers, inside her panties, and while she worked herself into a frenzy of white heat, she’d think of him, only him.

  As she entered her apartment she was so lost in her daydream of Dallas that she almost didn’t notice the copy of Architectural Digest that someone had slipped under her door. It wasn’t until she practically tripped over it that she bent down and picked it up. There was a Post-it note on the cover that said, “Turn to page 75.” She wondered if Jenna had dropped that off, though it didn’t look like her handwriting.

  She set her purse on the table and went over to the couch, leafing through the glossy pages until a headline stopped her cold: Famed Fashion Photographer Has Designs on Up-and-Coming Designer.

  Could this be what I think it is? Her heart pounded up in her ears. She blinked as if she couldn’t believe her eyes, but yes, there were photographs of Dallas’s loft, one spread after another in the pages of Architectural Digest. She was speechless. But what truly took her breath away was the article:

  Famed fashion photographer and frequent contributor to Architectural Digest Troy Dallas was a confirmed bachelor until he met up-and-coming interior designer Nikki Norris, principal of the new Chicago-based firm Norris Interiors. Not since George Clooney was snatched up has news of a bachelor coming off the market been met with such disappointment from women everywhere. But now Troy Dallas confesses in an exclusive to AD that he’s head over heels in love with Norris and plans to make her a permanent fixture in the home that she recently redecorated for him…

  All the print blurred together. She couldn’t read any more through the tears. Her stomach began to flutter as adrenaline raced through her body.

  She looked at her watch. It was almost midnight. Almost New Year’s. She was too afraid to hope he’d be home, but she still had a key to his apartment. She had to see him. She’d wait up all night for him if she had to.

  She grabbed the keys and as she opened her front door, she froze in place. There he was. In the hallway. Handsome and sexy as ever.

  “Dallas?” She could barely get his name out. Her voice trembled almost as much as her legs. Her stomach had turned to a swarm of butterflies.

  “I thought I heard someone moving around over here. I was hoping it was you.” He smiled and his eyes came alive, crinkling up at the outer corners. “Welcome home.”

  God, it was thrilling to hear his voice again.

  “Did you see the article?”

  All she could do was nod. There were no words.

  He came forward, shortening the distance between them until she could smell that familiar musky, male scent that was all Dallas. “Nikki, I promised myself when I got back from Antarctica that I’d find the courage and the way to tell you how I really felt about you. I went all the way to the South Pole to try to forget about you, and it’s just no good. You’re in my head, Nikki Norris. You’re in my heart. And I can’t let you get away again.”

  He inched closer still, the space between them entirely sealed off as he brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. That simple gesture sent a current of electricity through her body. She’d never experienced such joy before in her entire life.

  “Tell me this isn’t a dream, Dallas. And if it is, let me go on dreaming.”

  He reached up and ran his fingers through her hair, giving her another rush of heat. “You’re not dreaming. I promise you. But you’re going to have to work with me,” he said, bringing his face closer to hers. “You know that I’ve never been able to commit to anyone up until now, but I want you. I want you forever. So if I freak out from time to time, just slap me up the side of the head and tell me to knock it off. ’Cause I never want to lose you again. Not ever. I’m scared of putting my heart on the line. But I’m more terrified of losing you.” He drew her into his arms and pressed his lips to hers.

  She melted into his body as she threw her arms around him, her lips parting as she kissed him back, her tongue meeting his with all the longing and hunger she’d been storing up inside her.

  “I love you, Nikki Norris.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “I’ve never said that before to anyone, but I do. I really do love you. I am so in love with you.”

  All she could do was tear up and kiss him again and say into his lips, “Oh, God, I love you too. But—” She pressed her hand to his chest.

  “But what?” His eyes grew wide with alarm as he set her back down on the ground.

  “You forgot one very important thing,” she said, reaching her arms around his shoulders again, her fingers running through his hair.

  “What’s that? What’d I forget?”

  “You forgot to wish me a Happy New Year.”

  He smiled and mumbled into her lips. “Happy New Year, Nikki Norris.” He picked her up and swung her around, her feet a good foot off the ground. “Happy New Year.”

