Chapter 25
“Can you zip me up?” Nina asked, lifting her hair out of the way.
Zeke kissed the center of her spine, only wincing slightly. Unfortunately, she heard the breath he sucked in.
“Are you okay?” She turned, her hair falling over her back as she studied him carefully.
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not. I’ll go ask Monty to help.”
“The fuck you will. I can zip up your dress. And you better believe I’m going to be unzipping it later.”
“You’re still restricted.”
“Fuck my restrictions, I need you.”
She cupped his jaw and sighed. “I’m not going anywhere. I love you, Zeke.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he growled.
Nina chuckled, and he immediately felt like an asshole. “It’s a good thing I know you’re just mad about going to a Christmas party with a cane.”
“Fucking cane,” he snarled. “Fuck all this. I’m glad you killed that bitch.”
Nina’s inhale slammed his eyes closed.
“Sorry. Fuck. I’m not myself. I should just stay home tonight.”
“Not a chance. We said we’d be there. So pull yourself together while I go have my brother zip up my dress.”
“Bring your ass back here. Now, angel.”
Nina hesitated at the door, then returned to his side.
“I hate that you’ve had to take care of me so much the last month and a half. I should be the one taking care of you.”
“You do, Zeke. And I’m just happy you’re alive.”
He nodded and put his forehead against hers. The doctors said he lost a lot of blood and was in bad shape. If Lorelei and her team hadn’t shown up when they did, Zeke wouldn’t have survived. “I am, too.”
“I love you,” she whispered, her voice soft and broken.
“I love you, angel. I’m okay. We’re both okay. And I’m sick of you acting like I can’t make love to you. Tonight, you’re going to scream my name.”
“Zeke,” she said with a laugh.
“Turn around, angel. Let me zip up this dress so I know how to take it off you later.”
Nina breathed a laugh and spun. She lifted her hair and looked back at him over her shoulder.
Zeke kissed her softly and slid his hands inside the velvety fabric that encased her curvy body. He’d never get enough of her, and after tonight, she would have proof of his love every time she looked at her ring finger.
Nina shivered and pressed against him.
Zeke growled. “It’s been too damn long, angel.” He was hard and could barely see straight. The doctor who did his surgery said he couldn’t do anything strenuous for six-to-eight weeks, and Nina refused to be the reason he wasn’t recovering faster. She’d been generous with blowjobs, but she refused sex.
He was going to make love to his fiancée. The second she became his fiancée.
The sound of the zipper climbing her spine was almost as loud as her pants. She was just as ready for their hiatus to be over as he was.
“You two ready yet?” Montgomery called up the stairs.
Zeke growled. “We need to take his keys away.”
Nina chuckled and spun in Zeke’s arms. “You know you’d never do that.”
“The first time he walks in when I’m making you scream, he’s done.”
“I think he’ll agree to that one.”
Zeke leaned forward and captured her lips. “Can we try now?”
Nina squirted away from him. “We have to go. We promised we’d be there. I’ll make it up to you when we get home.”
“I’m not sure I can wait that long.”
“You’re going to have to.”
“Will you sit on my face?” Zeke breathed against her neck, wrapping his arms around her from behind.
“Anything you want.”
“Anything?”
Nina breathed. “You have to behave at the party.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you are going to participate and talk to people and have a good night.”
“Oh, I’ll have a good night when I get you naked.”
Nina chuckled. “Let’s go.”
Zeke let her go ahead of him, partly so he could watch her ass in the dress she wore and partly because he was slow as fuck on the damn stairs with his cane. Montgomery came into view once Nina was on the ground floor. Mont was holding Franklin, rubbing under the cat’s chin.
“You need some help?” Mont asked.
“Fuck you.”
“Sunny as always.” Mont shook his head and grinned up at Zeke.
Zeke took the steps slowly, one at a time, and would never admit it, but he was thankful Mont was there in case he lost his balance.
The bullet ripped a hole through Zeke’s abdomen and tried to dump his guts all over the fucking place. The way he landed kept things inside. That and the paramedics that saved his damn life.
And Nina. He dreamed about her when he was in surgery, and every night after. She never left his side in the hospital. The nurses wheeled in a pullout chair for her to sleep in at night and treated her like she was his wife.
Zeke was past ready to make that reality.
