Triple Score (23 page)

“Yeah,” Noelle sighed into him. “You did.”

“Well, I meant it.” He drew back so he could meet her gaze. “You wanted me all in, and I’m in up to my eyeballs, baby. I took a coaching job in New York because I want to be with you. I want a life with you. Breakfast together in the mornings. Sharing a bed at night. Maybe even raising a couple of rugrats together one day.”

He paused, and the uncertainty she saw in his eyes made a host of butterflies erupt in her stomach. “What do you think of that?”

“What do I think?” She thought she’d died and gone to heaven, that’s what she thought. As miserable as she’d been not half an hour ago, now she was practically flying.

She looped her arms around his neck. “I think you should shut up and kiss me and don’t stop until tomorrow morning.”

“That soon?” he asked, laying her down and covering her body with his. “I was planning on keeping you prisoner for the rest of the weekend.”

She arched into him. “You drive a hard bargain, superstar.”

“Oh, Duchess.” He moved against her so she could feel the rigid length of his growing erection pressing into her belly. “If you think that’s hard, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”

Epilogue

I
T
TOOK
AN
act of God—or a major family milestone—to get all of the Nelsons in the same place at the same time. A bride and groom had brought them together today. The groom wore his dress blues, the bride a vintage, tea-length wedding dress with pearl-and-crystal encrusted Converse high-tops. The ceremony and the reception were both held on the grounds of the family nursery, Grower’s Paradise, the former under an arch of lush green vines, hydrangeas, peonies and other seasonal blooms in shades of white, blush and cream that was designed and built by the bride’s father and the latter under a giant, white tent.

The whole thing was picture perfect. So why was Noelle hiding behind the greenhouse?

“There you are.” Great Aunt Something-Or-Another, highball in hand, tottered around the corner of the building and accosted her. “Your sister’s about the throw the bouquet. You don’t want to miss that, do you?”

“No, I don’t,” Noelle said honestly, smoothing down the tulle skirt of her A-line princess bridesmaid dress. Whatever her issues were, she was happy for her sister. Ivy had been in love with their brother’s best friend forever. And now she and Cade were husband and wife. It was enough to make even Taylor Swift believe in happilyever-afters. “Thank you.”

“I hope you catch it, dear.” The older woman patted Noelle’s arm. “Then maybe you won’t be the only Nelson left single for long.”

That. Right there. That was why she was hiding.

If she’d heard it once, she’d heard it a thousand times that day from a slew of well-meaning relatives in one form or another.

How does it feel having all your siblings settle down?

Don’t worry, I’m sure your time will come soon.

When is that nice young man you’re dating going to pop the question?

It was enough to make her lose her catered lunch.

She and Jace were happy. With Yannick out of the company—he’d been fired when it came out that Noelle wasn’t the only chorine he’d been messing around with on the job—she was choreographing more, traveling less. Her choice. She still got to dance when she wanted to, but she was content to start passing on some of the roles to the younger ballerinas in the corps.

And Jace was thriving in his coaching job. His players idolized him, and he’d even taken the team to state for the first time in years. It was only a matter of time until the college offers started pouring in.

They’d found an apartment in Greenpoint that was a reasonable commute from both their jobs, and now they were talking about getting a pet. A cat, probably, from the shelter where Ivy and Cade had adopted Piper.

Noelle’s mouth curved into a smile. Heck, she and Jace were practically an old, married couple already. They didn’t need a piece of paper to tie them together, did they?

A gnarled hand curled around her wrist in a surprisingly strong grip, tugging her back toward the tent. “Come on, dear. We don’t want the fun to start without us.”

“No, we certainly don’t.”

She lined up with the rest of the single women, catching Jace’s eye as she found a spot at the back of the pack. Damn, he cleaned up nice. She was used to seeing him in jeans and T-shirts, or maybe workout attire. A button-down shirt was dressed up for him. But today he was decked out in a classic navy suit with a checked shirt and an eggplant tie that matched her dress, looking every bit the sophisticated man-about-town.

“Get in there, babe,” he encouraged her. “Remember what I taught you. Keep your eye on the ball and close your hand around it when you catch it so it doesn’t drop.”

