A Friendly Engagement (30 page)

“At this point, I don’t think Devi wants to ever speak to or see me again.”

“You’re wrong. I’ve heard her crying. She’s miserable. She misses you and cares about you so much. And I know you feel the same. I’ve seen you two together. Nobody missed the feelings you shared. She loves you. You love her. Don’t let your own stupid pride ruin something so precious… Something that so many people only dream about. You’ve found it. Grab the reins and run.” Bartow shook him slightly, as if that would help him see clearly.

“I don’t know…”

“Don’t think about it too long. She’ll be home at her condo tomorrow. Go to her. Make things right.” Bartow stepped back and closed his eyes for a moment. Then he held out his hand, and Omar shook it. “As for the contract, let me know what you decide when you’re ready.”

Bartow turned and strolled toward the elevators. Omar gave him points for daring to admit his faults and then coming to find Omar to fill him in. He had to respect that.

As for Devi.

He ran his hands through his hair and groaned. He missed her more than it should be possible to miss someone. Her smiling face. Her beautiful eyes that saw straight through to his soul and gazed up at him as if he were the only man in the room—in the world.

And her laugh.

Damn, the woman had the best laugh. The sound hit him square between the eyes and somewhere deep in his chest. She filled his senses in every meaning of the word.

Hell, yeah, he missed her. He not only missed her, but he loved her. He’d loved her long before he realized it. The proving ground had been their time together at Bartow’s. And according to her dad she felt the same.

Hell yeah she does.
They were good together. Their shared laughter, the way she made love to him, the way he made love to her. The recent blip in their relationship was just that, a blip. One they could and would conquer and overcome.

Love was evident in everything they did.

The realization stung him, and he fell back against the office door again and sank to the floor. He smiled and thumped his head against the wood several times.

How had he not realized this before? If only he had admitted his feelings to himself instead of allowing his own stubborn pride to get in the way. That, and a huge dose of fear over allowing her into his life and his heart because once he did, she’d have the power to hurt him.

Like he’d hurt her.

He cursed himself. He never wanted to hurt her. He always wanted to make her smile, laugh. He wanted to make her happy.

He had to fix this. Bartow, Cass… They were right.

Not only had he been a complete ass to the woman he loved, he’d risked the best thing that had ever happened to him by not listening to her. Not taking her calls.

He banged his head a little harder against the door to punish himself.

If he didn’t try to get back the best thing that had ever happened to him, he’d live a lonely, sad existence.

Devi had shown him the world, and he was going to show her how she’d changed him, molded him into her own personal superhero. He had to be unique if he wanted to win her back. He had to do this right.

Omar rubbed his hands together briskly, laughing as he picked himself up off the floor and reached into his breast pocket for his cell to set his plan in motion. He needed to act fast. He didn’t want to go another day without the woman he loved.

…

Devi grabbed the door handle to the office building and quashed the tiny tingles and butterflies flitting across her flesh and through her belly. She’d arrived home yesterday morning to find a message from Omar asking her to come to the office tonight after closing. He wanted to talk to her.

That could only be a good sign.
Right?

She had hoped if she gave him some time he’d come to his senses enough to at least hear her out. If not, she’d planned to take action herself, but how she hadn’t quite figured out. Yet.

The fact that he called gave her hope everything would work out. Omar could be stubborn, but that could be an endearing quality at times, only because it proved he had confidence in his own opinions.

Devi stepped into the lobby. Even after all the years she’d worked here, she never got over the eerie quiet of the building when it was late into the evening. She scanned the empty hot dog stand and then upward through the open atrium, past all the floors of offices that grew smaller as her eye reached the top of the building. The roof was a see-through window that revealed the sky. At the moment, several dozen stars twinkled down at her.

She winked back at them and smiled. Hope burst through her that whatever happened tonight, she and Omar would make peace. That maybe they could start back up from where they’d left off.

Her heels echoed across the tile floor as she made her way toward the bank of elevators that would take her to Esterly Financial. Gawd, how she missed this place. And it’d only been two weeks.

