Page 107 of Touch Me Not

He chuckled. “You and Adam definitely grew up in the same area. He threatened to shoot me too if I caused you that kind of pain again.”

She nodded. As he should.

“You still haven’t answered my question yet, Lily Bells.”

“I don’t know if I want to marry an ass or not,” she said, but there was no heat behind the words. She did want to marry him.

“Yes, you do,” he countered, a wicked grin spreading across his face.

“I do, do I?”

“Uh-huh.” He nodded. “Who else is going to put up with your prudish tendencies?”

“I am not a prude!”

He gave her the patented Kincaid stare.

“Well, if I’m a prude, then you’re a manwhore.”

“Did we or did we not agree to never use that word again?”

“As long as you continue to call me a prude, I’ll call you a manwhore.”

“I love you,” he said, laughing.

“I’ll marry you, Kincaid, on one condition.”

“What?”

“I want your car.”

“Ellie? You want Ellie?” He looked stricken, and Lily nearly laughed out loud.

“Yes.”

He got up and started to pace. “I can buy you any car you want, Lily Bells. Just name it, and I’ll have it sitting in the hospital parking lot today.”

“I wantyourcar, Nikoli.”

Nikoli took a deep breath and came over to sit on her bed. He leaned down until all she could see were his eyes. They were warm, and she could see the love in their dark depths. “If it means I get you, then fine,Milaya, you can have my car.”

Her mouth dropped open. He’d give her the car? He adored that car. He really loved her if he was willing to hand over the one thing he loved more than anything.

“Well, how about you just let me drive the car once in a while?”

Relief washed over his expression, and she did laugh then.

“Is that a yes,dushka?”

“Don’t you think it’s too soon, though?” she fretted as he leaned back. “We’ve only known each other a couple of months.”

“My father married my mother a week after he met her. Kincaid men waste no time in staking a claim when it matters. I love you,dushka. Not for a week or a month or a year. I will love you when I’m old and gray, and when I’m too senile to remember your name, I’ll still remember I love you. I don’t need months or years to know I want you to be my wife. You’re all I need, all I’ll ever need. Marry me, Lily. Please.”

Her breath caught at his words. No one had ever said anything so beautiful to her. Tears welled up, and she blinked them away.

“Yes, Kincaid, I’ll marry you.”

He leaned over and placed a butterfly kiss on her lips. “I love you, Lily.”

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