The Academic Bride: Billionaire Marriage Brokers Book One (14 page)

Chapter 27

Nick wiped his palms on his pant legs. Any minute now his mother would join them at the table—and then, who knew what was going to happen? She’d been less than complimentary when discussing Janel. Nick had managed to keep their conversations short, but he was nervous about exposing Janel to his mother’s frosty side.

For her part, Janel looked as calm and collected as ever. She’d worn her hair down with large waves. It brushed against her shoulders, and Nick was reminded of the way it tickled his arm when she leaned in for a kiss last night. As if her hair wasn’t driving him crazy, she tipped up her water glass to take a sip and winked. He checked his phone for the time. He hoped to get dinner over with and invite Janel back to the theater room.

He touched Janel’s knee under the table and gave her a look full of every kiss he intended on sharing. Janel blushed and leaned closer, ready to whisper something in his ear.

“Well!” declared his mother. “Here we are.”

Janel turned to face Rebecca and Nick slowly got to his feet to welcome his mother to the table. He pulled out her chair. “Evening, Mother.”

Janel smiled. “We’re so happy you could join us.”

There were those words again: “we” and “us.” Nick thrilled to hear them from Janel.

“I wouldn’t say no to my Nicky.” Mother placed her clutch on the table.

Nick didn’t miss the way she called him by his childhood nickname. Once again, his business sense kicked in, and he ignored Mother’s establishing her authority at the table.

The server arrived with three menus and took a moment to explain the specials. Everyone ordered, and he was off again.

Nick leaned back and rested his arm on Janel’s chair. She scooted closer to him, creating the vision of a happy couple. He realized with a start that they weren’t just portraying the image; they
were
a happy couple.

Before an awkward silence could take root, Mother smacked her fingers on the table, causing her flatware to jump. “This is ridiculous. Look at the two of you, carrying on as if this were a real marriage. It’s shameful.” She stood up and gathered her purse.

“Mother?” Nick stood as well, ready to grab her arm to keep her from running out. “What is the matter?”

Mother looked around to see who was watching. She lowered her chin. “I raised you better than this, Nick. Your father and I both did. What would he think of the man you’ve become, mocking the very thing that brought him the most joy in this life?”

“Wait a minute.” Janel stood. She was calm but determined. “Nick
is
a wonderful man.”

Nick half-smiled.

Janel took his hand. “He’s kind, and generous. He cares about people.”

Mother harrumphed. “As far as I’m concerned, you don’t’ have a leg to stand on or a say in this conversation.”

“I believe I’m as much of this marriage as Nick is.” Janel squeezed Nick’s hand, hard. She may have kept her voice steady, but her grip betrayed her anger.

“You are nothing more than a hired gun.”

Nick lifted his hand. “That’s enough, Mother. Janel has done nothing to earn your scorn.”

“She’s a gold-digger.”

Janel sank into Nick’s seat as if his mother’s words had pushed her down.

“Mother!” he said, exasperated and angry beyond belief. Dropping to one knee next to Janel, he pressed her hand to his heart. Turning to Mother, he said, “Janel is nothing like any woman I’ve ever dated before.” He turned back to Janel, though he continued to speak to his mother. “It doesn’t matter how we met or how quickly we married. What matters is that Janel is amazing. She’s thoughtful and kind, beautiful, and down-to-earth all at the same time. What really matters is that I love her.”

Janel placed her hand against his cheek, unable to grasp the words. If he meant them, if he really meant them, then it changed
everything
.  “Really?”

“Yes, really.” He kissed her softly.

“I love you, too,” she whispered against his lips.

Mother sniffed, and Nick turned to see her wiping her eyes.

“Mother, when you stormed in the other morning, I realized that what I’d been looking for my whole life was what you and Dad had.”

Digging in her purse, Rebecca pulled out a tissue. “I’ve never forgotten the way he looked at me.” She dabbed at the corner of her eyes. “You have that same look when you look at her. I … I have to go.”

Mother rushed out, and Nick let her leave.

Janel frowned. “Should we go after her?”

Nick shook his head. “She needs some time. I think she’s softening.”

Janel looked around at the couples occupying the nearby tables. They had to have heard everything. “Maybe we should just go home.”

Home
.

“Good idea.”