She mentally prepared herself by squaring her shoulders and blowing out a breath of air as she crossed the lobby. Devi rolled her shoulders and then jumped, stopping in her tracks as the theme song from
Aladdin
—“I Can Show You The World”—spilled out from the speakers that normally played a nonstop collection of elevator music in muted sounds.

Her stomach dipped, and she bit her lip, craning her neck from side to side and then behind her, but nobody was in sight.

As quickly as the music started it stopped, to be replaced with a faster and louder tune. The
Spider-Man
theme song, performed by The Ramones, blared across the speakers and filled the lobby. Her smile grew, and she threw back her head and laughed. To her left, a group of men dressed in Spider-Man costumes danced out of a corner office. All synchronized, and all unrecognizable.

Then off to the right another group of at least ten more Spider-Man wannabes flew out of another ground-floor office and danced their way toward her. They circled around her, steering her in the direction of the back wall.

They clapped as they guided her, and she joined in, sashaying through the lobby with the Spider-Man flash mob. Out of nowhere, several more groups of guys dressed in Spider-Man costumes crowded the lobby. All danced, sang, and moved her across the lobby.

Movement from suites of offices above caught her attention, and she glanced up at the floors of balconies. Various superheroes leaned across the railing and clapped in rhythm.

And then she saw him…

Her belly swooped and her pulse not only raced but pounded in her ears.

With his head aiming straight for the ground—just like in her favorite scene from the movie—Omar, dressed in his own amazing Spider-Man costume, lowered himself on some type of cable past the floors above, his feet above his head to keep his balance as he brushed against the wall, scaling lower and lower…closer and closer.

She’d recognize him anywhere, even with a mask. His broad shoulders, the swell of his muscular thighs pressing against the nylon of his Spider-Man costume, and his eyes. His gorgeous blue eyes.

Staring directly at her.

She melted just a little, and her knees shook.

The music faded, and all the imposter Spider-Men around her, all the superheroes above, faded into the background as they stepped back. Their claps growing softer until all she could hear was a soft pulse.

Devi stepped forward as the cable lowered Omar and stopped. He dangled upside down only inches from her. So close she could feel his warm exhale, almost taste the peppermint of his breath, and definitely smell his spicy cologne.

She wanted to rush toward him, but uncertainty rooted her to the spot.

“Dev. Dev, I’m sorry.” Pain and sorrow laced his words.

Gawd, she’d missed the sound of his voice. His smile. His eyes. Her gaze scanned over him, devouring every inch.

Then she saw all she needed to know. He didn’t have to apologize, because his eyes mirrored his own uncertainty and regret, and something else she couldn’t quite believe but knew to be true. He loved her. And the fact that even though he hated heights, he’d hung upside down and had scaled several floors to be her Spider-Man was all the proof she needed.

She closed the bit of distance between them.

“Is this the part where I’m supposed to kiss you?” she whispered.

“A wise man once said, that with great power—”

“Shut up.” Her fingers tingled as she pulled down the light nylon of his mask to reveal his perfect, kissable lips. She’d let him off the hook for now, only so she could claim his mouth. Feel him.

Gawd, she’d missed him. But as soon as she could think straight, they needed to have a conversation. She may love him, he may love her, but a few things needed to be aired out.

She ran her thumb over his mouth, and he snaked out his tongue. Devi jumped and laughed before he grabbed the tip with his teeth and nipped her. That’s all it took for her body to warm and desire to fill her core.

Devi cupped each side of his face. He looked so damn adorable hanging upside down with his parted lips waiting for her to take the lead. Not to mention that awesome nylon suit that clung to him in all the right places. She took his mouth slowly, getting reacquainted with his feel, making his lips her own in a way that sent the blood pounding in her ears. Her fingers curled into the nylon of the mask and slid it off his head. It hit the floor in a whisper.

His moan slid free from between his lips and warmed her mouth.

She’d kissed him so many times, but tonight felt like the first time. New, unrushed, to be savored and enjoyed.

