Page 43 of Bidding For Her Curves

He’s the only good thing to ever happen to me, and although I know he feels the same about me, I can’t stand the thought of losing him, not even after our short time together.

“I wanted you, Jules, I admit that. I went through all that auction business and panicking at the thought you might not want me… being ahem… slightly older…” he says, flushing a little.

“But now I need you,” I feel my heart melting, my body melting into his as I lean forward, enchanted by him when he talks to me like that.

“I need you for a million reasons. The biggest one is because I love you,” he reminds me yet again, kissing me tenderly.

“And what are the other reasons?” I ask, glancing sideways, hoping they’re not doing laundry and dishes, making dinner, and being some kind of wallflower or housefrau.

“Barefoot and pregnant, fine,” I declare. “But I don’t want to miss seeing you, being with you.”

“You won’t,” he says, utterly certain of himself.

“I need a business partner, like I said in the meeting today, one who’s word carries as much weight a mine, although… if you get stuck, I’d appreciate a consult,” he adds, intuiting my current lack of anything corporate.

I laugh softly, wondering if…

“I also want you to head up the charity kitchen details, the whole real estate project, to be honest. If it wasn’t for you, all those people would be out of a home, yourself included. Who better to manage it than a local, someone who knows her neighborhood?”

I feel my stomach turn. “That’s a lot of responsibility,” I hear myself saying. Wincing and already telling myself I can’t. I shouldn’t.

“It is,” Mason agrees, “but if we’re putting your name on it, you’ll know how to handle it, I’m sure of that!” he exclaims, fidgeting a hand in his jacket pocket.

He looks nervous like he’s thinking ahead of what his mouth is saying.

“My name?” I ask, totally confused now.

“That’s right. Actually, I’m thinking about whether to do it on everything, alphabetically or should we do it by experience?”

I feel my jaw dropping, my mind going completely blank.

“I mean, should it be Thorne-McPherson or McPherson-Thorne?”

I feel my head shaking like I’ve missed something.

“Should what be?” I ask, “The soup kitchen charity?” sounding blonder than I mean to.

Mason laughs loudly, clapping his hands in both pockets, looking panicked for a second, then relieved when he finds what he’s looking for.

“Here’s the contract,” he says, and I notice his hands trembling slightly as he produces a small, blue velvet box.

I make a strange sound, a cry of disbelief and a squeal of excitement.

I know a ring box when I see one, but I feel my head shaking. I can’t believe it.

“Hear me out,” Mason says hurriedly.

“I want you to be my business partner, to help me run everything, fifty-fifty, but I also want you to be mine… forever.”

He slowly opens the lid, revealing what looks like the hope diamond on a collar of smaller ones, bathing the kitchen and both of us with a rainbow of light which it catches, streaming through the huge windows.

“Forever,” he repeats. “I want you, Jules. Body and soul. If we’re gonna have a family, they’ll need a mommy and a daddy, not two high powered business executives too busy to sit and play with them, to teach them all about life, about love.”

I’m still shaking my head, speechless.

“I want you to be my family, Jules. I want you to be my wife. My best friend, my lover.”

He stares at me for what feels like ages. “Will you stop shaking your head and say yes woman?” he asks pleadingly, looking worried I might say no, or even run again.

“Can I make Karen work in the soup kitchen?” I ask quickly, watching his split-second recall without him even flinching.

“She already does. I put through her transfer over the weekend, she’ll find out sometime tomorrow.”

“Yes!” I say out loud, pumping my fist in front of me. “Yes, yes, yes!”

Mason furrows his brow in question, looking worried for a moment.

“I mean yes to everything! Of course, I’ll marry you, Mason. If that’s what you’re asking?”

We both repeat yes! Until we can’t keep ourselves from each other a second longer.

He picks me up, carrying me to our bed, promising to make good on his predictions for barefoot and pregnant.

Although, a little something tells me we might already be well on our way there.EpilogueSix Months LaterMasonWith Jules in charge of overseeing the neighborhood redevelopment, it means she’s spends more time than I’d like down there. I head down every chance I get but she’s told me off already for butting in on several occasions. So I busy myself with other things.

The place is ancient, one of the last houses still standing from early settlers by the looks, feels like it anyway, but it’s perfect.

---