Nick flagged down a waiter and cancelled their order. He left a good tip and offered his arm to escort Janel through the dining area.

They didn’t say much on the way home.

As soon as the door clicked behind them, Nick backed Janel up against the wall, where he took her face in his hands and did his best to undo her efforts to look composed.

“Say it again,” she breathed the words between kisses.

Nick pulled back and touched his forehead to hers. “I love you.” His voice was husky with emotion, and she dipped against the wall as if her legs couldn’t hold her any longer. “Janel, will you be my wife?”

She gave him a questioning look.

“Not just in name, but in every way. I want to sleep with you every night and wake up with you in the morning. You are my perfect partner and I want a family, not right now, but eventually. I built this house hoping to grow into it and I’d like to do that with you. Please say yes.”

Janel slid her hands down to rest on his chest. She glanced at the ring on her finger, and Nick’s heart nearly stopped as he wondered if she would turn him down. Had he been too bold? Moved too fast? “If you need time—”

Janel placed a finger over his lips. “Yes.”

Nick’s heart kick-started like a supercomputer. He kissed her once and felt her grin against his lips.

“Let’s go watch a movie,” she whispered.

Later that night, as they lay snuggled together and contentedly dozing, Nick was amazed that he could build a house, but it took Janel to make it a home.

Epilogue

10 months later

Nick carried two bottles of water inside the Mayan temple, where Janel and a team of grad students worked to decipher the drawings on the wall.

It was a big effort to get the permits for this dig, but Janel was determined to see her theory either proved or disproved, and so she’d met with all the right people to make it happen.

Nick chuckled as he realized she’d had an easier time of winning over the Guatemalan officials than he did of winning over her parents. They were still miffed that he’d stolen their daughter, but they’d softened a bit when he promised to go with her to Guatemala to ensure her safety. The extra guards and their guns were worth the small fortune he’d spent once he got here and realized how remote and vulnerable they were.

Stepping over the electrical cords along the floor that connected to flood lights here and there, Nick ran his hand along the cool wall. Without the power, they’d be in complete darkness even in the middle of the day.

When he reached the end of the tunnel, he found Janel squatting in front of a plaque to the right of a sealed-off doorway. She drew a copy of the picture in a sketch book. He touched the bottle to her shoulder, and she looked up and smiled.

“Thanks.”

“Any progress?”

She stood up and took a drink from the bottle before answering. “It’s slow going, but we’re discovering new things every day.” Her eyes sparkled. “We should be able to open this door tomorrow.” She was in her element, making sure proper techniques were followed and that everything was categorized precisely.

“What can I do?”

“Will you draw these characters on this side while I finish up over here?”

“Sure.” He took the extra sketch pad, sat cross-legged in the dirt, and got started. Time passed quickly as he listened to the students express their different opinions on what they’d found. His drawings weren’t perfect, but they were a good enough representation that they’d be able to match them up with the photos. As the day wore on, the people thinned out until it was just him and Janel left.

Nick arched his back to work out the kinks, and Janel sat next to him leaning her head on his shoulder. “This has been quite an adventure,” she said.

“Are you happy?”

Janel nodded. “Quite.”

“Good.” Nick pressed a kiss into her hair.

Janel laced her fingers through Nick's. “You know, we don’t have to wait till we get home to start our next adventure.”

Nick raised an eyebrow. They’d spent many nights talking about starting a family, but had agreed that Janel should finish her PhD first.

Janel ran her fingers through his week-old beard. “Being here has been a dream come true. I’m so grateful you supported me in this. But I’m ready to move on and work on
our
dreams.”

The sketchpad fell to the dirt as Nick pulled Janel into his lap.

She let out a squeak. “I didn’t mean right here.”

Nick pressed his lips to her neck. “Hmm, I can’t think of any place I’d rather be right now.” It was true. There were a dozen grad students back at camp and at least that many guards roaming the grounds.

As if reading his mind, Janel said, “Just a second.” She leaned over and grabbed the power cord that connected the nearest flood light to the generator and unhooked it.

As the light went out, Nick could still see a soft glow around the bend where the other lights burned brightly, but they were now enveloped in a cocoon of darkness should anyone happen to enter the temple where they were creating their dreams.

Thank You

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Billionaire Marriage Brokers Book 2:
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