Page 34 of Till Cupid Do Us Part

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IVY

Niko looks weird.

He doesn’t smile often, and I love that little quirk of his. Right now, though, he’s grinning wider than I’ve ever seen. The closest he’s gotten before this is when Junie was born, but he was so relieved then that we were all okay that I think that held the corners of his mouth down a little.

Still, this isn’t Junie’s birth.

Considering his phone is most definitely shattered and Travis is on the line, still speaking words that I wish I could understand, I’d say there’s something else going on that’s led to that unfamiliar grin.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

“Better than, angel.”

“Okay, because you’re grinning at me like a creepy stalker moments before he kidnaps his victim.”

His laugh is unexpected. It’s so confident and strong that it makes my toes curl in my fuzzy socks. It’s sinful for someone’s laugh to ooze sex like that.

“Do I need to kidnap you, Ivy? Or will you stay with me all on your own?”

“That depends on what you’re planning to do with me.”

He swipes his tongue across his lips, the grin transforming into a secretive smirk. He grabs me around the waist and hauls me against him. I squeak and flatten my hand to his chest, holding it steady instead of pushing.

“What do you want me to do with you?”

“I’m always up for anything as long as you’re by my side. I thought I’d made that pretty obvious,” I tease, keeping his eyes snared.

His hand dips around to rest at the curve of my ass, kneading it. I wiggle beneath his hold, heat spiking in my belly.

“What if I wanted somethin’ far beyond what we’ve already got? Somethin’ I’ve been dreamin’ of since you stumbled into my bar. Fuck, from the moment I first saw you.”

“Like?” I coo.

“Like havin’ you as my wife, Ivy.”

Surprise blows my eyes wide open. I suck in a breath and press my hand harder against his chest, testing if it’ll move right through him and prove that I’ve been dreaming this entire conversation up. That I’ve dreamedhimup.

It remains flat against the hard expanse of his torso, soothing my curiosity. This is entirely real.

“Are you playing a prank on me? Was this Travis’s idea?” I lean past Niko’s shoulder and shout at the phone, “Can you hear me, Travis?”

Niko chuckles and guides me back in place with a hand on my shoulder. “I’m not sure if he can hear us properly with the state of my phone, but I’m not playin’ a prank on you.”

“I thought you were going to get us more popcorn. This doesn’t look like the kitchen. Were you in here hiding andplanning something with him? I swear, if you’re trying to get a rise out of me, I will make your life hell, Nicholas Shaw?—”

He shuts me up with a firm kiss. I swallow my arguments and lean into his embrace, chasing his mouth when he goes to pull back. His teeth nip at my lips in punishment, and I grin in response, liking that a bit too much. A few beats later, I let him slip away with a curl of my nails into his chest.

It’s always that easy with us. That’s only one of the reasons why I know this is the real deal.

“Just go ahead and ask me the question, Niko,” I whisper.

His eyes spark. “Yeah?”

I reach up and hold his cheek, grinning as his beard tickles my wrist. “Yeah. I think you might get the answer you’re hoping for.”

He moves quickly. My arms fall to my sides, and the hulking man I’m lucky enough to call mine drops to one knee before me.

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