Seduce Me (14 page)

Eight months later

T
HE DAY HAD BEEN
a good one. Sam had surfed all morning with Lorissa, she'd opened up Wild Cherries Café II in time for a good-sized lunch crowd and now, as the sun set, a pair of headlights came over the bluff. Pulled into her parking lot.

She stood in the café kitchen, her heart starting to pound. Scrunching up her face, she hoped with all her might. Then, and only then, did she slowly open the oven and peek.

“Omigod.” Holding her breath, she used her oven mitt to pull out…what looked like a beautifully perfect pan of brownies.

She set the hot pan on the counter and stared at them.

Behind her, Jack came in. “Smells delicious.”

“I think I did it,” she whispered, her gaze still locked on the brownies. “Come taste, I'm too nervous.”

“That's funny.” He came up behind her. “Because I'm nervous, too.”

Whipping around, she looked at him, concern filling her. They'd been inseparable for eight months. After a few months staying with Lorissa, she'd gotten her own apartment.

She'd spent one night in it.

Then Jack had asked her to move in with him, reminding her she'd given him that blind yes. Since she hadn't needed convincing, she'd gone for it. And while she'd never imagined herself happy in a house she could get lost in, she'd fallen in love with Jack's place the way she had with the man.

He'd been with her every step of the way in the rebuilding of Wild Cherries. She'd been with him when he'd started a new phase in his career…running basketball clinics in the local schools, teaching kids the joy of the game. “What is it?” she asked, stuffing a bite of brownie into his mouth. “Did you get that grant to—”

He chewed. “I got the grant for the district. The kids will have their new courts.” He paused, looking startled.
“Yum.”

She had to laugh at his surprise, but then again, she'd been making him taste her brownies for months now, and there'd been some doozies. “You sure they're good? You're not just saying that so you can get lucky?”

“I'm hoping to get lucky with something else entirely.” He reached for another bite. “And seriously, these are good. Write down the recipe for this batch.” He pulled a small box out of his pocket. “Remember now, you already said yes.”

Her heart skipped a beat. “To what?”

“To marrying me.” He drew in a deep breath and looked her in the eyes as he opened the box. She caught the flash of light from the beautiful solitaire diamond.

“Be kind,” he whispered, echoing the words she'd said to him all those months ago.

She stared down at the incredible ring and felt her throat tighten. “Jack?”

“Yeah?”

“This is better than the brownies.”

“Am I getting lucky, Sam?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“I don't mean in bed.”

“Well, I do. But also right here.”

“You're killing me. Tell me quick. Is that a yes, you'll—”

“Yes. Yes, yes, yes…” She threw herself against him, laughing and crying. “Yes to being in love with you, yes to being your wife. Yes, to it all, Jack.
Forever
.”