“It’s not a ball, it’s a bouquet.”

“The principle’s the same.” Jace kissed her forehead and gave her behind a push. “Go out there and show those girls how it’s done.”

“Why so vested in my success? You know what it means if I catch this thing, right?”

“It means I’ll be sixty bucks richer, that’s what it means.” He glanced back at Nick, Gabe and Cade, leaning against the bar. In unison, they lifted their glasses, and Noelle could have sworn she heard a collective sigh from every female over the age of puberty in attendance.

She shook her head and made her way into the throng. “You guys are incorrigible.”

“If incorrigible is the same as irresistible, then yes, we are.”

“All right, ladies.” The disc jockey’s voice boomed over the loudspeaker. “On the count of three. One.”

Noelle braced herself for the onslaught. A woman in a pale pink sheath dress gave her a tentative smile then assumed a runner’s stance.

“Two.”

Noelle’s eyes flicked to Jace on the sidelines, and he gave her an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

“Three.”

With all the subtlety of a steamroller, Ivy looked over her shoulder directly at Noelle, took aim and fired. The crowd around Noelle parted like the Red Sea, and the bouquet floated into her instinctively outstretched hands.

“That’s my girl.” Jace picked her up, twirled her around then set her down with a short but searing kiss. “Now stand back and watch me snag the garter.”

He strode off to join the rest of the bachelors, and Holly came up beside her, a sleepy Joy in her arms. “Nice catch.”

“It wasn’t much of a challenge.” Noelle raised a skeptical brow. “Want to tell me what that was all about?”

Holly adjusted her sleeping daughter on her shoulder. “What was all about?”

“Don’t play dumb with me. That was way too easy. Those other women practically ran from this thing.” Noelle waved the bouquet in the air for emphasis.

Holly lifted her empty shoulder. “Whatever. You know what Mom says. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”

“Is it time for the garter yet?” Devin asked, appearing on Noelle’s other side. “There’s nothing I like more than watching grown men fight over a piece of lace.”

“If it’s anything like the bouquet toss, there won’t be much of a fight,” Noelle muttered.

“My money’s on Jace.” Devin moistened her lips. “After all, the guy made a living playing catch.”

“Are we betting?” asked Holly.

“Just a prediction.”

One that turned out to be true a few minutes later when a triumphant Jace held the garter high over his head. Not that he’d had much of a struggle, either.

Funny, that.

“And now if I could have the lucky lady who caught the bouquet come on up here and join the gentleman with the garter,” the DJ announced.

Jace crooked a finger, beckoning Noelle back onto the temporary dance floor, where someone had set up a chair. She sat, crossing her legs.

“None of that, sweetness.” Jace knelt at her feet, twirling the garter on one finger. “I need total access. This baby’s going where no man has gone before.”

She slowly uncrossed them. “No man?”

The DJ cranked up Justin Timberlake’s “Sexyback,” and Jace lifted Noelle’s foot and slid the garter over her ankle. “Just sit back, relax and enjoy.”

“How am I supposed to enjoy when my entire family is watching you molest my leg?” Despite her words, excited tingles crept up her calf to her thigh as he inched the garter higher.

He waggled his eyebrows. “I didn’t say it was going to be easy.”

To distract herself from the growing dampness in her panties, she focused on the audience gathered around them. Her gaze stopped at her family, suspiciously huddled together on the edge of the dance floor. Jace’s dad was with them, too, his arm around her father’s shoulders, their heads bent together in conversation. Her father nodded, and both men turned to look at her. Her father dabbed at the corner of his eye with his shirtsleeve and glanced at her mother, who handed him a tissue then pulled another from her handbag and brought it to her face.

Noelle got that weddings were emotional. Especially for the parents of the bride. But the garter toss? Really?

Jace slid the scrap of ribbon and lace over her knee, bringing her attention back to the matter at hand.

“Don’t you think that’s far enough?” Noelle hissed. “This event is supposed to be rated PG.”

He chuckled. “I’ll try not to warp any impressionable young minds.”

“Or give any of the older guests a heart attack.”

“There.” He sat back on his heels with a flourish, thankfully leaving the garter mid-thigh. “All done. And not a heart attack in sight.”

