“Which part? How I’m gonna kill Drew? Don’t worry, you can plead ignorance. Will’ll watch the girls for me, and Mac’ll help me bury the body.”
He breathed out a laugh and shook his head, tightening his fingers on her shoulders, fighting the overwhelming urge he had to pull her into his chest and just…hold her. Remind himself what all her curves felt like against every inch of him. Reacquaint his senses with the feel of her…the scent of her…the warmth of her. “I was thinkin’ more about when you said you love me.”
“When I—” Her eyes went wide before she dropped her forehead to his chest and groaned, her hands fisted in his shirt. “Nooo! Can’t even do that right. I just drop it in the middle of threatenin’ to kill one of your friends. What iswrongwith me?”
Unable to keep himself from holding her for another second, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her close, finally inhaling his first full breath in what seemed like forever. Tucking his head until his nose was in the crook of her neck, he asked, “Was this party really just an elaborate event for you to tell me you love me?”
“Not just you,” she said into his chest. “My parents, too. Your dad. Everyone I work with at town hall. All our clients. Edna, of course. I figured she’d spread it the quickest. And if it happened to make it back to that bitch Carol Ann before tomorrow morning, all the better.”
He exhaled a laugh into her neck. “Seems like a whole lot of work for something you could’ve told me yesterday at the Taylors’ house and put me out of my misery sooner. I wouldn’t have minded something simple like, ‘Hey, Nash, we’ve decided to go with four-inch baseboards, and oh, by the way, I love you.’”
Rory pulled back enough to look up at him, her eyes serious as she rested her hand over his pounding heart. “But then only you know, and I didn’t want it to be a secret anymore. I just…I was tired of hidin’, and I wanted everyone to know.” She shrugged. “This seemed like the perfect way.”
“What’ve I told you about that? I don’t want perfect. Never have.”
She raised her eyebrows. “But perfect would’ve gotten you here at the correct time with everyone around to bear witness to my declaration.”
“Butrealgot me you cussin’ and plottin’ homicide while tellin’ me you love me all alone.”
The corner of her mouth lifted. “Technically, I haven’t told you yet.”
He tipped his head down in acknowledgment and tugged her against him until their noses were nearly touching. “I stand corrected. You gonna change that?”
She studied him, a tiny bit of apprehension shining in her eyes. Her fingers danced along the collar of his shirt, and her gaze followed the movement. “If I were to say that—hypothetically speakin’, of course—what would your response be?”
He lifted his eyebrows. “Hypothetically?”
She nodded and glanced up at him. “Yeah.”
“Well, hypothetically, I’d probably tell you something along the lines of me wantin’ you my entire adult life and how I don’t see that changin’ anytime soon, so you’re stuck with me. Or I might play it cool and just reciprocate.”
A slow smile swept across her lips, and happiness danced in her eyes. “Either one works, I guess.”
He finally did what he’d been aching to for so long. He cupped her face and brought his lips to hers, inhaling her moan when he swept his tongue into her mouth. She tasted like coffee and chocolate and…home.
Pulling back, he pressed kisses to her cheeks, her eyelids, her forehead—everywhere he could reach. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too. I’m sorry it took me so long to get here.”
“Don’t care how long it took, just that you made it.” He tipped her head up until she met his eyes. “We’re gonna make a whole lot of mistakes, princess. We butt heads and we argue—there’s no denyin’ we crackle, for better or worse, when we’re together. But I’m tellin’ you now, I’m not goin’ anywhere. We can be pissed at each other all damn day, but I won’t end a single one without tellin’ you I love you.”
She sighed and melted into him, her eyes broadcasting her feelings without her saying a word, before she suddenly jerked back. “Hey!You stole my thunder. I went to all this effort—” she gestured toward the backyard “—just to tell you, and you said it first.”
He shrugged. “You snooze, you lose. Next time, don’t take so damn long.”
She pinched him, laughing, and he captured the sound between his lips.
Nash had daydreamed what it’d be like after he finally told Rory he loved her. They wouldn’t be able to get their clothes off fast enough, and he’d fuck her wherever they stood because he’d need to be inside her as soon as possible. To hear her utter those three little words while he was buried deep.
In reality, they’d been surrounded by dozens of people for hours, everyone congratulating the two of them—first on their business success, and then, upon closer inspection of their clasped hands or their near proximity to each other, on their relationship. They’d gotten some raised eyebrows, and he had no doubt the gossip mill would be cranking like crazy, but Rory didn’t seem to be bothered by that, so he couldn’t find a flying fuck to give. She was his, and everyone in Havenbrook knew it.
Nash’s dad had made an appearance at the party—this time, thankfully not offering to sleep with Rory. Things were strained between them, and no doubt would be for a while, but they were talking. That was something.
Even Rory’s father had ambled over to offer his praise. Something that’d been a shock to her, if the look on her face was anything to go by. Caroline had stood next to Richard, her arm locked through his as she beamed at Rory…while simultaneously giving Richard talking cues through not so subtle pinches. Nash didn’t care if Richard delivered the message at gunpoint so long as he did so because Nash just wanted Rory to be happy.
And…she was. It radiated from her.
Whether he was chatting with a prospective client or being glared at by Drew—no doubt in thanks to Rory’s threats to castrate him for letting Nash show up unannounced—he’d kept his eyes locked on her the entire time. The difference in her demeanor between this party and Gran’s—or hell, every other party she’d ever thrown or even been at—was remarkable. Gone was the pretending. Gone were the smiles that didn’t quite reach her eyes. Gone was the buttoned-up girl he’d lusted after from afar, and in her place was the real girl he’d fallen in love with.
