Quid Pro Quo: A dark stepbrother romance
Page 48
“You're not planning anything illegal, are you?” she asked worriedly.
“No, blue jay,” he said. “I'm not.”
They stopped in front of the big jumping dolphin statue, which as too ostentatious for the mall. The water features had been turned off but the bottom glimmered with a silent sea of coins.
“Why are we here?” Jay asked, staring at a yuan coin. “You want to make a wish?”
Nicholas reached into his briefcase and handed her the paper bag. “Open it.”
She slowly peeled the bag back. “It's . . . a cupcake.” She stared at him suspiciously and then at the plastic box in her hands. “You drove to Ridgeview to get me a cupcake?”
“The other day,” he said thoughtfully, “you called my house 'home.' I don't think you even realized what you'd said, but I did—and I do want Hollybrook to be a home to you.”
Her heart began to beat faster. She stared at the box, frowning. What is that?
“That's all you ever really wanted, right?” asked Nicholas. “Someone to love you?”
Jay opened the box with fingers that were beginning to feel numb. There was a little silver something in the cake. The jeweled bird charm he'd given to her when he was nineteen, ripped from her neck in a fit of anger. He'd gotten rid of the chain and had it welded to a ring base.
It fit her perfectly.
Her breathing stopped.
“Are you—”
“I don't expect a decision right away. All I ask is that you don't leave until you make a decision. I would like a chance to personally persuade you to stay.”
“After what you did, do you think I would?”
“You tore up the check, didn't you? I found the pieces on my nightstand. You could have taken the money and gone. Ten million dollars is more than enough money to disappear.”
“It was never about the fucking money,” she whispered. “Not to me.”
“I know.” He closed his briefcase up. “You're so disgustingly moral.”
She closed the box. With a screech of plastic. “And you're a nasty little creep.”
“I'm your creep,” he said. “And I'd be honored to have you as my wife.”
Wife. He hadn't even said that word the last time he'd proposed to her. It hadn't been about her at all. He'd acted as if he thought he were doing her a favor.
Something had changed. But is it enough?
“Let me love you,” he whispered. “If you let me in, I promise I'll raise you up and keep you safe and I'll never, ever leave you. You're my everything.”
A small sob escaped her.
You left me all alone.
When he held out his arms, she let him fold her against his chest.
“Why did you propose to me in a mall?” she asked in a muffled voice.
“Because this is where we were when I realized that I was in love with you. I had a good time that day. Taking you out. Seeing you happy. It was the last good moment I ever had with you before you went away. I'd like to have more.”
“You really are a bastard,” Jay whispered. “I should push you into the fountain.”
A flashlight beam cut through the darkness. Nicholas pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and tucked it behind her ear, sneaking in a quick kiss as someone shouted in the distance, “Let's go home,” he said, covering her hand with his. “This time, I won't ask you for anything.”
And then, in a whirl of shadow and starlight, they clasped hands and ran for the car.
The end
Ack!(knowledgements)
Thanks to Heather Crews for making the cover of this book and being an awesome beta-reader (and a great friend). And to my parents for putting up for me when I was getting all moody and stressed-out over this work and the general craziness of the world. And then, of course, huge shout-outs to all my readers, followers, and fans for supporting me in what I do. I still remember the days when I could count out all of my readers on one hand. It's very humbling.
You're all amazing.
About the Author
Nenia is one of those “millennials” you hear about in the news. When she’s not penning smutty bodice-rippers, she’s hanging out with her romance group online or else roaming the streets of San Francisco.
You can find her on Twitter, @NeniaCampbell, and on Goodreads.