“Thank God.”

“Let’s give a big hand to our good sports,” the DJ urged.

Noelle took that as her cue to leave and started to stand as the crowd applauded.

“Not so fast.” Jace put his hands on her knees, pinning her to the chair, and turned to the DJ. “Mind if I borrow that?”

He gestured to the microphone.

The DJ handed it over. “Knock yourself out.”

“What do you think you’re doing?” Noelle whispered.

“Careful, Duchess.” He waved the mic. “This picks up everything.”

“You’re not going to sing, are you?” Her eyes ping-ponged around the room. Everyone was staring at them now, even the wait staff. “I assume you remember the karaoke debacle. People ran away screaming.”

“No singing, I promise.” With his free hand, he unbuttoned his suit jacket and reached into the inside pocket. “I just figured since I was already down here...”

He pulled out a white gold band with a stunning pink diamond that must have been at least two carats. On either side was a cluster of smaller, white stones.

Her breath hitched and her heart felt like it could beat a hole through her chest. “Oh. My. God.”

Jace cleared his throat. “Noelle Nelson, you’re everything I want but never knew I wanted until I met you. Every time I hear your name I smile, every time my phone goes off I hope it’s you, every time I see you, you make me laugh. I can’t imagine my life without you in it. Please say you’ll marry me and let me spend the rest of my life making you as happy as you’ve made me.”

She blinked away shocked tears. “I think that’s the most words I’ve ever heard you string together at one time.”

He gave her a sheepish smile. “I’ve been practicing.”

“You realize you just totally hijacked my sister’s wedding, right?”

He lowered the mic, speaking only to Noelle now. “No worries. I told her what I wanted to do weeks ago. How else could I make sure you’d catch the bouquet?”

Of course. That’s why everyone was acting so weird. Ivy couldn’t keep a secret to save her life. Noelle was surprised she hadn’t let it slip to her. She looked over at her family. Each and every one of them, even her normally stoic father, had a sorry-not-sorry expression on their faces. Ivy and Holly high-fived each other.

Traitors.

“Hello.” Jace’s voice shifted her focus back on him. He twisted the ring between his fingers. A bead of moisture trickled from his temple to his jawline, dotted with late-afternoon stubble.

Noelle’s insides dissolved into a warm, gooey mess. Mr. Never-Let-’Em-See-You-Sweat was nervous. Endearingly, adorably, nervous.

“You realize you haven’t given me an answer, right?” Jace tugged at his shirt collar. “Give a guy a break. I’m dying down here.”

“Then get up, you beautiful idiot, and kiss me.” She plucked the ring from his grasp and slipped it on.

He stood, pulling her up with him and keeping her close in the circle of his arms. “I take it that’s a yes?”

“As if there was any doubt.” She smoothed back a lock of hair from his forehead. “Foolish man.”

He kissed her then, long and hard, neither one of them caring who was watching. The crowd broke into cheers and applause again, and the DJ cranked up the music. When they finally broke free from the kiss and floated back down to reality, there wasn’t a square foot of free space on the dance floor. Someone had cleared the chair away, and her parents, her siblings and their spouses, even Jace’s father and Mrs. Thorpe, the stately widow who Ivy and Cade credited with getting them together, were all shaking their groove things to K.C. and the Sunshine Band.

Noelle dropped her hand from Jace’s shoulder and tried to twist out of his embrace.

“Not yet.” His arms tightened around her.

“This isn’t exactly a slow song.”

“I know you’re the dance expert, but trust me. We can make it work.” He kissed her hair. “I want to hold you a little longer before our families figure out they haven’t congratulated us yet.”

Who could resist sweet talk like that? Not her. She wound her arms around his neck, threading her fingers through the slightly too long hair that curled over his collar. “In that case, you can hold me as long as you like.”

“How does forever sound?” His warm breath tickled her ear.

Noelle closed her eyes and rested her cheek on his chest. The familiar scent of him—soap and sandalwood and spearmint—enveloped her. This was where she belonged. In this place, with her family close by, with this man, who didn’t do anything in half measures. Including love.

“Like heaven.” She opened her eyes, drew in a deep breath and smiled at him. “It sounds like heaven.”