My Traitor
Page 19
“But I don’t want to live with them,” he continued. “I want to live with you.”
Ava looked up at him, not knowing if she’d heard correctly.
“Forever,” he added.
“What are you saying?”
“That I’ve only ever loved you. I never stopped loving you, no matter how hard I tried.”
More tears flooded. She dashed them away, only to have them joined by more. She wasn’t a crier, and yet here she was soaking them both. Remy took her hands. He kissed one palm and then the other.
“I won’t ask you to marry someone like me, but I want you around as long as you can tolerate me.”
“Someone like you?” she questioned.
“You know all my flaws,” Remy said. “And you were right about the attack. It wasn’t me. David had seen the shooter. He also told me . . .”
“Told you what?” Ava prodded.
He took a breath. “I was never in enemy prison. It was all in my head. All the scars . . . they’re from me. I did this to myself.”
“No, you didn’t,” Ava stated. “It was Boyer. Everything was Boyer. Don’t you dare blame yourself!”
He looked as if he was about to argue, but a smile curved his lips instead. “Are you ordering me around already?” he asked, amusement tinting his voice. He gazed down at her, brushing her hair from her shoulder, his hand cupping her cheek. “Come home with me. Please.”
Yes. She wanted to say yes. “But what if—”
He shook his head. “No what ifs. We are stronger together than apart. And I don’t want to be apart anymore. We face everything together from now on.”
“But, Brock . . . sorry, . . . Remy,” she corrected herself. “I’m really trying to remember, but it slips sometimes.”
“You can call me Brock,” he said.
“Really?”
“I think it’s time I let the government know that they can rip up my death certificate. I’m suddenly feeling quite alive.”
“Really?” she asked again.
“Really.” A small smile shaped his lips. “I doubt anyone will call me Brock again, but you can.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I’m rather fond of this new Remy,” she said, smiling.
“Is that a yes? You’ll come home?”
“I want forever too. A real forever.”
His brows lowered. “You want to marry me?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure?” he questioned as if she was cracked. “You could wait and decide later.”
She was done waiting. “Just shut up and kiss me.”
He smiled and gathered her into his arms. “I can do that.”
* * *
Remy awoke, feeling run down. Was it morning already? It was as if he hadn’t slept at all, which, if he thought back, he barely did. And the only person he could blame was lying right next to him, her arm over his chest, her leg draped over his. She was like a human koala bear.
He missed that about sleeping with her. When he first met Ava, it had been tough to get used to. He might be big, but he wasn’t a damn tree to cling to. But then it became a form of security, knowing she was right next to him, safe. And then, when she wasn’t with him, it was as if she ripped the security away.
Now . . .
Ava stirred next to him, her satiny skin brushing against his.
Christ.
Now, he was like a randy goat. He couldn’t get enough of her. He couldn’t touch her enough. Couldn’t kiss her enough. Couldn’t love her enough.
His phone rang, eliciting a soft mewling sound from Ava as she cuddled deeper into him.
Reaching over, he grabbed the phone off the nightstand, cursing when he read David’s name on the screen.
“What?” Remy growled into the phone.
“Mya wants to know when you’re going to bring Ava around. She and Jenna want to surprise you both with a party. Ow!” David yelped. Remy heard Mya’s scolding in the background. “Oh, well, not a surprise anymore.”
“We don’t want a party,” Remy said, keeping a shudder at bay.
Ava cracked open her sleepy eyes. “What’s going on?” she asked, her voice still husky from sleep.
“Mya and Jenna are scheming to throw us a party.”
“What for?” she squeaked in alarm. “You know I hate parties.”
“You only hate parties when you’re the center of attention,” Remy corrected. “But you can’t get out of it if Mya is involved.”
David mumbled his agreement. “Mya said you’ve been shacked up long enough. Ow! Okay, she might not have used those words. But it’s been nearly two weeks and we haven’t heard a word from you.”
“Tell Mya to give us another two weeks. We’re busy,” Remy said, ending the call and tossing the phone. He rolled over, pinning Ava. Her warm, firm body beneath him nearly undid him every time. “Well, I bought us a little time,” he said. “What would you like to do?”
She shifted, nails scraping along his back, causing a chain reaction that couldn’t be ignored.
“Little savage,” he murmured, nipping her shoulder.
“Beast,” she retorted, earning a smile as he trailed his tongue along her neck and up to her ear.
“Care to try to pin me again?” he challenged. “You couldn’t do it last night.”
“I was tired.”
Remy tsked. “And why is that?”
“Because a barbarian has kept me up for so many nights I can’t even remember what day it is.”
“It’s Tuesday.”
“It is?”
Remy shrugged. “How the hell should I know? I lost count as soon as we got home.”
Ava laughed. “This is insane. We should get up and at least take a walk around the block.”
“I’ll make a deal with you,” Remy said, loving the way Ava’s eyes sparked when Remy challenged her. “If you actually pin me, which I don’t think you can,” he taunted, “then we’ll do whatever you want for the entire day.”
“There’s a problem with that.”
“What?”
“I have a feeling we want to do the same thing.”
“Really?”
“Really.” She touched a ticklish spot at Remy’s side, toppling him. Ava flipped over and straddled him, successfully conquering him. “And I win.”
Remy smiled. “No, love. I won.”
Nadia Wolf, continued.
Nadia packed her suitcase. It now overflowed with clothes she had picked up along the way. Funny, since she started the poker tour without a suitcase and only the clothes on her back. Now, she had everything she needed, including a handsome fiancé.
She was nervous to fly home. It had been like a dream living in plush hotels, touring different countries. And now, reality was their next destination.
