***
Luc
I’m feeling great for the first time in a long time. I have a son who is shaping up to be everything I could have ever wanted in a child, my woman is toeing the line beautifully, and I’ve just closed the deal of the year.
Everything’s perfect.
“I want to meet her. We should have a family dinner. Oh, and invite Brody, would you? The arse is playing harder to get than I’d anticipated.”
“Cammy, really, the man can damned well make up his own mind whether or not to claim you,” I mutter, watching my sister pick at her lunch.
We’re in my office, eating lunch, something that has become a routine for us in the last years since I’d dragged her from her mother’s clutches and taken her under my wing.
Before this Cammy had been a withdrawn wreck with no compass other than what her fink mother expected from her. I’d put paid to that and brought her to the States with me, putting her to work immediately and setting her up to find her feet and live her own life.
I’d created a bloody monster.
“I don’t care what he says. He’s mine and we both know it. He’s just being a mug because he’s afraid of commitment. I’ll get him over that,” she cackles confidently, smoothing her midnight black hair with a flick.
“Fine. Just don’t scare him off; he’s the best bloody VP on this side of the pond, and I won’t lose one of my best mates because you’re barmy.”
“Leave him to me. Now, tell me about my soon-to-be sister-in-law. And my nephew.”
I spend the next minutes trying to talk her out of descending on my woman. Ashley is already so skittish that I can’t risk the nightmare that is Cammy scaring her away, and I say so.
“Bollocks. Surely any woman you choose to be yours is made of sterner stuff, Jas. Just ring her and tell her I’ll be over for dinner and that’s that. Oh, and I want a movie night with my nephew.”
Bloody hell.
***
I’d say the dinner went perfectly, because damn, can my filly cook when she wants to, but I spent half my night pinning Brody to his seat with a look because Cammy can’t control herself for a bleeding minute.
The only thing to save those two hair brains was Ashley’s continuous amusement at the debacle that is Cammy’s love plan. Ashley’s smiles had kept me in my chair just for the simple fact that I’d been entranced by her laughter.
“I love her. She’s a total nut.”
I snort at her as she goes through her nightly routine, brushing her hair out and using the thousand pound products I’d bought her. The woman is pure perfection, from the top of her stubborn head down to her pink little toes.
“She’s out of her bloody mind. Now stop talking about her and come here. There’s something I want to give you.”
She quirks a brow and laughs outright, her eyes straying to my erection, barely caged behind my boxer briefs.
“You’re such a mook.”
It’s my turn to grin as I wag a finger at her, biting my lip to stifle the laughter I feel bubbling to the surface. Cheeky baggage.
“Not that, you nympho,” I chide, crooking a finger at her. “Come over here.”
When she reaches me I take her mouth in a deep kiss, distracting her enough to slide the five carat diamond onto her finger. No, I’m not bleeding asking the woman to marry me. I’m no fool.
As with everything about her, I know that asking will only get me in trouble, and that’s not on my agenda.
I’m telling her what’s going to happen, and that’s that.
“There. Get into bed. I need to check on Benjamin.”
I’m halfway down the hall when I hear a feminine shriek. My mouth almost cracks, I smile so wide.
Deal closed.
Chapter Thirteen
As I wait for Lucian to come back, I stare down at the rock—the thing is a huge blue boulder that takes up almost all of my first knuckle—totally shell-shocked.
Oh, God in heaven.
This is…
Get a grip, Ash. You knew the man was either gonna use you like a roll of toilet paper or get you stamped. Haven’t you learned anything in the last few weeks?
Yeah, I have. Lucian, like I’ve said, is a force of nature. He sees something he wants, and hoo boy, does he ever go after it with a single-mindedness that I’m still trying to deal with.
I’ve witnessed his seriousness not only in the way he cares for Ben but also in the way he’s on me like white on rice at all hours. For God’s sake, I went to the store yesterday and caught some suit dogging my steps.
How I know that the guy is a bodyguard and not a stalker is simple: I know Lucian too freaking well. The guy is controlling and just plain crazy, and he’d warned me that he wouldn’t let me run, even if I had second thoughts.