Into the Fire - Leslie Kelly [77]
Smiling tenderly, he brushed his fingers across her cheek and quoted, "This journalist knows when to admit defeat. Everything I've ever believed I knew about relationships, every certainty I ever had about being above such mortal emotions as love, has dissolved under the blue-eyed stare of the woman I'd die for."
She bit her lip. "You meant it."
He continued quoting. "Sex is fun. Passion can be consuming. But nothing, absolutely nothing, can compare to finding the other half of yourself, the partner you've been seeking since the moment you drew breath on this earth. I've been fortunate enough to find my mate. Naughty Nate is hoping to trade in his bachelor-of-the-month-club membership card for a wedding band and a minivan."
Her heart soared, but there was one more thing to say. "I'm sorry, Nate. I'm so sorry I believed you'd betrayed me. I should have trusted you, and I swear I will never doubt you again."
He tenderly cupped her face. "Forgiven. And I'm sorry if I pushed too hard, if I was callous of your parents' feelings. My only excuse is knowing how they hurt you. But I hope you know I'll support you in whatever you have to do."
There would be time later to tell him what had happened in her conversations with her mother and father. Now she was too happy to think of anything except being in his arms. "So, that minivan thing, was that kind of a proposal or something?"
"Yeah," Nate replied with a huge grin. "Whaddya say?"
She started to cry happy tears, and a laugh crossed her lips. "You sure you won't miss the wet T-shirt contests?"
"You sure you can stand a guy who'd rather tackle you on the living room floor than recite poetry beneath your balcony?"
She nodded.
Nate drew her hand to his mouth and pressed kisses on each and every finger, then moved up to sweetly kiss her lips. "This romance hero is definitely ready for his happily ever after. With you."
* * *
Epilogue
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"Get me outta here," Lacey whispered.
Nate turned his attention away from the businessman who'd been droning on for ten minutes about nothing. He glanced at his fiancée, who was fanning herself and wiping perspiration off her brow. "We're the guests of honor."
She sighed and looked around the crowded reception room. Nate followed her stare, noting how similar this party was to the one the night they'd met. J.T. had insisted on inviting dozens of people to his home to celebrate Nate and Lacey's impending marriage, not to mention the huge success of their stories in this month's magazines.
"Do you really care?" Lacey finally replied, giving him a sultry look with those gorgeous blue eyes.
He didn't. Not a bit. "We might be noticed slipping away together."
"Give me ten minutes, then follow." She blew him a kiss over her shoulder as she made her way across the crowded room toward the exit.
He grinned, knowing exactly where he'd find her.
Nate supposed they should stay at the party, particularly since they were leaving tomorrow for Mexico where they'd be married on a white sand beach. They'd stay for a two-week honeymoon.
A private, out-of-town wedding had seemed the safest solution given the other option—having Lacey's stepfather perform the ceremony while her real father walked her up the aisle. Everyone had instantly nixed that idea.
Ten minutes later, when he slipped around the grounds and through the back door of the pool and gym area, he immediately noticed the lighting. "Candles," he murmured, following the flicker of warm light.
"Don't fall in," she called.
He spotted her standing on the trampoline. It was a damn good thing he'd already passed the pool, because if he'd seen her a moment earlier, he probably would have ended up taking another unexpected swim. "Oh, my," he murmured as he reached the edge of the trampoline and looked at her.
She smiled at him, no shyness, no inhibition. Just beautiful, glorious Lacey wearing a black lace push-up bra, matching garter belt