Clayton nodded, and drank more of his wine.
Fallon touched Justice's hand, then said, "I've been trying to look at apartments."
Rebecca's head snapped up.
Clayton froze. "Trying?"
"It seems every time we made plans, something came up."
Rebecca shared a knowing look with Justice, then smiled.
Justice kept silent.
"Apartments where?" Clayton asked.
"It doesn't matter now." Justice laced his fingers with hers. "She's going to move in with me."
Expression neutral, Clayton repeated, "Move in with..."
"Me." Justice held his gaze. Damn, this was awkward. It'd be a whole lot easier to say she'd be his wife. Her parents were old-fashioned, protective beyond belief, and Fallon was their only child. But what Fallon wanted mattered most to him. "I love her. I'll take good care of her."
Rebecca tipped her head to one side. "You're going to live together?"
"A first step, ma'am." Hopefully with a second step to follow, but Justice wanted to give Fallon the time she needed just to be, as she often put it, free. "You know Fallon has lived a reserved life."
"But no more," Fallon said.
"She deserves a long courtship." Justice grinned, knowing he'd marry her tomorrow, but... "She deserves romance. She deserves to be chased for a while."
Fallon fought a smile. "I do." Then she flushed. "I mean-"
Rebecca laughed.
Clayton shot his wife a quelling frown before turning his serious gaze on Justice. "Rebecca is correct. You have a very nice home. You may not know this, but Rebecca grew up in a house this size." His voice lowered, going thoughtful, then he covered his wife's hand with his own. "Her father was a welder and her mother a bus driver. My parents, second-generation hoteliers, were resistant to our marriage. None of it mattered to me, though, and none of it mattered to Rebecca."
With clear exasperation, Fallon said, "None of what, Dad? Those are both good jobs. Besides, it's not like Justice is a slug who refuses to hold a job. He's not into hotels, but he is a well-known, accomplished sports figure, and now he's a highly valued bodyguard at one of the most reputable, prestigious agencies. He's the most dedicated, motivated, sweet-"
With a one-arm hug and a quick laugh, Justice kept her from extolling him straight into sainthood. "I think your dad was giving his approval, honey."
"I was," Clayton assured him, "and I hope I didn't insult you."
"I'm not blind, sir. There's a huge difference in what I can offer her and what she has in store from you."
"Financially," Clayton said. "But then, Fallon has never been all that concerned with luxury."
"And there are other things," Rebecca added, "that are far more important."
Fallon beamed at them.
Giving them their due, Justice said, "You raised a wonderful daughter. She's beautiful inside and out."
Rebecca sighed. "He's also very romantic, Fallon. I like him a lot."
The next part, Justice knew, would be tricky. He hoped he didn't trip himself up. "Speaking of finances, I want you to know that I'm not a gold digger. If you and Rebecca were..." He used the same example Clayton had. "Well, a welder and a bus driver, it'd be all the same to me."
"Still," Clayton said, "you stand to inherit-"
"No, sir." Justice needed them to know that money didn't influence him. "I make my own way."
Clayton studied him. "Well, we can certainly discuss this further in the future."
Once we marry. That's what her dad was thinking, no doubt expecting. Justice said only, "The future is up to Fallon. But I'm here for the long haul."
Justice didn't mean to pressure her, but her parents' gazes shifted to pin her with their undivided attention.
She flushed before giving in to a laugh. "I'm here for the long haul, too, but I'm having so much fun right now, I don't want to spend time planning the future. I'd rather just enjoy the present for a while."
He could work with that, Justice decided. "Whatever you want, honey."
She fiddled with her napkin, glanced at him then lifted her chin. "Justice will no longer be my bodyguard. It's not necessary and of course he'll be taking other assignments. I was thinking of getting more involved in my own work."
"Travel?" Clayton asked.
"Yes, eventually. If that's okay?"
While her parents assured her they'd love it, Justice grinned, so damned proud of her.
