Best of Three (Counting on Love) (37 page)

And then there was the box.

An engagement ring. If she opened that box and put that ring on her finger, it would be a sign to the world that she belonged to Nate. Most of all, it would be a sign to him that she was his. As her brother had pointed out, being the center of Nate’s attention would be an intense place to be.

A place she wanted to be.

She picked up the box with a trembling hand, pulled the bow free, and opened it.

That was when it registered that the box was too big to be a ring box.

Inside was a set of nipple suckers.

She looked up at him, unable to keep from grinning. “You got me.”

The look in his eyes was instantly hot and possessive and her mirth died.

He stepped forward. “I hope so. That’s exactly what I want—to have you. All of you.” Instead of reaching for her, he grabbed the blender and handed it to her. “This stuff represents our story. Crazy and unconventional and fun and nothing that I would have ever expected.”

She took the blender and hugged it. “Unexpected. Good word.”

“Falling in love with you wasn’t unexpected, though,” he said.

Her heart tripped. He’d fallen in love. He’d said it with witnesses. “Oh?”

“It took about ten minutes here in Carl-Mart to realize that I wanted to be with you every day for the rest of my life.”

She felt her eyes sting. “Ten minutes? Have you been talking to my brother?”

Nate shook his head. “I’m staunchly avoiding your brother.”

“Oh.” She motioned for him to go on. “You were saying something about not being able to live without me.” She especially liked that part. She wouldn’t mind hearing it again and again. For fifty or sixty years.

He gave her a half grin. “Exactly. And most importantly, that happened here, in Carl-Mart in the midst of blenders and Play-Doh, instead of in the hotel room or the park or your kitchen.”

That was nice. He hadn’t fallen for her in the sexy times. It had been the silly, fun trip to Carl-Mart, of all places. That was very nice. Romantic even.

He turned and picked something else up from the table. He handed her the baby blanket.

Tears threatened and her throat felt tight. “This is beautiful.”

“
This
is the most unexpected thing of all, obviously,” Nate said. “But the blender came first. I don’t want you to forget that.”

She swallowed hard. “I know you said you were falling, but…you didn’t finish.”

Except that this seemed complete. It had been fast and a huge surprise, but
she’d
fallen totally in love in that amount of time. Maybe he could have fallen all the way too.

He stepped close, the blender the only thing separating their bodies, and took hold of her upper arms. “The way I see it,” he said, low and husky. “I have the next eighteen years—give or take a few months—to prove to you that I was done falling long before that pregnancy test came back.”

Looking into his eyes at that moment, she felt it—the satisfaction of her heart accepting that this was real.

She smiled. “Eighteen years? And then what?”

“If by the time our child graduates from high school, you don’t believe that I’m head over heels, do-anything-to-have-you in love, then we’ll get a divorce.”

Her smile grew. Eighteen years of Nate proving how he felt? Laughing, fighting and playing?

That was a good start.

“I’ll give you twenty years,” she said, her voice thick. “You know, by the time our second graduates.”

She couldn’t have named the exact emotion in his eyes at that, but it was a combination of happiness, and heat, and love. Definitely love.

So that’s what that looked like. She could get used to that.

And then there was the kissing.

He pushed the blender and blanket out of the way and pulled her up against him, kissing her long and hot and sweet. Until they heard two teenagers clearing their throats behind them. Emma pulled back and she had to ask, “Michael helped you come up with this whole Carl-Mart proposal thing?”

He nodded. “He’s an expert on how to make a headstrong, mouthy girl fall in love with him.”

“Hmm, good point.” She stepped back slightly. “I hate to mention it, but…”

He gave her a grin. “Yes?”

“This is all very sweet and romantic.”

“Yes it is.”

“But…”

“Emma,” he said in that delicious low voice.

“You haven’t actually proposed.”

His grin grew. “You sure about that?”

“What do you mean?”

He took her by the shoulders and turned her, then pointed up.

From the ceiling at Carl-Mart hung a huge, bright blue sign with yellow letters that said, “Emma Dixon, will you marry me?”

She laughed even as the tears started. Damned hormones. “There really was a big sign you wanted the management to put up?”

He wrapped his arms around her from behind, his hands resting on her belly.

“I love you, Em, and I promise you I can and will give you all the attention, all the spotlight, all the public spectacles you need.”

Yes, he could. She laughed again. “It’s been like one big spectacle since I got into your truck that night.”

And then, before either of them could say anything, or do anything else, they were surrounded by people.

There were some random shoppers who had been drawn by the sign, but most importantly, her sisters were all there as were Dena and all the guys, Ryan, Shane, Cody and even Conner. Everyone was carrying drinks or snacks and they quickly pulled up additional patio and lawn furniture for the make-shift engagement party. They’d all been hanging out in other parts of the store, waiting for Shannon and Michael’s signal that they could move in. Now everyone was hugging and laughing, asking questions, talking about wedding plans and what was coming up with the baby.

Emma felt more tears slip free. Nate Sullivan had proposed to her in public. He’d proclaimed his feelings and claimed her in front of an audience. She loved it. It was big and crazy and unconventional and she absolutely, freaking loved it.