“What are you thinking about?” Caleb asked, discarding the magazine he had been flipping through.
“Nothing.”
“You have that crease between your eyes. What is it?”
“I’m not ready to go back,” she admitted.
“We hit every poker tournament this side of the world.”
“We don’t need tournaments to still play here.”
Caleb walked over and took the shirt she had folded and refolded ten times and placed it into the suitcase. “What’s this about?”
“I’m just nervous,” Nadia said with a sigh. “Nothing good ever happened in Vegas. My life was one long series of disasters. I don’t want a repeat. I don’t want to lose . . .”
“You don’t want to lose what?”
Nadia couldn’t speak. It felt as if one of Gus’s wooly fur balls was stuck in her throat.
Caleb wrapped his arms around her, tugging her into him. She nuzzled into his chest, feeling his warmth seep into her. Would it always be this way with Caleb? Would she always feel safe in his arms?
“Kitten, talk to me. Tell me what’s wrong. You know I’d do anything for you.”
“I just have a bad feeling about going home.
For one thing, I don’t have a home. For another, I lost everything. I almost lost you. I don’t want that to happen.”
He squeezed her tight before stepping back to look into her eyes. “You won’t lose me because we’re getting married as soon as the plane lands. And we already signed the papers to start construction on our house. We’ll stay in the condo until it’s ready.”
“You have an answer for everything, don’t you?” Nadia retorted, frustrated that he had everything planned and was calm while she was frazzled.
But it was true; she and Vegas were bad luck together.
“Do you promise to love me no matter what happens?” Nadia asked.
“Yes,” he said, kissing her nose.
“Even if our new house blows up?”
“Our new house is going to explode?”
Nadia shrugged. “My apartment did.”
“Good point. Then yes, I will still love you even if our house is destroyed.”
“What if Muffin comes back and takes up residence?”
“Should we warn her about the bomb first?” Caleb teased.
Nadia playfully swatted his arm. “I’m serious. You might know what I’ve been through, but you haven’t lived it. It’s not fun.”
He tugged her into him again, stroking her back. “I vow to love you no matter how rotten your luck is, no matter how many houses we have to rebuild, no matter what lunatics you attract. I love you, Nadia, bad luck and all.”
“Then I think we should add those to the wedding vows, just in case.”
Caleb smiled. “Frankie might take offense to the lunatic remark.”
“No, he’d think we were talking about someone else. In Frankie’s eyes, he is perfect.”
“And you’re perfect in mine.”
Nadia laughed. “You’re laying it on a bit thick.”
He shrugged. “Maybe, but it’s true. Would it help if we wagered on it?”
Nadia shook her head, pushing back from Caleb. “We’ve wagered enough for at least a decade. I still can’t sit properly from my last loss.” She felt the hot blush race up her neck.
“Would you like me to inspect your bottom?”
Heat engulfed her face. “No! I still can’t believe we got matching tattoos.”
“See, and you were worried you’d lose me. I’m with you forever now.”
“Caleb!”
He laughed. “How about if we wager just one more time? If bad luck strikes within a month of our return, I will pack you up and move you to wherever you want.”
“You might want to stop construction now while there’s still time.”
“You’ll be with me. What could happen?”
Nadia already had a list prepared, but she didn’t think telling him would help her cause. “Yes, I’ll be with you. So, with your magical good luck counteracting my bad luck, what will you get if you win?”
“I get to pick our baby’s name.”
Nadia startled. Her gaze flew to Caleb’s. Did he know? No, he couldn’t. She had only figured it out a few days ago. She was waiting to see her doctor to confirm. But she had a feeling the pee stick didn’t lie. It had lit up like a Christmas tree.
“Well?” Caleb asked.
“Who said we’re having kids?” Nadia asked.
“I don’t know. I just thought we would.” Caleb frowned. “Do I have to wager on that too?”
Nadia shook her head and smiled. “I think we can make something happen in that area.”
“Well, we’ve practiced enough at it.” He nodded to the bed. “Care for another try? Our plane doesn’t leave for another five hours.”
“If we must,” she teased.
He kissed her, hurrying her to the bed. Clothes were stripped somewhere in between. As they tumbled into bed, Caleb asked again, “Do you agree to the wager?”
“Yes, but you’ll be sorry,” Nadia said, trying to stay focused as Caleb kissed a heated trail down her. “I have a feeling I will win this one.”
“I won’t mind,” he said, his voice a soft vibration against her sensitive skin. “I’ll still be with you.”
“And if you win?”
Nadia felt Caleb smile against her stomach. “I thought Ursula Usher might be a fun name.”
Dear Lord, he had to be joking.
“And if it’s a boy?” she choked out.
“Definitely Usherton Usher. I really like that one.”
Maybe the stick was wrong. Maybe she’d never have kids who’d be plagued by such terrible names.
As Caleb’s hands and lips roamed, she knew she was doomed. While she didn’t think she was the motherly type, she’d have as many babies as he wanted as long as he continued making love to her. And if he wanted to name them Ursula and Usherton, then so be it. She’d just make sure they had decent middle names to use.
“Game on,” she sighed happily.
Read the next Nadia Wolf Character Novel:
Pocketful of Diamonds
Coming June 2016
Books by Nicolette Pierce
Mars Cannon Novels
Deadly Dancing
Predator Patrol
Security Squad
Biker Brigade
Nadia Wolf Novels
The Big Blind
High Stakes
Cashing Out
Squeeze Play
Nadia Wolf Character Novels
The Last Tailored Suit
My Traitor
Please visit me on my website at:
www.nicolettepierce.com
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