Montgomery drove the three of them, Zeke in the front and Nina in the back out of his reach. Zeke hated not having his hand on her, but he would again soon.
“I’m glad you two were ready to go. I didn’t want to hear anything that would have made me want to burn my ears off,” Mont teased.
“You walk in on that and your key privileges are gone.”
“I walk in on that and I’ll leave the key on my way out.” Mont reached his fist out for Zeke, who bumped it with his.
“Did you two just fist-bump about sex with me?” Nina asked from the back.
“Aw, come on. Did you have to say it like that?” Mont cried.
“So worth it.”
Mont chuckled and shook his head. “It’s good to have you back, Nina. And I’m happy you two are together.”
“Thanks, Mont,” Zeke said. Of all the things Zeke and Mont had shared over the years, keeping how much he loved Nina from Mont had never sat right with Zeke. Mont came to the hospital one day and asked about it. Zeke didn’t lie. He told Montgomery he’d been in love with Nina forever and intended to marry her.
Montgomery gave Zeke his blessing and said there was no one else who would take better care of his sister.
Zeke admitted he worried Montgomery would think Zeke wasn’t good enough for Nina, but Montgomery told him he was crazy. With that conversation out of the way, Zeke wasn’t willing to wait to marry Nina. And Mont helped put the first part of his plan into motion.
Tonight.
Mont pulled into the long driveway, and all three of them gasped.
“Wow. It’s so beautiful,” Nina said, her voice soft and dreamy.
“Yeah, it is,” Mont agreed.
Zeke had never seen anything like it. The driveway was lined with brightly lit trees, leading the way to Dawn’s mansion. The house glowed with lights strung from the gutters and outlining each of the windows. A pile of gifts glowed from the front porch, and more lit trees spotted the expansive yard.
“They went all out,” Zeke said.
“It’s impressive.” Nina scrambled out of the SUV and opened Zeke’s door, offering him his cane and wrapping her arm through his good arm once he closed his door.
The three of them walked up the front steps, slowly for Zeke’s sake, Mont carrying the bags of gifts they all chipped in for.
Cole, Dawn’s caretaker, opened the door before they made it to the front and welcomed them in. “Good evening, everyone. Can I take your coats?” They’d all gotten to know Cole over the last few weeks. He was kind and dedicated to Dawn, just like he’d been to his previous boss.
“Thank you, Cole. How are you tonight?” Mont asked as he unbuttoned his coat.
“I’m well, thank you, sir. How are all of you?”
“Good,” they said together.
“Excellent. The others are in the sunroom. Ms. Dawn has all the supplies in there.” Cole gathered their coats and nodded to the hallway.
“Thank you, Cole,” Mont said for them.
Mont led the way, the massive bag of gifts in his hand once more. Zeke felt guilty for not helping Mont carry anything. He should be helping. He should have been doing something.
Voices reached them before they made it to the room at the back of the house where Dawn liked to spend most of her time. She’d redecorated since she moved in, and Gage had put his touches on the home as well, from what Zeke could tell.
“Hey, you’re here!” Pryce called out when he saw the three of them. “We were just getting started.”
“We have gifts,” Mont said, lifting the bag. “From all of us.”
“Perfect. Thank you guys. I know these will help out so much,” Dawn said. She hugged each of them, kissing cheeks, then showed Mont where the gifts could go.
“Can I get you anything?” Nina asked.
“A kiss?” Zeke replied.
Nina smiled and stepped into his arms, wrapping herself around him before she lifted her lips to his. “I love you,” she whispered before she pressed her lips to his.
Zeke growled and licked his way into her mouth.
Nina pulled back and gave him a look. “You’re supposed to behave.”
“That list did not include not kissing you.”
Nina breathed a laugh. “Should I revise it?”
“Nope. Too late.”
“Okay, everyone, let’s get started so we can enjoy the rest of the night. Thank you all for helping and for bringing stuff. I wasn’t sure how I was going to pull all of this off, but it’s so much more fun with all of you here to join us,” Dawn said. She reached for Gage, who nodded as she spoke. “When I first thought of donating to the children’s hospital, I knew there was only so much I could do, even with all this money that I don’t deserve?—”
“Yes, you do!” Edie called. “Every penny!”