Nate and Emma let everyone separate them for the moment. Emma found herself pushed into one of the patio chairs, Nate was a few feet away talking with Michael and Ryan.

But Isabelle and Olivia had barely started planning the baby shower and Amanda was in the midst of explaining why it was more appropriate to have a
bridal
shower first, when Emma felt her phone vibrate.

Everyone she knew was here with her. Confused, she pulled her phone out.

It was a text from Nate.

I’m in the mood to buy a sleeping bag.

She laughed and typed in,
I’ll meet you in aisle sixteen. Bring the nipple suckers.

In less than a minute, Nate was by her chair, pulling her to her feet. “See, how could I not be totally in love?”

She wrapped her arms around him and stepped into a hug. “Then you’re going to be falling at my feet in another twenty-two years.”

“Twenty-two?”

“Yeah, you know, after our third goes to college.”

Heat flared between them and Nate said, low enough for only her to hear, “I’m thinking I’m gonna need more than a sleeping bag tonight.”

“Oh, an air mattress at least.”

He turned to the crowd of family and friends. “We’re leaving now. And Michael and Shannon?”

The teens looked over from where they were talking with Cody and Shane.

“You need to go out tonight,” he told them. “And stay out late.” He looked down at Emma. “Really late.”

Emma laughed as he swept her up into his arms and started for the front of the store. Over his shoulder, Emma gave Shannon a wink. “And don’t call us for bail this time.”

About the Author

Erin Nicholas is the author of sexy contemporary romances. Her stories have been described as toe-curling, enchanting, steamy and fun. She loves to write about reluctant heroes, imperfect heroines and happily ever afters. She lives in the Midwest with her husband, who only wants to read the sex scenes in her books; her kids, who will never read the sex scenes in her books; and family and friends who say they’re shocked by the sex scenes in her books (yeah, right!).

You can find Erin on the web at
www.ErinNicholas.com
,
ninenaughtynovelists.blogspot.com
, on Twitter (
www.twitter.com/ErinNicholas
) and even on Facebook (
www.facebook.com/ErinNicholasAuthor
).

Look for these titles by Erin Nicholas

Now Available:

The Bradfords

Just Right

Just Like That

Just My Type

Just the Way I Like It

Just for Fun

Just a Kiss

Just What I Need: The Epilogue

Anything & Everything

Anything You Want

Everything You’ve Got

Counting On Love

She’s the One

It Takes Two

No Matter What

Hotblooded

Coming Soon:

Counting on Love

Going for Four

Up by Five

How do you fall out of love with a man who’s all in?

It Takes Two

© 2013 Erin Nicholas

Counting on Love, Book 2

Isabelle Dixon never should have said yes to that first date, but she couldn’t resist Shane Kelley’s larger-than-life personality. Except now Shane seems determined to make their no-strings fling into something more.

If she thought dating Shane was hard work, breaking up is proving to be much harder. Especially since she’s planning on making some major life changes that don’t include staying out all night, Jell-O shots, and a sex toy shop punch card. She needs a restful cabin getaway—alone—to gather her thoughts. And the strength to finally end things for good.

Shane has always prided himself on being the good-time guy. Exactly Isabelle’s type…or so he thought. Yet ever since he suggested her moving in, she’s been pulling back. Thing is, Shane does everything with gusto—including falling in love.

He’s not about to let her get away that easily. Even if it means chasing her heart down a crazy road to prove that no matter what life throws at them, they make a damned good team.

Warning: Contains a strange road trip with several weird tourist stops, some hot sex in a car wash, and two people who are just crazy enough to be perfect for one another.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
It Takes Two:

“You know…” Her gaze went to his lips and she felt the very familiar hot flush of desire. The things he could do with those lips should come with a warning label. “I had specifically planned on
not
kissing you in here tonight.”

“Is that right?” His hands curled into her hips and his attention focused on her mouth as well. “Why is that?”

“Because it never ends with kissing.”

Even the kissing was enough to make her willing and able to keep the part of her life away from him that she was afraid would turn him off. And the other stuff that the kissing led to… Well, she had no problem understanding why she’d kept up the act.

And if the sex was enough to inspire her façade, then everything else he was and did was enough to convince her she could keep it up long term.

Until she was away from him again.

He was like a drug. When they were together it all felt good and right and doable. When they were apart, she’d remember that this was never going to work long term.

“Do you want it to?”

Her gaze flickered back to his. What were they talking about? Oh, yeah, the kissing thing. “We never just kiss,” she said. “The first night we went out we had sex.”

His voice was a little gruff when he said, “I remember.” He pulled her even closer. “I also remember that
you
initiated the entire thing.”

She couldn’t deny it. The entire night had felt like foreplay. Which was a little crazy and a lot dangerous. They’d been at Trudy’s. Like they had been dozens of times before. They hadn’t even been there together. He’d asked her, for the third time, if she’d go out with him. She’d said no. Then he’d gotten up on the karaoke stage with Ryan and Cody and sung “Just a Gigolo” by David Lee Roth. There was something about him—the confidence, the big grin, the way he not only had a great time wherever he was but made sure everyone around him had a great time, something—that drew her in. She’d fought it to that point but after he left the stage, she’d asked him to dance. From there she was a goner.

“I remember too,” she admitted.