Page 49 of Royal Academy

“I’ve missed you,” his breath skittered across her skin.

Lia whirled around, “Nick, how are you?”

She winced when she saw his eye, “Are you feeling better? It’s so strange that you fell and hit your eye.”

Color bloomed in his cheeks as he responded gruffly, “Yes, well it was a freak accident.”

“If you say so,” Lia tilted her head to the side. “I had better go see what Luke and the girls are up to.”

“Wait,” Nick grabbed her arm. “Lia, can I talk to you?”

She nodded rubbing her arms as if to ward off a chill. “Sure.”

Nick led Lia to a side door and they walked out into the garden. The flowers were in bloom and there was a slight breeze ruffling the leaves on the trees.

“It really is beautiful here,” Lia turned to look at Nick. She could see the lines near his mouth and hated the way his shoulders slumped.

Nick turned to her, “I need to be honest with you.”

“Okay,” She tried to smile but it didn’t reach her eyes. She didn’t want him to break things off with her not here not now. She was barely holding on as it was. For a moment Lia considered making up and excuse and going inside.

But Nick’s grasp held firm, almost as if he expected her to run away from him.

“These last few days have been terrible. I don’t like being away from you and I really don’t like not being able to talk to you and hold you. I am falling in love with you. Have I ruined everything between us?”

Lia gasped, “Say it again!”

Nick blinked, “Which part?”

“All of it!” Lia grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer to her.

“I am falling in love with you,” he said huskily as he cupped her face in his hands. “Please tell me I didn’t ruin everything.”

“No,” Lia shook her head, “You didn’t ruin anything. Nick are you sure?”

“Lia, I think about you all the time. I want to know what you are doing, how you are feeling. I love everything about you. Even your damn cat, which you’re a cat lover, just admit it. I want to be able to hold you, to kiss you, and to fuck you until we both can’s stand. And then wake up in the morning and do it all over again.”

Lia tipped up on her toes and placed her lips against his. Nick growled low in his throat and kissed her with all of the pent-up emotion that had accumulated in the last few days. He had thought she no longer cared for him. Worried that she could never forgive him. It was unfathomable to him that he could have ever questioned his love for her.

“Marry me,” he whispered against her lips, “Please.”

Tears gathered in Lia’s eyes, “Yes, I love you, Nick.”

He picked her up and whirled her around. Lia was laughing and crying at the same time and it was just then that the side door opened to reveal Luke and the twins.

“Did it work?” Katie squealed.

Lia could hardly contain the smile on her face, “What did you girls do?”

“We were the distraction!” Kylie beamed.

Luke shook his head, “And they did a fine job of it.”

“Did she say yes?” Katie prodded.

“Does she like the ring?” Kylie added.

Nick bent down on one knee and the girls started jumping up and down. Lia hardly paid them any attention as she listened to what Nick was saying.

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