Here. Wherever. Whenever.
He pulled back, dropping his forehead to hers. His uneven breathing matched hers. “I love you.”
She yanked him closer, not letting him retreat. “I love you, too.”
“Let’s go home before I strip you right here.” He moaned, burying his face in her neck and biting down where her shoulder and neck met. She dug her nails into his shoulders, and he hissed. “We better hurry up, or I’ll bloody well take you here and now.”
“Fine by me.” She reluctantly released her hold on him, dropping her feet to the ground. After picking up the flowers from the box he had set them on, she grinned at him over her shoulder and tugged him behind her, bee-lining for the street.
And to his apartment—which was now their apartment. They’d moved in together after six months of dating. Some had said it was too fast—but she had said it was about damn time. She’d been waiting for a man like him to come into her life, and she wasn’t letting him go because someone said she should hold herself back from him.
Screw that.
“Have I told you how much I love you yet today?” he asked, his fingers flexing on hers. “And how happy I am I knocked you into a puddle a year ago?”
She snorted. “Once or twice, I think.”
He stopped her at the entrance of the building, hugging her close. The scent of the flowers in his hand mixed with the scent of hair gel and cologne. “I’m serious. You’ve made me so happy. Happier than I thought I could ever be.”
She swallowed hard, blinking back tears. He always knew the perfect things to say. “Me too. Way too happy.”
“No such thing. I’ll make you even happier every day of my life, or I don’t deserve to have you.”
“Well, you just met your goal today.” She rose on tiptoe and kissed him, savoring the taste of him and the way he made her feel. Everything. “Now let’s go home.”
“All right.” His eyes flashed to some emotion she couldn’t quite figure out. He looked … nervous.
As they walked to the elevator, it clicked in her head. He was stressing again. “Are you worrying about your new role again?”
“Uh, well, yes.” He took a deep breath, his cheeks turning a little bit red. “I’m a certifiable wreck about everything.”
“I know what you need.” She grabbed his shirt and yanked him close. “You need a distraction.”
His eyes smoldered down at her. “I know of the perfect type … ”
“Me too.” She kissed him lightly, and then wrapped her arms around his stomach. “But you need to stop worrying. You’ll be fine. I’ll be there with you, cheering you on the whole time.”
The elevator doors opened, and they went on. He smiled at her. “How did I ever do something good enough to deserve you in my life?”
She shook her head. “I’m the lucky one. Not you.”
“I beg to differ.”
“Then beg elsewhere. It won’t work with me.” She walked into the hallway and headed for their apartment. “What should we do for dinner after you shower? Cheeseburgers again? It is the fourth.”
He rubbed his jaw. “We have the BBQ with your family tomorrow, correct?”
She loved the way he said BBQ, his English accent stumbling over the word. He still called it a barbie sometimes, too, and she loved when he did. “Yeah, we do. In Jersey.”
He flinched. “Ugh.”
“I know, but according to Jessie, little Scotty is too small to travel. She probably just wants—”
She opened their door and took a step inside the living room, and then promptly froze. Candles lit the whole living room, and pink roses filled almost every surface of the dining room table. Dinner for two sat on the table, but there was no one in the room. How could he have done all of this while performing on stage?
“How—?” Turning on her heel, she looked at Justin. He held his hands in his pockets, the nervous look on his face again. “Justin, this is beautiful.”
“You’re beautiful.” His lips twitched. “This is just a fancy dinner. I know it breaks American tradition not to have burgers and beer, but—”
She closed her arms around his neck, tugging him down for a kiss. His hands came out of his pockets to close around her waist, and something metallic hit the hardwood floor. With a curse, he dropped to his knees and picked it up before she could see it. She raised a brow at him, looking down at him when he didn’t move from his crouched position at her feet.
“Um, are you going to get back up?” she asked.
He cleared his throat. “I will. In a second.”
“Okay … ?”
Then, when he flushed but didn’t move, she knew. She knew what was coming, and she almost joined him on the ground from the weakness in her legs. He captured her hand, holding it firmly in his. “This past year has opened my eyes to so many things I missed as a child. So many things I never knew really existed. Love. Support. Trust. I heard about it all, but until you, it was just an urban legend. Like the Loch Ness monster or Bigfoot.”
She choked on a laugh. “Bigfoot?”
He turned even redder. “Okay, on second thought, maybe this isn’t the most romantic notion to bring up right now.” He was always so sure of himself. So quick to reply with the perfect words in the perfect situation. Seeing him flustered and struggling for words brought tears to her eyes.
“But until you came along, I didn’t know what happiness could feel like. I didn’t know what it would be like to care about someone so much that their happiness would be more important than my own. Until you … I didn’t live. Not really. And now I want to take the next step. I’m hoping you’re ready for this, too, but if not, that’s okay.”
Her heart wrenched at his uncertainty. “Justin—”
“I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure you smile every day, and making sure you know how much you mean to me. Making sure you never doubt me. Or us. If you’ll let me, I will do all of this and more. Lexi?” He lifted his head, determination lighting his eyes. He held up a gorgeous ring between his thumb and pointer finger. “Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Will you … marry me?”
Her knees finally gave out on her, and she collapsed to the floor in front of him. “Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you.”
She cradled his cheeks in her hands, looking deep into his eyes, and then kissed him with all of the love, promise, and hope of the future. He flipped her feet out from under her, catching her easily and lowering her to the floor. The cool wood on her bare skin sent a shiver through her heated blood. He climbed over her body, settling in between her legs, and capturing her left hand.