“What else?”
“It would mean more in-person meetings. So many more that they are offering to pay my moving expenses and to pay six months of housing costs for me to take the position.”
“And where is this account?” His hands hadn’t moved from my hips, and I didn’t know if Rylie was even breathing. I met his gaze, and I didn’t know why I held back, but maybe I was scared. What if Rylie didn’t want me here?
Wait, did he just say that I didn’t need to work? That he would provide for both of us? I shook my head and stared at him.
“What do you mean, you could provide for both of us?”
“Just what I said. If you don’t take the promotion, I’m assuming you will either be released due to job duty necessity or reassigned. I would happily take care of you. You know that.”
I blinked. “You would?”
“You are mine, Lucille Adaline Baker. Do you really think I would leave you to fend for yourself?” He sighed, “But you are avoiding a pretty important question.”
I ran my hand down his chest and let my hand rest over his heart. It was pounding, and I saw his chest shudder at the touch.
“Luci, please. Where?”
“Here.” I said, lifting my eyes to meet his.
“I’m sorry. Did you just say here?”
I nodded. “The position would be here in Chicago.”
The next thing I knew, he was lying on top of me and kissing me. He pulled back and said, “Please tell me you aren’t fucking with me right now?”
“I’m not. The job is here in Chicago.”
“That fixes so many problems.” He said, kissing me again.
“How?” I asked when he finally stopped covering my face in kisses. “If I take this job, there will be a higher media presence on you than before, because we will have to go out into public even more. We can’t just hide away forever. We both have jobs to do. Then there is the hassle of packing, finding a new place to live out here… God, I hate house and apartment hunting.”
“What is keeping you in California?” He said, sitting up on my hips and looking down at me.
I blinked as I thought through his question. Nothing, really. My parents had died years ago, leaving my brother and me on our own. Jackson was living in Europe, so it certainly wasn’t family. Sure, I had friends, but I could still visit.
“That’s right. Nothing.” Rylie said. I noticed he was careful not to touch me, other than where his hips straddled mine. “Do you want to take the position?”
I looked at him, trying to understand what he was really asking. “Taking me completely out of the equation. If we were not a thing, would you take the job?”
“Yes. It’s job advancement, and I could easily support myself and have a nice comfortable life on that kind of money.”
“Then take it and move in with me. Stay with me, Lucille Adaline.”
“What?” I whispered.
Rylie got up and went to his bag, and as I sat up on the bed, he crouched down before me. He pulled me to him, and kissed me in a soft lingering kiss that made my toes curl. His voice caught, but he said, “You handled that bombshell I threw on you with a grace that I didn’t expect. I had planned to have things happen in a completely different order this weekend. I was going to pull out all the stops. Wine and dine you all weekend. I wanted to do this the second I saw you at the airport, but…”
“Rylie…” My heart was thumping so hard I wasn’t sure he couldn’t hear it.
He opened a small box with a simple oval diamond and two smaller stones on the sides of it. “You are just Luci. I am just Rylie. Stay. Stay withme. Will you marry me?”
My eyes went wide as they filled with tears. I met his gaze and saw the longing and fear there.
“Me?” He nodded, and I asked, “You are serious? Before everything that happened last night, you had been planning to ask me to marry you?”
“I was. Like I said, I wanted this weekend to go completely different from the way it has, but in the end, I want you. So, I ask again, Lucille Adaline Baker, will you do me the honor of being my wife?”