His tongue met hers timidly, and then they circled each other in a lazy dance. Her skin burned, knowing that all eyes were on them, but she couldn’t stop herself. She’d missed him so much, and if his response said anything, he felt the same.

Now she knew how Spider-Man’s love interest had felt in the movie. There was something sexy about a man hanging upside down with the only point of contact being his mouth against yours, and your hands splayed across his cheeks, his ears, his hair. She was on fire.

Devi groaned. This kiss set her blood boiling red hot. All consuming. Intense. Combustible.

“I bet I know what you’re thinking,” she whispered against his lips, and then rubbed her nose playfully against his chin.

“I hope not, or it’ll take all the romance away from this moment.”

“Okay, now you have to tell me.”

He chuckled and closed his eyes. “I’m thinking all the blood is rushing to my head and I’m going to pass out.”

Omar kicked himself off the wall and did some amazing twisting motion with his body until he stood upright, then grabbed her in his arms and kissed her hard.

“I’ve missed you so much, Dev. You have no idea.”

“I do.”

“Can you forgive me for being such an ass?”

“I already have.”

He kissed her again, and when they came up for air the silence deafened her. She glanced around and all the superheroes were gone.

“How’d you do all of this? I love it, but how’d you manage it?”

“A superhero can’t reveal all his secrets and powers.”

“But you’re afraid of heights.”

“A wise woman once said she’d do anything once, so I thought I’d try it, too. Especially if it could help me win the heart of the woman I love.”

“You won. But please remember, with great power comes great responsibility. Don’t hurt my heart again. I don’t think I can take it.”

“Never.” He claimed her lips in a soft, tender kiss.

She leaned her forehead against his chin. “Before you whisk me away to some island retreat to make love to me on a mattress covered with rose petals, what brought you to your senses, Super O?”

He grazed her cheek with his knuckles. “Another wise man. One who not only set me straight about a misunderstanding but shared all his regrets about his past. What he’d given up, lost, and now found.”

“My dad. Oh, Omar. I can’t believe he… When? I just left him yesterday morning.” She kissed him square on the lips.

“He was here the night before. All full of protective-dad testosterone, ready to kick my ass until I listened to him. And I can’t believe I didn’t listen to you when you asked.”

She caressed his cheek. “Doesn’t matter. You know now. I’m so happy you talked. I knew once you learned…”

Devi swallowed the tears of happiness invading her throat.

“Dev, I promise to never make you cry again. Never. I’m so sorry for the last week. I’ve gone through hell, and I know you have, too.” His voice was raw, and she touched her lips to his.

“We’re good. It’s all good. I can’t believe this is happening. I’d hoped we could eventually talk and you’d understand, and all could be forgiven on both sides, but part of me doubted it’d ever happen. After my mom and dad—”

“Devi, you really have changed my world. I do see things in a different way. I love you.”

“I love you, too. So much.”

“For a woman who said love and relationships weren’t in her future, what happened?”

“You happened.”

“Ditto.” He pulled their fake engagement ring from a little hidden pocket on his hip, knelt down on one knee, and grabbed her hand. “I want to give you all the bells and whistles, Devi.”

Her free hand splayed across her throat, and a rush of excitement danced up her spine. She refused to pass out because she didn’t want to miss this moment.

“I love you with all my heart. I want to spend the rest of my life making you smile, laugh, and seeing you happy. Will you marry me?”

“There’s nothing in the world that’d make me any happier.”

He slid the ring over her finger. “This ring is only temporary until we can talk to Roth and have him design something special. Unique. Like you.”

Her heart swelled. “You’re going to ask Roth to design our engagement ring?”

He nodded and kissed the inside of her wrist. “My unique, unfake—”

She tilted her head to the side and grinned. “Unfake isn’t a word.”

“I’m the one doing the proposing here. I can make up any word I want to make this memorable and funner.”

“Funner? Are you stealing my words?”

He stood and pressed one finger to her mouth. “My unique, unfake fiancée deserves a proposal and a ring that are truly one of a kind. Like her. Like our love.”