“Thank you,” Dawn said, her cheeks turning pink. “But none of this would be as much fun without people to share it with.” She clapped her hands. “Okay, enough of me talking. We have wrapping paper and bows and ribbons and bags and all kinds of stuff, so we can get started, and then dinner will be ready in an hour. And the bar is fully stocked, so if you want a drink, help yourselves.”
“Thank you, Dawn!” Raina said.
Zeke let Nina lead him to a table on the side of the room. She grabbed a few gifts from the massive pile and carried them to where Zeke sat. They all laughed and wrapped presents, the pile of gifts to take to the hospital growing as the unwrapped pile got smaller.
“There’s one more left,” Gage said. “It has a name on it. Nina?”
“What?” Nina asked.
“I think this is for you.”
Gage was in on the whole thing, too. All the men were.
Gage walked over to Nina, the velvet box hidden in his hand. “It has your name on it. I think it’s for you.” Gage opened his hand and revealed the box.
Nina gasped, and all the other women in the room did the same.
She looked back at Zeke, but he was already on one knee.
“Nina Marie Rose, I’ve loved you most of my life. I lost too many years with you, wishing you were by my side, and I don’t want to lose one more second. I want you as my wife. I want you as my partner. I want you as the best part of my day every single day. Will you marry me?”
“Are you kidding? Why would you think you have to ask?”
“Well, I could have demanded you marry me, but I was told that was not the right way to start a life together.”
Everyone in the room chuckled. Zeke noticed the couples going to each other, the men hugging their women to their sides.
“I would love nothing more than to marry you, Zeke,” Nina said, dropping to her knees with him. She kissed him on the lips, prying his lips apart.
“I thought I had to behave.”
She smiled against his lips. “I never promised I would.”
“Damn, I love you, angel.”
“Think anyone will notice if we leave early?”
Zeke snorted. “Considering we rode with your brother, I think it’ll be obvious.”
“Damn.”
“Come on, angel, let’s celebrate that you said yes and we’re going to be married soon.”
“Soon?”
“Hell yes, very soon.”
“Music to my ears.”
Nina loved her new friends, but she loved the ring on her finger even more. She loved her future husband. And their cats. And their quiet townhouse, where she could scream as loud as she wanted when he made her orgasm.
“I think it’s time for that dress to take a break,” Zeke growled as soon as they walked in the door.
“Are you sure? I was thinking maybe I’ll keep it on a little longer.”
Zeke groaned. “I can crawl underneath it.”
Nina chuckled. “Take me to bed, future husband.”
Zeke groaned. “It would be my pleasure, future wife.”
“How long until you’re going to make an honest woman out of me?”
“How about tomorrow?” Zeke asked.
Nina laughed. “We can’t get married that fast.”
“Why not?”
“It takes longer to get a marriage license.”
“Day after tomorrow?”
“Okay.”
“Are you serious?” Zeke asked.
“Yeah. I don’t want to wait. I don’t need a big wedding. I just need you.”
“Well, hell, that works for me.”
“How about first you tell me what I need to do to thank you for going tonight?”
Zeke wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in one step at a time. “I had fun.”
“Good.”
“Thank you for saying yes.”
Nina grinned. “Well, my other boyfriend was a psycho who would have killed me if I’d called him, so I guess it’s good I called you that night.”
“Yeah, I’m just going to keep you in bed until you can’t breathe from all the orgasms you have.”
“I can think of worse things.”
“No more bad in your life, angel. All good things from here on out.”
“I like the sound of that.”
“I like the sound of you screaming my name.”
“Zeke!” she cried when he pinched her nipple.
“Lift that dress for me, future wife. I need to taste you.” He dropped to his knees and lifted her skirt.
“You’re going to hurt yourself.”
“Worth it. Let me lick you, Nina.” He disappeared under her dress, his breath hot on her inner thighs.
She leaned back against the couch and spread her thighs, smiling when he reached her center and discovered she wasn’t wearing panties.
“Fuck me,” he growled. “I love you, soon-to-be wife.”
“I love you, soon-to-be husband.”
After that, no words were necessary. Or possible.
THANK YOU! My gratitude for you is so beyond words. Thank you for reading this series, for loving these books, for giving these characters your love and time. This series was one I loved before I started writing it. It was one I couldn’t wait to write. And I am so grateful that you picked up these books and fell in love with these characters the same way I did. Thank you.