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She felt him swell and his hand push her head down, and it didn’t daunt her, it thrilled her, and when he climaxed, the real shock for Naomi was the desire-filled, intimate beats of her own, the pleasure so mutual that it made her feel giddy as she knelt breathless, topless and his.
Always his.
How did he look so immaculate? she wondered as he tucked himself in and, holding out his hand, brought her to stand.
Abe pulled up her dress and tucked her in too, as if he was readying her for church, rather than about to carry her upstairs, but even if she loved him, Naomi did not know this man.
He went and poured two drinks but he drained his in one draught.
‘As I said...’
And she frowned as he handed her a drink and then continued the conversation where they’d left it an indecent while ago.
‘The press are going to be merciless, and there will be exes selling their stories, but if you’re going to be my wife then you’re going to have to start trusting me.’
She heard the first bit.
And the last bit.
But there was too much roaring in her ears when she tried to replay the middle.
Did Abe just say she was going to be his wife?
CHAPTER TWELVE
‘WIFE?’NAOMICROAKED.
She really couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
Even when he retrieved his jacket, which had long since dropped to the floor.
As he went into a pocket and took out a box, Naomi kept waiting for the punchline, for a mocking flash mob to appear, for this to be some sort of terrible, elaborate joke, for she just did not know love.
‘Naomi,’ he said. ‘That came out wrong...’
He was nervous, Naomi realised as he spoke on.
‘I had flowers and champagne and everything planned, but as long as you say yes, I wouldn’t change a thing. Will you marry me?’
Naomi stared down at an exquisite marquise-cut diamond set in delicate rose gold and could not quite comprehend it.
‘So that I’ll sleep with you?’
‘In part...’ He smiled, but it faded when he looked at a woman who had never known love yet would have been brave enough to risk her heart to him, and he took that very seriously indeed. ‘Naomi, when you told me that you wouldn’t sleep with me until we were married, I didn’t take it that well.’ He looked at her. ‘I didn’t tell Jobe that I was going to ask you to marry me, but I asked for his help to get you to agree to come the ball.’
‘Jobe was in on it?’
Abe nodded. ‘I needed his help to get Ethan and Merida on side. I knew they wouldn’t want me taking you to the ball and, in fairness, I can see why. And I had Khalid looking out for you, and Felicia.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘She was so good sorting out your dress that I asked her to the ball on the condition she shadow you all night. I know how poisonous that lot can be. A fat lot of good she did.’
Naomi giggled, but then it died in her throat as the magnitude of it all caught up with her. Abe hadn’t been ignoring her, instead he had been paving the way for her to be in his life. And then he told her why. ‘Naomi. I’m asking you to marry me because I love you.’
And to hear Abe Devereux sayingI love youfelt as if molten gold was being poured into her heart, and she started to believe this was real.
‘Do I have to ask you again?’ Abe checked, when still she hadn’t replied.
‘No,’ Naomi said, because he did not have to ask her twice. ‘I mean yes, oh, yes, Abe, I would love to marry you.’
‘Well, that’s all right, then.’ He slipped the ring onto her newly manicured fingers and when she looked down she didn’t even recognise her own hand, let alone the world he was inviting her into.
