Page 91 of Tempting

“I love you,” I tell him as I tighten my hold on his waist.

“Kenzie.” The way Becket says my name makes me shake. “Dr. Richardson was put on administrative leave after you registered your complaint today. He went to his house and shot himself.”

“Oh my God.” For the second time tonight, my knees give out, and Nixon takes all my weight. “I wanted him fired. Not dead.”

“This is not your fault, baby.” Nixon holds me up as shock and anger course over his face. “You didn’t do anything wrong. He did. And if he killed himself over it, he must have done so much more to other women than what he did to you. He was inappropriate, but he never touched you or hurt you...”

His words hang thick in the air, as if waiting for me to correct him.

“No. Never. I think he backed off because of you, Nix.” I don’t know why I’m crying, but now that the tears have started, they won’t stop.

Nixon picks me up and sits me down on the couch, His strong arms holding me together when I feel like I might break. “Is this my fault?” I ask, but then shake my head. “No. No. I will not let him make me take this on. I didn’t do this.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Kenz.” Becket sits next to me and rubs my back as I lean forward trying to calm my breathing. “The police are going to want a statement though.”

“I’ll take you tomorrow,” Nixon tells me, but he’s looking over my head at Becket.

A silent understanding passes between them.

“I’m going to make a pot of coffee,” Juliette announces as I pull my knees up to my chest. And hours later, when we finally convince them they need to go home and Nixon and I are lying in bed, it all seems like a crazy dream.

“Nix...” I drag my nails up and down his arm, unable to lie still.

“Yeah, baby...” He hasn’t let go of me all night. My strength when I had none left.

“Can we move out of this fucking building?”

“About that . . . I kinda did a thing.”

I lean up on his chest and stare into his eyes. “What did you do?”

“I had my business manager cash in my trust fund the other day, and I bought the Cherry Tree Plantation off the big lake.”

“That’s like a hundred acres... and there’s a ton of houses on it.” I tell him, like he doesn’t already know it. At least, I’m assuming he does, since apparently, he bought it.

“Want to help me redo an old plantation?”

“By help you, you mean we hire people, right? Because I operate on bodies for a living. My hands are insured. I don’t use construction tools.” I press my lips to his chest and bite his nipple. “Didn’t think you might have wanted to ask me first?” I tease.

“It was spur of the moment. But if you don’t want to live there, we’ll fix it up and flip it. No harm, no foul.”

“I think it’s a great idea, and I might even have one better. Let’s have the wedding there.”

His hand runs up my back, pressing me tighter. “That sounds like a plan, baby.”

“I love you Nixon. Thanks for waiting for me.”

“I’d have waited a lifetime for you, Mac. Forever...”

“Forever.”

EPILOGUE

NIXON

If I did anything right in my life, it was loving you.

Today. Tomorrow. Always.

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