Chapter Eight
The door squeaked softly as I pushed it open. I paused, listening for noise of anyone else stirring in the silence of the house. When I was sure I was the only one awake, I slid through the small crack I'd created, slowly closing it behind me.
The hall was empty, so I crept down to my old bedroom, avoiding the creaky board in front of the door at the last minute. I didn't knock; I wanted to surprise him with his present, since we'd decided not to exchange gifts. But I'd found this comic book at a garage sale and couldn't resist. Nicky was a comic book geek from way back and I'd know he'd die when he got his hands on the one that lay protected inside of a plastic bag in the small box I carried.
The door unlatched with a tiny click and I pushed it open further, taking a deep breath and slipping inside. I sat the box down on one of the night stands and just stood staring down at him. He was so incredibly handsome.
In sleep the worry lines on his forehead were gone and his face took on a much younger mien. His hair lay tousled upon the pillow and I knew I'd have to force him to get a haircut before we went back to work. His chest was naked and my fingers just itched to touch him, to make love to him again, this time in a bed—where I wouldn't get frostbite in strange places.
"Are you planning on staring at me all night or did you want to come in here and kiss me?" he said suddenly. His eyes opened and he grinned unrepentingly up at me.
"Oh you ... Why didn't you tell me you were awake?"
"I thought you were having too much fun molesting me with your eyes." He sat up and held out his arms to me, even though I'd turned and headed back to the door. "You can't come in here and just leave without a kiss. Come here, baby, I have a desperate need to kiss you."
Okay, how could I resist that? I turned, though now I held the box with his present in it in my hands. Sitting on the side of the bed, I curled my hand around the back of his neck. He was warm from sleep and smelled so good; I closed my eyes and let him kiss me.
His arms wrapped around me and I felt him drag me across his lap until I was lying down on the bed, Nicky on top of me. His mouth was hot, his tongue sweetly investigating my lips and teeth. He lifted his head once. "Merry Christmas, baby," he whispered before I drew him back down to me.
"Back at you," I whispered against his mouth. I heard wrapping paper wrinkle and looked down, seeing the box I'd so carefully prepared being smushed between us. "Whoa," I whispered. "You're going to break your present."
"My present?" Nicky said, his eyes looking down at the box as well. "What happened to not having enough money to make the trip and buy presents as well?"
"This one I could afford." I wasn't about to tell him that it had cost me a quarter at a garage sale. Obviously the owner hadn't known what he was sitting on and maybe I was wrong to take advantage of the man that way, but it was for Nicky.
He narrowed his eyes at me and took the box out of my hands, dropping another quick kiss on my lips. Pulling off the wrapping paper, he opened the lid on the box and pushed aside the tissue paper. "Oh wow," he breathed, lifting the comic with the delicate hands of a surgeon holding a replacement heart. "Oh wow," he said again. "How ... Where ... When did you ... Oh wow."
"I take it you like it?" I said, laughing. I sat up next to him on the bed as he inspected the cover and the pages.
"Like it?" he whispered. "Baby, I love you. This is fantastic."
Warmth rose inside of me as he slid the comic back into its plastic bag, carefully setting it on the night stand where it wouldn't be injured. "I thought we weren't exchanging gifts," he said while his back was turned.
"I know, but when I found that, I just couldn't not get it for you. If you want me to take it back..." I let the question linger, I already knew his answer.
"No, no, that's okay. I guess you'll just have to forgive me for this one then," he said, turning and handing me a small box. It was beautifully wrapped and I knew the store must have done it. Nicky's idea of wrapping usually had something to do with yesterday's newspapers and a lot of tape.
"Nicky," I started to argue with him but he pressed two fingers against my lips.
"Hush, this is an important gift, one that I wouldn't, I couldn't, give to anyone but you. Now open it. It comes with a question."
I carefully slit the tape, pulling apart the wrapping paper and setting it aside. There was plain cardboard under the paper and I opened it, spilling the box inside into my hand. My heart started to race and I looked up at Nicky. "Is this what I think it is?"
"Do I look like a mind reader?" he teased. But I could see beyond the banter and cuteness. Nicky was nervous and was trying to hide it. "Open it," he urged.
I slowly lifted the top of the blue velvet box. Against a black satin backing, a huge diamond solitaire glittered madly.
"You always said you liked the princess cut, right?" he asked me.
Tears formed in my eyes as I stared at the beautiful ring. "Is that the question that comes with this?"
"No," he said, growing serious. His hands came up to cup my cheeks, his thumbs carefully brushing away the tears that fell. He took the ring out of the box and looked down into my eyes.
"I've loved you since the first time I saw you, Kenna. I almost lost you once. I can't have that happen again. I want you to marry me, live with me, have my children. I want to love and cherish you for the rest of my life." He held up the ring and then took my left hand. "Will you?" he asked as he slid the ring on to my finger.
"Yes," I said softly, then found myself engulfed by his arms. He kissed me until the world seemed to spin, then sat up and pulled the ring off my finger and sat it back in the box.
"What are you doing?" I asked, confused.
"Well, I've already talked to your father about this and I don't think it would be fair to the man to have you sneaking into my room in the middle of the night and my asking you. I think he and the rest of the family deserves to be there, don't you?"
How did he know me so well? How could he realize that having my family around me when he asked would make this even more perfect? Tears began in my eyes again. "You spoke to my father?"
Nick nodded. Then a boyish grin broke across his face. "The man is terrifying when it comes to his daughters. He told me that if I hurt you, he'd break me in two."
"He did not," I scoffed. When Nicky kept looking at me, I started laughing. "He did? Oh my."
"But he agreed that you belonged at my side and the sooner the better."
"Sooner? Did you have any ideas when you wanted to do this?"
"New Year's Eve." Nicky asked. "Just think of the tax breaks we could get for this year."
