Page 107 of Brooke
The stroking of his thumb on her palm brought her back to him. He was grinning when she opened her eyes. “I believe you have a call to make, my Brooke, and then I think we should go and see that property together again. Depending on what Marcello wants in terms of a percentage, I also would like to become an official partner. If you’d let me…”
She would have to drive a hard bargain with Marcello to make it all work, but wasn’t she Brooke Adams, Third Course? She nodded, feeling fully like herself again. Except she knew she had changed. She wasn’t worrying now—although she probably would sometimes—and she wasn’t feeling the need to push and make everything happen. She knew it would. And the new love she had for herself and Axel and the rest of her found family and Nanine and her father had made it so.
Progress.
“Consider us partners—in life and also in work, when it suits our interests.” She shook his hand before taking it back to her heart. “Now, before I call Marcello, I have another important matter to discuss with you.”
His face shuttered for a moment before he made his muscles relax. “Anything.”
She tapped her lips. “I need a kiss. And after the last few hours, make it a good one.”
His mouth was curving as he leaned closer, cradling her against his massive chest. “Feel free to add daily kisses toyour day planner as well because I will need some of your time. I’m afraid I can’t imagine being without you every day.”
Neither could she. “Consider yourself on my new VIP list,” she said, deciding she could add it to her current template.
She lifted her mouth to meet his and then pretty much grabbed him by the mane and brought their lips together. The kiss shot to her dancing heart and glided down to her belly, ending with her toes curling in her shoes. She sighed into his mouth and felt him do the same, their hearts thudding in harmony with each other.
When she lifted her mouth away, she grinned at him. “Let’s go tell everyone inside first, and then I will call Marcello.”
With another swift kiss, he tugged her to her feet, smiling down at her with love shining in his blue eyes. “I’m with you every step of the way,min elskede.”
“Back at you. Babe,” she added for extra measure.
Together they walked inside.
EPILOGUE
Wiping one’s sweating forehead while clutching a painting wasn’t exactly child’s play.
Sawyer rationalized it would be a waste of time anyway. He’d been sweating nonstop since he’d carefully withdrawn Nanine’s painting from its secret hiding place in his studio and slid it into its carrier. Afraid his trembling legs would pitch him down the three flights of stairs he usually took for exercise, he boarded the rarely used elevator, feeling like a fraud as the carriage slowly descended before shuddering to a halt on the first floor.
Hadn’t he survived the hanging of one painting in the restaurant already? He’d almost hyperventilated earlier when Kyle had asked if he was ready to take “The Women of Nanine’s” to the restaurant. But they’d gotten it done, likely because his power walk along the Seine had reduced some of his nervous tension.
Kyle’s comforting hand on his shoulder every step of the way as they secured the painting for Nanine’s patrons to see had made the rest seem easier. Notwalk in the parkeasy. More like getting one’s wisdom teeth plucked out for the greater good.
But this?
He could retch the whole contents of his guts out.
He’d had to walk along the Seine again to build his courage back up, and while he hated to do the unveiling without Madison around, she was in the grips of her own stomach-emptying moment. He knew she’d get it right.
The elevator stopped, the doors opened, and his feet started a pathetic shuffle toward the sound of happy conversation punctuated with laughter from the kitchen. It didn’t help his anxiety a lick. He knew his roommates were in there with Axel and Brooke’s dad and Nanine. His stomach practically bottomed out.
Nanine.
How was she going to feel about the painting? He hadn’t asked for her permission. What had he been thinking? Shouldn’t he have gotten her consent first?
Well, it was too late. He forced his feet to keep walking. Gripping the painting, he peered over the top of it to see where he was going. All he needed to do was knock himself out on the way to the kitchen.
They’d had enough drama for the day with Brooke and Axel, but everything seemed to be going like gangbusters now. That Marcello dude had drooled at Brooke’s offer, according to what she’d told them all after she’d finished shouting out a “Fuck yes” with a victorious fist thrust into the air.
She and Axel would work together on shared interests when it aligned. At other times they would work separately. Made sense to him. Sometimes an artist had to create alone. Besides, Brooke was the Third Course. She had to make a splash. Axel would be lucky to keep up with her most days.
He was stalling, he realized. Standing right outside the kitchen doorway, his arms trembling from holding the painting.One foot after the other...
Carpe diem time.
When he appeared, Thea saw him first and cried out, “Sawyer! Nanine was wondering where you were.”