"I think Justice and I need to have a normal life for a while. Without any threats, with him doing his own work and me doing mine."
Rebecca said, "I see. Yes."
Clayton slowly nodded. "You want some normalcy. A regular routine."
"I do." She rolled her eyes and laughed. "I'm forever saying that."
"Like you're answering a proposal." Justice gave her a crooked grin. "I like hearing it."
Fallon drew a deep breath, then twisted to face him. "What would you think about planning a wedding, oh, a year or so from now?"
A rush of emotion filled his chest until Justice could barely catch his breath. Fallon glowed with confidence, rightfully so, and he loved it. He loved her. Now and forever.
She'll marry me in a year.
He accepted that she didn't put it off out of indecision, but because they were already so content.
Together.
He ignored her parents and, smiling, leaned forward to brush his mouth over hers. "I think I have a year to show you that it's only going to get better."
Her palm settled against his jaw and she said sweetly, "With you, Justice, I never had a doubt."
To the sounds of her mother's happy excitement and her father's chuckles of amusement, Justice stood. "Guess it's time for dessert."
His life had taken a one-eighty from that of a bachelor fighter. And as he'd said, with Fallon, it was only going to get better.
* *
Keep reading for an excerpt from DON'T TEMPT ME by Lori Foster.
If you can't get enough of New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster's explosive Body Armor series featuring sexy bodyguards who will do anything to protect the ones they love, then be sure to catch the third book in the series:
Close Contact
Order your copy now!
Get to know all the bodyguards in the Body Armor series!
Hard Justice
Under Pressure
Available now!
New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster proves that the best kind of love is worth waiting for in her sizzling and emotional new novel:
Worth the Wait
Sometimes happiness is just a heartbeat away...
Order your copy today!
Full of witty banter, hot neighbors and everlasting love...you won't be able to put this one down! Get ready to be swept away with twice the heat, twice the conflict and twice the romance in
Don't Tempt Me
Available now!
Can't get enough of irresistible MMA fighters? Your bookshelf won't be complete without all of the stories in the stunning Ultimate series! These MMA fighters may be hot in the ring, but wait till they meet the women who are ready to show them some steamy moves of their own!
Hard Knocks (e-novella)
No Limits
Holding Strong
Tough Love
Fighting Dirty
Complete your collection!
Did you know that Harlequin My Rewards members earn FREE books and more?
Join
www.HarlequinMyRewards.com
today to start earning your FREE books!
Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!
Other ways to keep in touch:
Harlequin.com/newsletters
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
HarlequinBlog.com
Don't Tempt Me
by Lori Foster
1
Driving the rented moving van was a heck of a lot harder than Honor Brown had counted on. Not since high school had she driven a stick shift. More than ten years later, she'd clearly lost the gift. Wincing as she ground the gears, she ignored her friend Lexie, who rode shotgun and was having a grand time at her expense.
After they bounced over yet another pothole, Lexie groaned. "I feel like we're killing this truck."
Maybe because they were.
While staring out the window to check out the new neighborhood, Lexie propped her naked feet on the dash and balanced a frosty can of cola on her midriff. "There are a lot of trees."
"I know. And they're so big."
"Throwing shade everywhere." She turned toward Honor. "You realize most of these houses look like a flashback to the sixties."
"It's the landscaping." And the cracked sidewalks and, yes, all those mature trees. "I'll have to redo my entire yard." Wrinkling her nose, she added, "It's mostly overgrown and pretty...messy." A grave understatement. The little patch of lawn in front of the house she'd bought held only weeds and dead bushes and debris. But who cared? She could buy shrubs someday, put in some flowers, maybe a bird fountain, too.
The backyard was bigger, she reminded herself. Though just as messy, it supposedly led to a wonderful creek. There were beautiful trees that were strong and healthy and only needed to be trimmed.
The most important thing was that she'd be on her own, and closer to her grandfather's facility. Since she visited him once a day, sometimes more often, the convenience would be a godsend.