Book 20 Yours After Dark #8
“I don’t care how it impacts me. I’ve spent a lot of time online this week, reading about it, and I have a much better understanding of what we’re up against. I firmly believe it’s nothing we can’t handle.
I even joined a support group for partners of people with RA.
They talk about everything. There’s a whole thread about the best ways to have sex with someone who has aching joints.
” He waggles his brows for effect. “They’re very inventive. ”
Flabbergasted, Chloe can only stare at him.
“What?” Finn asks after a long silence.
“Just when I think I’ve seen the full extent of your fabulousness, you go and top yourself.”
Finn flashes a cocky grin. “Like I’ve said before, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
Riley had planned to feed Nikki first, but now that she’s here, he can bear to wait.
He releases her and drops to one knee, reaching for her left hand as her right hand flys up to cover her mouth.
Tears fill her eyes as she finally understands what is happening.
“I wanted to be right here in the kitchen we rebuilt together when I told you how you’ve totally rocked my world and given me things I didn’t even know were missing until I had you. ”
A sob escapes from her sweet lips, and tears run down her face.
“I love you more than anything in this life, Nicole. I love the life we’re building together, one piece of tile at a time. I love every second I get to spend with you, no matter what we’re doing. Will you please do me the incredible honor of being my wife?”
“Yes,” she says on a hiccup. “Yes, Riley. Yes, yes, yes.”
He gets up to hug and kiss her. “That’s a whole lot of yes.”
“Yes times eleventy trillion. I love you, too. So much. I wake up some days, and I still can’t believe this has happened. That you happened.”
“We happened, and it’s the best thing ever.”
“I am so very, very thankful for my leaky roof.”
Riley smiles and kisses her again. “So am I. Oh shit! I knew I was forgetting something.” He digs into his pocket where he’d stashed the ring earlier and withdraws it, reaching for her left hand. “I stole your emerald ring to check the size, but I put it back in your jewelry box.”
“You’re very sneaky,” she says, sniffing as he settles the gorgeous ring on her finger.
“Do you like it?”
“Oh God, Riley. I love it. It’s stunning.”
“It’s got nothing on you, babe.” He kisses the back of her hand. “I like the way it looks on you.”
“I love the way it looks.” She hugs him so tightly, she nearly shuts off his air supply, but he doesn’t care. He loves being hugged to death by her. “Holy shit, we’re engaged!”
Being an unofficial member of the McCarthy family comes with a lot of social obligations.
Chloe doesn’t mind. She enjoys her time with Finn’s family.
Tonight, they’re holding bachelor and bachelorette parties for Katie and Shane.
Chloe drops Finn at the marina on her way to Mac and Maddie’s for Katie’s party.
She mentions that there might be strippers at the bachelorette party, so Finn tells her to call him to come rescue her at the first sign of strippers.
When Chloe arrives at the party, Jenny announces that Scarlett Marion Martinez was born that afternoon. Katie introduces her sisters, Julia and Cindy, to Chloe. Julia tells the group she brought cowboy strippers with her. “Wait,” Chloe says. “There are really going to be strippers?”
“Hell, yes!” Julia says. “I came straight from Texas, and I brought ’em with me! They’re cowboy strippers! Wait till you see their six-packs and tight little asses.” She fans her face. “So hot, you’ll melt!”
“No way,” Maddie says. “Mac is going to kill me.”
“You can say you had no idea.” Cindy uses her thumb to point to Julia. “Blame her. She’s the wild child of our family. We never could control her.”
“I don’t know about this, Jule,” Katie says, hiccupping. “I don’t think Shane would want me cavorting with strippers right before our wedding.”
Julia waves her hand, brushing aside Katie’s concerns. “Oh, please! It’s all in good fun. And it’s too late to turn back now.” Julia checks her watch. “They’re already on the island!”
“Oh, God,” Katie says, moaning.
Chloe nudges Chelsea. “What’re they doing?” Chloe pointed to the center of the living room, where Janey sat on the floor collecting and counting money being tossed her way by the other women.
“They’re taking bets.”
“On?”
“What time the guys will show up and which one of them will be first through the door.”
“They’re betting on that?”
Linda McCarthy joins them, patting Chloe’s arm. “It’s become tradition. The men are rather predictable, so they make it fun to take wagers.”
“You people are insane,” Chloe says, astounded and amused.
“We know.” Janey looks up from the floor with an expression that could only be called diabolical. “And we own our insanity because it’s so damned fun to torment them.”
“Remember the last time we told them there’d be strippers?” Tiffany says. “Blaine was so mad that we had the hottest makeup sex ever.”
“Oh, God, Mac was, too,” Maddie says.
“We got them so good,” Jenny says.
“What’s going to happen when they find out there really are strippers coming?” Chloe asks.
“The shit’s gonna hit the fan,” Chelsea says bluntly. “And it’ll be epic.”
At the bachelor party, Finn is greeted with teasing from his cousins for kissing Chloe. Grant brings the news that he and Stephanie are expecting. Evan announces he and Grace are expecting and Adam says he and Abby are pregnant, too.
The group toasts Shane and wishes him all the happiness he can find with Katie.
Joe arrives late after the last run from the mainland and mentions there were male strippers on the boat who are now on the island.
Owen says, “If I know my sister Julia, and I know her as well as I know anyone, the strippers are legit and they’re probably as dirty as it gets. ”
The men go straight to Mac’s house to intervene.