Epilogue
RICHARD
Richard held his chin up while Kate adjusted his tie and then smoothed the dove gray, double-breasted vest. Satisfied, she dusted off his shoulders and took a step back.
“You look very good.” All of the men in the wedding party were in one-button morning suits and striped trouser sets. Fortunately, Anna had forgone the hats.
“No one is going to be looking at me.” He cupped her chin and nudged her face up for a kiss.
Kate’s face shimmered with vitality. Their one-month in the Mediterranean had turned into nearly six weeks.
He’d juggled his workload and kept up on his cases, but they’d sailed from one end to the other and frolicked—once Kate had healed enough to do so.
They’d only returned to the States a week before—just in time for Armand’s slightly delayed wedding. “So, a ranch in Montana for summer escapes, at least three four-day weekends, and spring in Belgium for conferences, and at least a week in Norway for the annual gathering with the Grand Duchess.”
“Weekends off, Saturday and Sunday mandatory. Put more contract draft work on your associates. You can still review them all,” Kate countered. “And do you really want a Montana ranch?”
The corner of his mouth curved. “You agreed to marry me.”
“I have no recollection of that event, Mr. Prentiss.” The smile in her eyes played havoc with his system.
Dipping his head down, he went to kiss her mouth again and she turned to give him her cheek. “Hmm. Let’s see if I can remind you, our living room? I asked you to marry me.”
“Actually, no you interviewed me for a job.” A smile warmed her mouth.
“Among the requirements were regularly being naked, for which I have no objections. However, the concept of marriage wasn’t actually broached until we were on the yacht and since I was on painkillers at the time, it’s questionable whether I had the mental capacity to enter into any kind of an agreement. ”
“I see. That would make the validity of upholding that argument difficult,” he agreed and traced a finger down the column of her throat. “Difficult, but not impossible.”
“It would take some legal maneuvering to make that agreement stick.” He knew a challenge when he heard it.
“Ms Braddock, on the date in question, can you describe your emotional state for me?” He lifted his brows.
“Well, I’d woken up from a major surgery a few days before and I’d taken an unsanctioned cab ride—”
“That was the house.” He reminded her, aware of the door opening behind him. “I’m referring to our day on the St. Christos Islands near the Amalfi Coast.”
“Hmm, Amalfi Coast?” Her expression turned thoughtful. “I’m afraid I don’t quite recall that day. You gave me a full painkiller instead of a half because I’d had so much trouble sleeping. I spent most of that day drowsing in the sun on the forward deck while you cheated at cards.”
“If you were drowsing, how do you know I was cheating?” He loved this woman. She never shied away from matching wits against him.
“Well, obviously cheating would have been mandatory. You were betting your future on a hand of cards against someone who didn’t have the facilities to enter into such negotiations.” Her tongue peeked at him from between her teeth.
“So essentially, the question of the agreement’s veracity lies solely on your mental competency at that moment?”
Kate nodded once. “Yes.”
“Is your judgment in anyway impaired this morning?” He dared her to deny it.
“To my knowledge, I am one hundred percent sober. I no longer require anything more than an aspirin for the lingering discomfort from my injuries. So, yes, I would say that my judgment is only impaired by the normal emotional reaction to attending a romantic wedding with a dashing man. Since the wedding hasn’t actually started yet, we have a seventy percent certainty that I am not wavering based on some type of emotional overreaction.
” Her eyebrows wiggled up and down, pure merriment setting fire to the gold flecks in her eyes.
“Are you willing to certify that any agreements negotiated this morning would be made of your own choice, free from prescription coercion?” Better to clarify and make sure they covered all their bases.
“I would so certify, yes.”
“In writing?” he pushed, but then that was in his nature. Her mouth curved into a smile.
“If necessary.”
“Oh, it’s necessary. But we’ll get to that in a moment.
” Sliding his hand into his pocket, he pulled out a ring box.
“Since you are of sound mind and exquisite body, let’s state the terms of the contract for the record.
Will you, Katherine Amelia Braddock, do me, Richard Michael Prentiss, the honor of becoming my wife? ”
She moistened her lips and her breath hitched at the end of his request. “That’s the offer?”
“You want the consideration?” He locked gazes with her, his soul in perfect lockstep with the fiercely strong woman in front of him. Her spirit and intelligence would never fail to amaze him.
“Absolutely. After all, any good contract must have those elements.”
“They do, but you have to have acceptance in order to achieve consideration.” He closed the distance between them, every molecule inside him leaning toward her.
“True. So the key here is for me to say yes?” She lifted her brows. “And what would the quid pro quo be?”
“You’ll make me the happiest man on the planet and I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to repay the favor—”
“Impossible,” she murmured.
“I’ve heard that before.” His voice lowered, his pulse beating only for her.
“No, I meant it would be impossible for you to spend the rest of your life achieving what you’ve already done. May I suggest a different quid pro quo?”
Delight filled him, but he kept his mind on the most important negotiation of his life. “Absolutely.”
“You spend the rest of your life being you and you’ll make me the happiest woman in the world.”
“Only if you never stop being you,” he added the caveat.
“Then, yes, Richard. I’ll marry you.” Her smile lit him up from the inside out.
“I want that in writing.” He flipped the box open. “Witnessed and filed, in perpetuity, binding with no way to sever.”
Tears swam in her eyes and she held up her left hand. “I can only give you my word right now, but as soon as we’re done, I’ll sign anything you want.”
He slid his ring on her and something wrenched into the right place in his soul. She’d said yes and Kate was not the kind of woman to go back on her word. “Done.” Bending his head, he caught her mouth in a sweet kiss that left his pulse racing and his blood hot.
A round of applause broke out around them and Richard glanced up to find Armand, his brothers and their security grinning like idiots. “You two are certifiable,” George, the youngest of the three brothers, announced. “What kind of a wedding proposal requires legal negotiation?”
“The best kind,” Kate declared and leaned into Richard’s arms.
Laughter and a round of congratulations followed. Kate drifted over to speak to Sebastian. Richard glanced at his best friend, who did his best not to fidget despite his violent attention to the clock. “Nervous?”
“Incredibly.” He sounded mystified by the idea. “Have you forgiven me yet?”
“Does it matter? You would still have done exactly what you did.”
“Yes.” Armand faced him. “It matters.”
It did, but at least he wasn’t sweating the last few moments before he married the woman he’d lost for nearly a decade. “Tempted to make you suffer a little longer, but yes. I forgive you. Don’t do it again.”
“I’m sorry, I thought you were acquainted with me.” But the last lines of tension around Armand’s eyes eased and gratitude showed in them. Demanding, full of pride and definitely a man who liked to be in control, Armand could be nothing else. The strain between them had cost them both.
“True, but I think it’s only fair to mention that if you do pull a stunt like this again, you understand I’ll kick your ass.”
“You don’t scare me.” He chuckled. “I have security.”
“I have Kate.” Richard grinned wider and glanced over at the woman who held the key to his heart. She met his gaze with a smile full of promise. “I win.”