Part 32 (2/2)

”No. You lie.”

Nick put his hands on her shoulders and slid them down her arms, linking their hands and pus.h.i.+ng them behind her back, which also served to pull her against him. ”I'm a terrible liar. You said so yourself.”

'True.” Lord, he felt good. It amazed her how all she had to do was get close to Nick and she felt better. Like how, when she came home from a long trip, she'd be too stressed and too tired to relax, but then she'd open her front door and her spirits would magically lift. Being with Nick was like that.

”And you love me.”

”Uh, huh.” Oh G.o.d, how was she supposed to think with him nuzzling her neck? Somehow, his hands had moved to her b.u.t.t, and she'd wrapped her arms around his neck.

”And if you say yes right now, we can get to the makeup s.e.x.”

”Nick. Even Joey offered me a ring.” ”Sweetheart, would you work with me here? You know, I've never done this before.” ”Sorry.” ”Sit down.” ”Why?”

”Would you please, for once in our relations.h.i.+p, just do as I ask?”

”Are you going to start expecting me to do what you tell me to? Because, if you are-”

”Lee, please, you're killing me here.” ”Fine.” She sat.

”Good.” Nick got down on one knee and pulled a little blue box out of his pocket.

Rosalie wondered if she was seeing things. She didn't know about every girl, but every Italian, Brooklyn girl, by the time she had her first Barbie doll stuffed into a wedding dress, dreamed of three things when it came to marriage. First, that she wouldn't look fat in white. Second, that she'd get married in St. Patrick's Cathedral. And third, that her engagement ring would come from Tiffany Company.

Rosalie knew at least one of her childhood dreams had come true. And luckily, it was the only one she hadn't given up hope on or outgrown. There was no way she could pull off wearing white without looking like the Pillsbury Doughboy, and she'd given up on the whole St. Patrick's Cathedral bit when she learned the true story of Cinderella and Prince Charming. But Tiffany's still had the power to make her heart sing, and she'd recognize a Tiffany's box at a hundred yards.

Nick cleared his throat. ”Lee, I promise to love, honor, and cherish you for the rest of my life. I promise never to screw around with anyone but you and always bring you chocolate. Will you marry me? You know you want to.”

”Oh, Nick, you got me a ring.”

”Why are you so surprised? I know I've never done this before, and I didn't say everything I should have, but even I know that when you ask the woman you love to marry you, you have to give her a ring.” He laughed and kissed her, and then he held out the box. ”Aren't you going to open it?”

Okay, Rosalie admitted to herself that she was a total sap, but she couldn't help it. She cried. She'd never cried happy tears before. She was smiling and crying at the same time. He wanted to marry her. He'd bought her a ring and everything.

Nick opened the box, and she couldn't breathe. It had to be the most amazing, most beautiful ring she'd ever seen. It looked like a square diamond, but it wasn't an emerald cut, because it was rounded, too. A platinum band embedded with diamonds surrounded the center stone. The shank held graduated diamonds. Oh, and there was even a matching wedding band.

He slipped the ring on her finger and then he kissed her hand. ”Do you like the ring? Because if you don't-”

Rosalie wrapped her arms around him and held him tight, breathing in the scent of him and feeling whole for the first time in a month. He was a part of her. Sure, Nick drove her crazy sometimes-he was her other annoying, s.e.xy, pushy, gorgeous, loving, giving, and funny half. ”I love the ring, and I love you. I'm so happy-scared to death, but happy.”

”Sweetheart, I was scared when I thought I'd lost you. When I heard someone wanted to hurt you, I was terrified...” his hold on her tightened so that she could barely breathe ”... and when I walked in on those two guys threatening you, there are no words to describe how I felt.”

Okay, things were getting way too depressing here, not to mention painful-if he squeezed her any harder, she'd break a rib.

”I don't understand what caused your one-eighty about marriage. You were always so against it. What happened?”

”Does it matter? I want to get married now. Right now. Today. That's all that counts.”

”No, it's not. You can't pull that ”don't-ask, don't-tell” c.r.a.p with me any more. It's time you decla.s.sified your life-to me, anyway. When I ask questions, I want answers, even if the answers make you uncomfortable.”

”Okay. I never wanted to marry because I thought the Romeo men were a curse to women. It runs in the family-my father, his father, and his father before him. They met a woman, married her, knocked her up, and took off, never to be heard from again. I thought it was hereditary. I wanted to put an end to the Romeo line once and for all.”

”That's ridiculous. What are you, stunadl stunadl The only reason your father and his father and his father before him did what they did is because they were a.s.sholes. You're not.” The only reason your father and his father and his father before him did what they did is because they were a.s.sholes. You're not.”

”No, apparently, I'm just stupid. Thanks, I think. You know, I could say the same thing about your reason for not wanting to get married.”

”Sure you could, but you won't, because you don't want to fight with me.”

”Good point. Get your shoes on. We're going out.”

”Hey, what happened to the make-up s.e.x? I was really looking forward to make-up s.e.x.”

”Oh, really? Well, I'm not in the mood. Come on. I want to take you home.”

”Nick, what are you talking about? We are home. Can't we,” she kissed his neck, sliding her chest against his to reach his mouth, ”you know, stay home?”

He gave her one of those smiles that made her insides melt.

”You'd like that, wouldn't you?”

She was getting breathless thinking about how much she'd like that. ”Oh, yeah.”

”Fine, we can stay home as long as you want-right after you see a doctor. I called Mike. I need to make sure you're okay.”

T'mnot sick.”

”I'm not going to be satisfied that you're healthy until I hear it from a doctor. Either you get your shoes and a jacket on, or I'll pick you up and carry you out.”

”Fine.”

”Good.”

Slipping on her Crocs, she grabbed her jacket, which hung on the vacuum, picked up her purse, and walked out the front door. ”Why didn't you have Mike meet us here?”

”I didn't want him to interrupt anything.”

”Well, thanks to you, there was nothing to interrupt.”

”Oh, pardon me. I didn't consider a marriage proposal nothing.”

”That's not what I meant, and you know it.”

”Sweetheart, I know exactly what you meant. And I love that you can't wait to jump my bones. But there are some things more important than s.e.x. Not many, but your health is one of the few. Just think, the sooner you get a clean bill of health, the sooner you can ravage me.”

”Okay, let's go. But I better follow you over in my car.”

”Why?”

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