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“Nichole, you are the most commitment phobic person I’ve ever met. You don’t do long-term relationships. Never even seem to want one. That’s a frightening prospect when a guy considers pushing past the security of the most important friendship in his life. So I’ve always refused to go there.” He took a deep breath and forged ahead. “I can’t pretend anymore. I love you. I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember. I fought it in high school when you were my brother’s girlfriend, ignored it when we were in college because I couldn’t risk our friendship, and I’ve been denying it ever since. But after last night and this morning, knowing what it can be like between us and seeing the way you looked at me…I can’t not risk it. I want it all. I want you and me. I want us. I want forever. In my heart, I know it’s right.”
“Oh.” She shook her head, an incredulous expression on her face. “You’re wrong, Matt.”
The words slashed through him and he turned away, groaning. “Oh, God.”
Nichole’s stomach dropped as she realized the error of her word choice. This man had just told her everything she’d longed to hear and, instead of jumping into his arms, she’d inadvertently rejected him. She gripped his hand, her heart soaring with the knowledge that h
e loved her. This was her opportunity to finally explain.
“No, I mean you’re wrong about me. I’m not the fickle, waffling woman you think I am. I’m the most dementedly, unwaveringly, obsessively committed woman you’ll ever meet. I’ve been in love with the same man for twelve years, and no matter how many times and how many ways he made it clear that friends was all we’d ever be, I couldn’t let him go long enough to allow another man into my heart. I tried. I tried to be happy with other guys; I tried not to want you. And there were times when I could almost convince myself that I didn’t. But it was a lie.” Her hand stroked his cheek, her eyes begging him to understand, to believe. “All I’ve ever wanted is you.”
Matt’s breath burst out of his lungs and he hauled her into his arms, covering her mouth with his own in a crushing kiss that screamed possession. She embraced his hungry claim, opened herself wide to him, taking his tongue and meeting it with her own. Her body pressing his, molding to the hard planes of his form.
Matt broke the kiss and took a step back. “Wait right here.” He dashed for the front door, and her brow furrowed into shocked denial. He was not running out on her again. Was he? No. He stopped just inside the door to bow down and sweep up a large paper bag that appeared to be overflowing with…roses. Then he rushed back to her wearing a devastating grin. “So you aren’t commitment phobic after all?”
“No.” Her breath came haltingly after the intensity of their kiss, but there was no hesitation in her answer. “Not even a little bit.”
A spark of sweet mischief lit Matt’s face, and Nichole’s heart melted into a pool within her chest. He withdrew one bouquet after another, three dozen exquisite, long stemmed roses in total. “So this won’t overwhelm you, then?”
Her arms laden with floral perfection, all she could do was laugh and shake her head.
“That’s very good to hear, Nichole.” He pulled the last item from the bag. Handing her the enormous golden box of chocolate truffles, he asked, “Still good?”
“Matt, you shouldn’t have! What were you thinking?”
His smile turned bittersweet. “I was thinking that a decent man brings the woman he loves chocolate and flowers for Valentine’s Day. After blowing my opportunity for twelve years straight—and even now, a day late—I wanted to make a statement.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets with a sheepish grin, “This is actually the second set I bought. When I got back here with the first ones, I realized they weren’t right.”
The flowers in the Dumpster. They had been for her. “Matt, you could have scribbled on a ten cent greeting card with a crayon and, if you’d told me you loved me, it would have been everything I’d ever wanted.”
He cocked his brow at her and tucked back his chin. “Too much? Am I scaring you off?”
“It would be impossible to scare me off.” This was ridiculous. “I love you.”
“That’s a relief, because I’m ramping up here and wouldn’t want to blow my chance.”
The corner of her mouth curled in delight.
He loved her.
She could breathe for the first time in over a decade. She wanted to scream it from the windows—he actually loved her! “How can you possibly top all of this?”
Matt freed his fisted hands from his pockets. God, his whole body was tense. He shook out one hand, looking as jittery as she’d ever seen him, and took the bouquets and chocolate from her to set them aside on the coffee table. He faced her, and his jubilant expression turned serious; his gaze, intent.
Taking her hand, he tugged her closer and leaned down to her ear. “I could top it all if you’ll give me forever.”
Nichole jerked back, searching his face—his smiling, confident, gorgeous face—as he stared down at her. He opened his hand and held a platinum band adorned with a spectacular, glittering solitaire diamond poised at the tip of the third finger on her left hand. Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest. He’d had it in his fist, in his pocket! He dropped down to one knee, stealing her breath away in the motion.
“Nichole, I love you.” His smile spread as she began to nod her head vigorously and her heart raced like a runaway train. “Will you marry me—”
His words were cut off as she flew into his arms, nearly knocking him backward, her lips devouring his laughing, smiling, sensual mouth. Her arms locked around his neck, the engagement ring looped around the second knuckle of her third finger, her feet pulled up behind her, her knees hanging inches above the floor as he held her suspended in his arms, swinging her back and forth. Their kiss, promising forever, was punctuated by one word spoken back and forth with increasing fervor.
“Yes.”
