Page 50 of The Billionaire and the Nanny: Part 2

Zayden

Hereyes.

In them, I see all the atoms and molecules that make up her soul. I see them crashing into each other, out of control, and hating me. But I also see how she’s spinning and dancing, relieved that I came back for her. I’m a smart guy. It may take me a while to figure shit out sometimes, but eventually, I do figure itout.

And I’m not making this mistake ever again. I’m going to assure her ofthis.

“Zayden,” she takes my face in her hands, looks me in the eye, then holds me close, “I hear what you’re saying, and I appreciate it, but…I have to go. The interview…”

“Don’t go to it,” I tellher.

“What?”

“Don’t go to the interview. Call and tell her something cameup.”

“Zayden, I don’t have that kind of luxury. I have to work for a living.”

“You don’t have to go. In fact…” It’s now or never, buddy. Just do it. I reach into my pocket and pull out the box that’s been burning a hole in my pants since I left the airport. “You don’t have to work ever again, Bailey.”

“What do you mean?” Her eyes flit to the box then my face again with a panickedlook.

Dropping to one knee, there in front of her parents and all these weird neighbors checking us out, I take her hand and look up at her pretty brown eyes. My brown-eyed girl. “Bailey…”

“Zayden? What are you doing?”

I open the box, showing her the five-carat diamond solitaire surrounded by tiny diamonds and emeralds. “What I mean is…you don’t ever have to work ever again, unless you want to. If you still want to open that home décor store, we can do that, but don’t work because you have to—work because you want to. I got you covered, sweetheart. Don’t go to the interview. Stay here withme.”

Her other hand dabs at her lips. She can barely breathe. “Zayden…why are you doingthis?”

What am I doing? My hands shake totally uncharacteristically, and I almost don’t recognize my voice. Who knew I’d ever be down on one knee like this? That’s what a good woman does, I guess. “Because I’m asking my favorite person in the world if she’ll do me the honor of marryingme.”

She doesn’t answer right away. Her fingers tremble, and tears glaze her eyes. I hear her mother gasp, “Oh!”

“Bailey?” I say. “That’s you, baby. My favorite person in the world isyou.”

She lets out a raspy laugh. “Oh, my God, I can’t believe this is happening. I can’t believe this…” She rambles. “Are yousure?”

I admit, I have to laugh at that. I shake my head at this crazy, amazing, beautiful woman. My knee down on this broken asphalt driveway is killing me, but it doesn’t matter. I’d go through it a thousand times more for her. “Positive. You brought love into my life again. You showed me what having a family could feel like, and yeah, I was scared at first, but life’s too short to live in fear, Bailey. I gotta have you. Please marryme.”

“Say yes!” someone shouts from down the street.

Everyone around us breaks into laughter, a good sign. I’ve been worried how her family was going to take this, but then Dad says, “The man’s waiting for an answer, Bale.”

I glance over my shoulder at him with a look of gratitude.

Bailey lets out a breath through rounded lips, looks up at the sky as if her final answer were there, then looks down at me again. For a second, I think she’s going to turn me down. She’d be smart to, but God, I hope she doesn’t. Then, slowly, she nods. “Yes.”

Holy fuck, that was close. A rush of air escapes my lungs. Taking out the ring, I slide it onto her pretty finger, and it fits perfectly. She’s mine. This woman is mine. Finally, I stand and take her face into my hands. “Thank you. You won’t ever be sorry you said that.” I kiss her and take in what it feels like to be the luckiest bastard in the world.

All around us and down the street, Mom, Dad, and others cheer. My driver got the whole thing on video. I’ll have to give him a nice tip for doing that, since it totally flew my mind. She said yes. Bailey Rainville is now my fiancée. I knew she loved me, but I was worried the whole way over that she’d be too pissed at me to ever forgiveme.

But she did, surprising me yet again.

Because that’s the kind of woman Baileyis.

* * *

A funny thingabout small towns—there are no hotels, and I don’t feel right staying at the Rainville’s home, per Bailey’s mom’s invitation, knowing fully well that I plan on banging the shit out of my woman after months of not seeingher.

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