  Epilogue

  Six months later

  Nikki shut down her laptop and said good-night to her assistant and the new designer she’d hired to help her keep up with all the new projects she had. Normally she would have worked later, but it was her six-month anniversary with Dallas and he said he had something special planned.

  “Don’t stay too late, you two,” she said as she slipped out the door and headed across the hall where she was now living in Dallas’s loft. About three months into their relationship he’d asked her to move in, and she’d since converted her apartment into the Norris Interiors office. Jenna liked to tease her about having such a rough commute to work.

  Even from the hallway, she could smell something heavenly cooking. Dallas had told her that morning that he was going to make her a feast that night. She entered the apartment and found him in the kitchen, looking sexy and gorgeous as ever. She still couldn’t get over that he was her man. But oh, how she loved coming home to him every night.

  She went over and kissed him on the mouth, softly, slowly, and sensually. “I missed you,” she said.

  He kissed her back. “I missed you, too.”

  He had a bottle of wine already opened on the counter and poured her a glass. As he handed it to her he touched the rim of his glass to hers. “Happy anniversary, Nikki Norris.”

  Her cheeks ached from smiling so wide. The past six months had been the happiest time of her life. She remembered last winter and how they cuddled together before the fireplace and kept each other warm. They’d gone skiing together in Aspen, and for Valentine’s Day he surprised her with two tickets to Hawaii. Being with Dallas was like a never-ending fantasy. With each passing day she fell that much more in love with him.

  In the very beginning she worried that he’d get scared again and leave her. But now she could tell that he’d put his fears behind him. He seemed happy and said he was more content now than he’d ever been before.

  Staying true to his word, he’d freed himself from the fashion industry’s golden handcuffs and hadn’t done another shoot since Antarctica.

  “Don’t you miss all those beautiful models?” she’d asked one night as she wrapped herself around him.

  “You kidding me? How could I miss them when I’ve already got the most beautiful woman in the world right here with me?”

  These days he was photographing a lot of Chicago architecture and had taken Nikki with him to Costa Rica while he shot the rain forests last spring.

  Now it was summertime again and the windows of their loft were thrown open, letting in a slight breeze. He had candles lit around the living room, and Sinatra was playing on the stereo. A vase of flowers sat on the coffee table—the dozen long-stemmed red roses he’d given to her that morning. It was perfect.

  “What’s cooking?” she asked, lifting one of the lids on the stove.

  “Ah, ah, ah—no peeking. It’s a surprise.”

  She closed the lid and raised her hands in surrender. “Whatever it is, it smells amazing.”

  “Now go
sit down and relax and enjoy your wine while I dazzle you with my culinary expertise.”

  As she went over to the couch, there was a knock on the door. Nikki answered it and found a deliveryman standing in the doorway with a gift box his hand.

  “Special delivery for Troy Dallas.”

  Nikki signed for the package and brought it inside. “Ooh, look. Someone sent you a present,” she said.

  “I wonder who that could be from?” He reached for a dish towel. “Do me a favor, go ahead and open it. My hands are still wet.”

  Nikki went over to the couch and he came and sat next to her as she peeled back the packing tape and opened the lid. Sorting through the delicate layers of tissue paper, her fingertips brushed up against something satiny. What the… She held up a black silk nightgown.

  “And who could this be for?” she asked, smiling, holding it up beneath her chin. “You always did have good taste in lingerie.”

  “Happy anniversary, Nikki.” He kissed her and said, “Wait— There should be a card in there…”

  Nikki riffled through the tissue paper and felt something else in the bottom. She pulled it out and— Oh my God. She swallowed hard. It was a Tiffany blue ring box.

  Dallas reached over and lifted the lid, revealing the most gorgeous diamond solitaire ring Nikki had ever seen.

  “Nikki Norris,” he said, dropping to one knee, locking his eyes onto hers, “these past six months you’ve taught me how to love. You’ve reached inside my heart and filled my life with more joy than I ever could have expected. You are everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman, and I love you with everything I’ve got. And I always will. Nikki Norris, love of my life, will you marry me and make me the happiest man in the world?”

  She looked at him through tear-filled eyes, and as he began to slip the ring on her finger, she said, “I don’t know. There’s one small problem.”

  “What?” His hand froze in place. The color drained from his cheeks.

  “I can’t be your Nikki Norris anymore.”