Her lips trembled, her eyes widened. “You could have gone away, and I’d never have seen you again...”
“That’s not likely.” He lifted her, carrying her easily into the living room, to sit down in Mike’s big armchair with Nikki in his lap.
She nuzzled her face into his warm throat. “I wanted to kill Ralley...”
He chuckled softly. “Hush, it’s all over. I’m here, and I love you.”
“That’s the second time you’ve said it,” she whispered.
His big arms tightened. “If I keep saying it, perhaps you’ll begin to believe it.” He eased her head back on his shoulder so that he could see her face. “Didn’t you hear what I told you before I left the last time? That we belonged to each other?”
“I thought it was just because you were the first...”
He sighed deeply. His fingers toyed with the hair at her ear. “Nikki, all the time I was spouting those clichés about not wanting commitment, I was making plans. Hundreds of them, and they all included you. Vacations in France, buying a house outside Chicago, buying furniture…none of which I could picture without you. And something else, something more…” He tilted her eyes up to his. “Nikki, the next time we make love, I’m not going to hold back. I want a child with you.”
That was the final surrender, she thought wildly, that was total commitment.
Her fingers traced the lines of his hard, chiseled mouth, “I’d like very much...to give you a child,” she whispered softly. “Very, very much.”
“Then suppose you put this on,” he murmured, drawing a box out of his pocket, “and we’ll go somewhere and discuss it.”
She turned the black velvet box in her hands curiously before she opened it over a blaze of emeralds. Her breath stopped as the two rings filled her gaze. An engagement ring and a wedding band ringed around with emeralds and diamonds. She looked up at him.
“Cal...?”
“I’m good in bed,” he reminded her. “And I don’t have many bad habits.”
She laughed through her tears as she buried her face against him. “Oh, I love you so!”
He laughed gently. “When do Mike and Jenny get home?” he asked.
She drew back and sat up. “Oh, not for three or four hours at least,” she murmured, peeking up at him through her lashes.
Without another word he got up, lifting her with him, rings and all, and started up the staircase. She clung to him, her eyes full of emeralds and babies and the long, sweet years ahead.
* * *
Fit for a King
For parrot people everywhere...
Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER ONE
THE KING-SIZE BED felt strange to Elissa, which was no surprise, really, since it wasn’t her own. It belonged to Kingston Roper, and it was a good thing they were friends or she’d never have done him this “little favor” on a minute’s notice. Elissa’s own safe, single bed was in her little cottage on the white Jamaican beach near Montego Bay, only a short walk from King’s enormous villa.
In the past two years Elissa knew she’d gone from being just an irritating neighbor to the only friend King had. And friend was the word; they certainly weren’t lovers. Elissa Gloriana Dean, for all her eccentricities and uninhibited appearance, was an innocent. Her missionary parents had given her a loving but restrictive upbringing, and not even her budding success in the sophisticated world of fashion design had liberated her in any physical way.
This trip down she’d been on the island only since that morning, missing King, who wasn’t at home, and half-heartedly working on her newest collection of colorful leisure wear for the boutique that carried her exclusive designs. Then, just an hour ago, King had phoned her with this wild request and had hung up without a word of explanation the moment she’d agreed to help him out. She couldn’t imagine why he wanted her to be found in his bed. He didn’t seem to be dating anyone. But then again, maybe he was being hounded by some bored socialite and wanted to show her that he was already involved. This tactic did seem a bit drastic, though, especially since King was adept at speaking his mind. He never pulled his punches, even with people he liked. Oh, well. All the wondering in the world wasn’t going to give her any answers. She’d simply have to wait to hear what King had to say.