Part 22 (1/2)
”Is that a yes?” he whispered, his voice husky with emotion.
”Yes. That's absolutely a yes.”
”I don't have a ring, but I'll get you one. As soon as I can. I'll get you the best ring you've ever seen.”
”I don't need that. I've had glitter and glam. All I want now is simple and real.”
”I can do that.”
She smiled, happier than she'd been since it all went wrong between them. ”Does this mean we're engaged?”
”It certainly does.”
”However shall we celebrate?” she asked with a flirtatious smile.
”Any way you want, my love.”
She ran her fingers through his hair and brought him down for another pa.s.sionate kiss. ”Since we're keeping it simple and real...” She unb.u.t.toned his s.h.i.+rt as she ran her hands over his chest. When she released the last b.u.t.ton, she bent her head to press kisses to his throat and chest, loving the tremble that rippled through him, loving that she did that to him.
”Not here.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her behind him as he headed inside.
Kate reclined on the bed, amused by his thoroughness as he locked the door and closed the blinds before removing his clothes. ”Afraid someone is watching?”
Nodding, he helped her out of her dress. ”I hope you're fond of beds, because we're never, ever doing it outside again,” he said, leaning over her.
She looped her arms around his neck and drew him down on top of her. ”Yes, we will. When people no longer give a fig about me, we won't have to worry about being watched.”
”From now on, I'll always worry about being watched. It makes me sick to think I put you in such a vulnerable situation.”
”You were carried away. We both were. I wish you wouldn't blame yourself.”
”I can't help it. I love you so much, and when I think about people watching us-”
”Don't,” she said, tugging him toward her for a kiss. ”Don't think about it.”
”Right.” He barked out a laugh that made her laugh, too. ”Don't think about it. Who's being silly now?”
”They can only hurt us if we let them. Let's not let them. Let's not let anyone else in so no one can hurt us ever again.”
He pulled back from the kisses he was placing in strategic areas of her neck to look her in the eye. ”We can't be real or authentic without the other people we love being part of us, honey. And for the record, your daddy may hate my guts, but I will ask for your hand in marriage.”
”He'll never give it to you.”
”I'm still going to ask. I'm old-fas.h.i.+oned that way.”
She smiled up at him. ”Don't use the word 'old' around me. You're timeless.”
”And you, my love, are deluded.”
Kate laughed, filled with love and joy and hope for the future. ”I'm so excited. Are you excited, too?”
He pressed his erection into the V of her legs. ”It's not obvious?”
”Not about that, although that's always exciting. So exciting you ruined me for all other men at the tender age of eighteen.”
”I wish I could say I was sorry about that, but hey, I'm not really.”
Smiling, she combed her fingers through his hair and over his cheek, where the first hint of whiskers had begun to appear. ”I meant are you excited about all our other plans?”
”Of course I am. How could I not be?”
Kate thought about the one thing she hadn't told him.
”What? And don't say it's nothing, because your smile faded right off your face, and I saw that.”
He was so tuned in to her that it was hard to hide anything from him. That was both a blessing and a curse.
”There's something else I want, and I'm not sure you want it, too. I wouldn't blame you if you didn't-”
Reid kissed her thoroughly and then pulled back to meet her gaze. ”Tell me.”
Kate swallowed the lump of fear and emotion that had settled in her throat as she looked up at the face that had haunted her dreams for so long. ”I want a baby. Maybe more than one.”
”Oh, well... I'm kind of old for that, darlin'.”
”I knew you'd say that, and it's okay if we don't have kids-”
”No, it's not okay.” He s.h.i.+fted off her and stretched out next to her, looking up at the ceiling fan that moved in a slow, lazy circle above them. ”You should have everything you want.”
”If I had a choice of having six kids or having you with no kids, I'd choose you. I've seen what it's like without you, and I'm not interested in that life.”
”It wouldn't be fair to the kids to lose their father so early in their lives. I'd be lucky to get thirty years with them.”
”And how blessed would they be to have that time with you?”
”I also can't help but wonder how Ashton would feel about it.”
”He's going to hate the whole thing, so a baby couldn't make it any worse.”
”I don't know if that's true. I talked to him earlier.”
”And?”
”He didn't seem all that surprised or annoyed to hear we were back together. He wasn't thrilled about the video, of course, but who is?”
”We've all grown up. Him, too, I suppose. And while I know it wouldn't be the same, he'd certainly be there for his brother or sisters... After.” Kate shook her head. ”Forget I said that. I refuse to think about a time when you're not here with me anymore.”
He turned his head and reached for her hand. ”You have to, Kate. You've agreed to marry a man almost thirty years your senior. Please don't pretend that you won't spend a large portion of your life without me.”