Hands Off (9 page)

“An heirloom. Do you remember your grandparents?”

He shook his head. “They died when I was an infant. But apparently, they were deeply in love. Soul mates, my mother said. And they’d been good parents to my mom... which is why, I guess, she took it so hard when they died. She couldn’t handle it.” He paused, looking down.

Naomi had to wonder how he’d felt when his only parent had passed. Did he miss her, even though she wasn’t the mother he’d deserved?

“My mom told me she’d always tried to find a love like her parents shared, but that didn’t happen. She said she’d never been lucky in love or life.”

“Jude, she was blessed. She had you.”

He gave her a half grin that seemed more happy than sad.

Naomi sighed with relief. “What did she give you?”

“My grandmother’s wedding ring. She said if I ever find my soul mate, I should give her this.”

“Oh.” Warm light settled over Naomi’s body—a strange, soothing warmth that took her by surprise.

“Marry me, Naomi.” He opened the box and a beautiful, antique diamond and blue sapphire ring rested in the silk crevice.

“Wow.” Naomi sat up and ran her fingertips over the edges of the gems. “I don’t know—”

“If this is too soon, say so.”

Too soon? If anything, this love was meant to be. But...

“Jude, aren’t you forgetting something?”

His brows bunched as he glanced around. “I’ve never done this before. Give me a clue. Oh, shit. Wait.” In an instant, he stood and swooped her up in his arms. He set her on the couch and kneeled on one knee before her. “Naomi, will you be my wife?”

She swallowed hard, trying not to be upset. “Do you love me, Jude? That’s all I need to know.”

His face stiffened and paled. “I haven’t told you that yet, have I?”

“Not yet.”

“Hell.” He rubbed his hand over his jaw. “I need to begin again. I’ve gone over this scenario in my head so many times. You’d think I’d get it right.”

“What scenario?”

“Asking you to marry me. I need to start over. Give me another chance.”

Naomi laughed, happy and relieved he’d thought of proposing to her before this day. He wasn’t simply caught up in the moment. This wasn’t just lust.

“No way are we starting over,” she said. “We’ve waited too long already. But I’m not agreeing to marry you until you say you love me.” She leaned in for a kiss. “And I want you to say it again and again,” she whispered sensually, mimicking his earlier request.

“Well, then.” He grinned and picked up the ring from the box. “I love you, Naomi Hill.” He slid the ring on her finger and kissed it. “I love you. I love you. I love you. Will you marry me? Please.”

Tears stung her eyes. Her throat clogged with overwhelming emotion. Could she do this again? Get married and give a man all her heart?

“God, yes.” As long as it was the man before her.

He laughed and sat beside her, drawing her onto his lap. “You make me so happy, Naomi. You know that, right?”

“I know more about you than you realize.” She tapped his nose with her finger. “You may be the genius, but I’m pretty observant. Especially when it comes to you.”
Mr. Hot Ass and Swagger.

“You think so, huh?”

“Try me. Tell me something about you I don’t know.”

His grin faded into something much more serious. “Did you know I used to come home from having dinner with you and Davis and all I could think about was what my life would be like if I had a woman like you? Did you know I used to invite myself over so I could see you? A glimpse and I was happy.”

“Jude, this isn’t funny.”

“I’m not joking. Baby, I’ve been in love with you since high school. No woman has ever compared to you. And all along, I thought you’d never love me back. I’d give anything to have Davis back alive and healthy, but damn it if I wouldn’t fight for you.”

Air crowded her lungs as she listened. Tears blurred her eyes.

He brushed his fingers along her cheek. “Will you stay the night?”

“Tonight, yes. I warn you now—you won’t ever get rid of me.”

He cocked a half smile. “Threaten me some more.”

A giddy giggle bubbled out. “Jude, I’m going to be your wife… within months, not years. And I’m going to get pregnant, huge probably, with your baby. Our baby. Then you’re going to have to trade in this bachelor pad and you’ll be forced to move to suburbia. Maybe even have a white picket fence. How’s that? Am I scaring you yet?”

“Not even close. What about marrying me next weekend? How’s that for scary?” He lifted a brow, daring her.

“Next weekend?” She hadn’t expected that.
 

“I think I’ve waited long enough to be with the love of my life. I promise I won’t let you down.”

“I know you won’t. Never.” She quickly processed the amount of work it would take to prepare for a wedding in a week. Wedding dress. Cake. Invitations. All the details she’d anguished about before her first wedding. No way she’d accomplish it all in a week.

Jude’s hand drifted down her arm and curved over her breast. His thumb brushed her nipple, once and again. “We could elope. Have you ever been to Fiji?”

“Nuh-uh.” Her mind was dizzy again from his touch.

“Beautiful.” He leaned in and licked her nipple, then drew her into his mouth, sucking hard enough for her to squirm but not quite painful enough to pull away.

“Jude, you’re distracting me.” She shifted on his lap, giving him better positioning. With his mouth on her flesh, heat flashed down her nerves, straight to her center. She wanted him again. So soon.

He released her and breezed his lips over her collarbone, along her neckline. “Barcelona? Paris? Thailand?” He lightly bit her earlobe. “Just tell me where you’d like to go and I’ll take you. We’ll find someone to marry us. Doesn’t matter where or who.”

A moan purred up her throat. “I didn’t know you were so adventurous.”

“Do you like it?”

“
Love
it. Love everything about you.” And it was a given her second wedding would be the complete opposite of her first.

“Enough to marry me next weekend?” He pulled back to look at her, a hesitant grin on his lips. “Hawaii. Greece. New Zealand. Tell me, Naomi. I’ll make plans. You don’t have to worry about anything unless you want to.”

“Barcelona,” she said, before he could doubt how much she loved him. And, well, a honeymoon in Barcelona would be a dream. “But I want to say our vows here with our close friends and family there. Just a small ceremony before the adventure. What do you think?”

She expected him to object. He didn’t have family and she suspected he would feel uncomfortable with so many eyes staring on. An introvert to the core.

“Anything you want.” His smile broadened and a rare dimple indented his cheek. “Damn, do you know how happy you make me? How happy you’ve always made me?”

She laughed, her heart full. Who knew Millie’s spontaneous, made-up game would end this way? Naomi would have to thank her… tomorrow.

“Now I know,” she said, kissing his cheek and lifting her engagement ring for them both to see. “Soul mates?”

“Soul mates.”

~ * ~

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lia Slater thinks
 
the world would be a better place if everyone read romance novels. There’s so much to learn from the storylines. Love. Loyalty. Confidence. Passion. Desire. Conflicts would be resolved with happy endings. And, of course, the sex would be mind-boggling.

Lia is well on her way to helping the world become a better place by writing steamy romance with heart-throbbing emotion.
 

In the mood for another “second chance at love” story? Try “Off Limits” by Lia Slater.

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