Boy Next Door (Parkside Avenue Book #2) (18 page)

“I’d say condoms are shit.”

“I’m serious. What would you
say?” The way she held my gaze, tiny grooves forming between her brows, told me
I had to choose my words carefully. The woman sure knew how to mind-fuck.

“Are you?”

“Answer the question, Johnny.”

Squeezing the square lump in my
trouser pocket, with my free hand, I tested the waters. “I’d ask you to marry
me.”

The grooves deepened. “Why?”

“Because I want to take care of
you.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. Baby or no baby.” I
paused. “Is there a baby?” I asked, heart pounding.

Her lips curled at the corners. “No.”

“Christ, Cora. That’s not funny.”

An evil smile plumped out her
cheeks. “Your face was.”

“You’re a sick woman. You know
that? Underneath your prim and proper exterior lies a wicked centre I can’t
wait to see a whole lot more of.”

Cora was still smiling, as my
words washed over her. “You want to marry me?”

I thought about the ring in my
pocket. We didn’t need to rush things. Cora would wear it someday. “Someday.”

“Ah … someday.”

“Yes.” I pulled her close. Her
breath was warm against my neck. “But until then, please say I can finally call
you mine?”

“On one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“No more gambling.”

“I can run with that. So we have
a deal?”

“We do.”

“Promise?”

“I love you.”

“Love?”

“I said that, didn’t I?”

I always thought I’d be the one
to say the words first, but she’d beaten me to it, and I couldn’t have been
happier. “You did.”

“Then I must have meant it.”

“I love you too.”

When the time was right, I’d ask
the question, but for now, we had each other, and that was all I needed.

THE END

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