Page 96 of Pointe of Pride

Carly grinned down at the absurd pillow and shook her head in stunned disbelief. “It’s awful, and I love it. It’ll go perfectly with my T-shirt. Thank you. I’m going to go see how it looks on the bed.”

She all but skipped off to the bedroom, and he followed her, thrilled by her response. He stood in the doorway and watched as she rearranged the other throw pillows—simple, tasteful, normal throw pillows—to make room for the new addition. She stood back to admire her work and cackled again, and as he watched her, he put his hand back in his pocket.

“It’s perfect,” she sighed. “We’re going to wake up inThe Godfatherevery single morning.” She turned around and saw him standing in the doorway, with a box open in his hand and an opal ring winking in the light, and froze.

Nick loved the sound of her voice, but he still enjoyed the sight of Carly Montgomery speechless.

He slowly lowered himself to one knee, feeling his quads shake a little from the sudden rush of adrenaline.

“I love you more than I ever imagined possible,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady against the emotion that was clogging his throat. “You once told me that we only get so much luck in this life, and I didn’t know it at the time, but the luckiest thing that ever happened to me was getting run over by your luggage cart. Wherever I am in the world, however far I go, you’re home for me. You’re it for me. You areindispensableto me. And I want to spend the rest of my life loving you. Will you—”

“Yes!” she blurted, and he couldn’t resist a laugh.

“God, you’re not impatient at all, are you?”

“Sorry, sorry, you were saying. You love me and you want to spend the rest of your life with me.”

He shook his head and smiled up at her, then got to his feet and pulled her to him. He pressed his forehead to hers and took a deep breath, taking in the scent of her and thinking of all the thousands of breaths he’d have with her.

“I love you, too, Nick Fucking Jacobs,” she whispered. “And Iinsiston spending the rest of my life with you.”

She nipped at his bottom lip, and Nick held her as tight as he dared. She kissed him deeply, fiercely, and with her whole body, and he chuckled against her mouth, finally feeling rooted and secure—and, as always, a little dazed by her. By Carly Montgomery, human hurricane, and his, forever.