Page 129 of Merging Wright

“Can you go somewhere with me?” Mach asks. Since his mistletoe trickery and laying on me that he’s in love with me, he’s been standoffish, quiet even. Then again, the weekend was hectic, but I have things I want to tell him as well.

“Such a man of mystery, Mr. Wright,” I tease as we climb into the truck and cross Wrightwood Road to the other side of town, which has more houses than businesses. We climb deeper up the mountain.

Eventually, we pull up before an adorable, red brick weathered home with a large front porch and columns supporting a second-story balcony. The place looks spacious with a good bit of yard around it.

“What’s this?” I ask.

Mach opens his door. “Let’s take a look.”

As we approach the house, a Christmas tree lights up the front window. Mach opens the front door with a code on a giant lock pad. Once inside, I’m drawn to the front room with the tree. The large space is absent of anything other than the tree and a miniature house before a fireplace.

“What . . .” I cross the hardwood floor. The dollhouse I imagined for Willow—pink and feminine—stands before the fireplace.

“Theo agreed to let Willow come over here on Christmas morning.” Mach stands in the center of the room.

I stare back at him, not understanding.

“Jane, I have a proposal for you.”

“Uh-oh,” I groan. “The last proposition you made required me to marry you.”

Mach steps up to me, gripping my upper arms. Watching me, his hands slide down to my hands, taking each of them in his. “I’m proposing you live here. With me.”

“Mach.” Is he teasing me? It’s almost too much. I attempt to pull my hands free, but he tightens his hold.

“Baby, I’ve asked a lot of you. Coming down here. Pretending to be my wife. Actually marrying me. And then taking over the Wrightwood project.” He pauses, rubbing his thumb over the simple wedding band I haven’t had the heart to remove yet. I know about Myles meeting the deadline and receiving his inheritance. Any day, Mach will do the same, and our marriage can be over.

“I’m no prize. I’m difficult and irritable. I’m quick to assume and hard to love.”

I glance away from him, but he squeezes my fingers, wanting my full attention.

“When I love, I love hard. I can smother and overreact, and . . .” Mach exhales. “I can be intense.”

I bite on my bottom lip, uncertain where he’s going with all this.

“I’ve already told you this comes from fear. Fear that I’m not good enough. Fear I’ll never be enough for you.”

“Mach, you’re more than enough,” I whisper. Aggressively chewing my lower lip, Mach reaches for my mouth, tugging the lower curve free from my teeth. Then he rubs his thumb along the puffy swell.

“I miss seeing my kiss on you.”

That kiss under the invisible mistletoe was a torturous reminder of what I’d missed.

“Tell me you miss me kissing you.”

“I miss you kissing me.”

Mach steps closer to me, bringing my hands to his chest. His eyes hold on mine. “You once said we needed to have our story straight. Let me see if I remember correctly. How did we meet? How did I propose? And why did I marry you?”

I softly chuckle and shake my head. I can’t believe he remembered my line of questions.

“Here’s our story. For eight long years, I’ve wanted you and denied the attraction. It wasn’t just company policy. I was afraid. Afraid I didn’t know how to love you because you’re a woman a man should love. But I’m not scared anymore, baby.”

My lower lip trembles, and my gaze shifts to where he holds my hands tucked into his. He squeezes again drawing my attention to his face.

“I didn’t propose properly to you the first time, but I’m hoping for a second chance.” He locks both my hands in one of his and reaches into his coat pocket. He lowers to one knee, eyes never leaving mine, and tears seep into the corners of my own.

Mach holds up a gorgeous diamond ring. One with a giant clear-cut gem and a ring of sapphires around it. “As for why I wanted to marry you, the obvious answer is because I love you. I love you, Jane, and I want you to remain my wife. I want to love you for the rest of time. And I hope, one day, you feel the same about me.”