Tough Love
Page 128
Tabby squealed. “Stack! Is that a marriage proposal?”
Vanity gasped. “Tabby.”
Laughing, hugging them both, Stack said, “At some point I’d like to get her alone, sis. So if you’ll excuse us, maybe I can explain things to her properly.”
Tabby squealed again, hugged them both too tightly, and then dug out her phone on her way out the door. Stack heard her say, “Mom, guess what!” before he got the door closed behind her.
Vanity watched him intently.
The love he felt for her filled him up, and he smiled. “You ready to go?”
“Oh.” She looked around. “Yes, I just need two minutes to close up.”
Stack helped her lock up the shop, then followed her home, and all along the way, he thought about loving her. Physically. Emotionally. In every way.
Forever.
They barely got in the front door, and he was on her. Vanity reciprocated in kind, her hands sliding up under his shirt, her mouth hungry on his.
Stack gently tunneled his fingers through her hair, held her still and looked into her beautiful blue eyes. “I love you, Vanity.”
Her lips parted, trembled. “You do? Are you sure?”
“Very sure.” Funny that everyone had realized it except her.
“I love you, too!” She hugged him tight. “Will you marry me?”
Stalling, Stack laughed and picked her up. “I should have led with that, huh? But damn, you make me hot, darlin’. I missed you.”
“I missed you, too, even though it’s only been half a day.”
“That felt like a lifetime.” Going down the hall and into her bedroom, Stack fell with her across the bed. “I want pets.”
Vanity beamed. “And I can travel with you.”
“And I love your house.”
She laughed. “And me.” Softening, her hand to his jaw, she whispered, “You love me.”
Stack kissed her again. “So damned much, I can’t imagine life without you.”
She shoved him to his back and climbed onto him. “So, yes, you’ll marry me?”
Laughing, loving her, Stack nodded. “Yes.”
An hour later, when they could both breathe again, Stack trailed his fingertips down her spine. Vanity lay sprawled over his chest, her beautiful blond hair everywhere, her heartbeat in sync with his.
Quietly, she said, “I want to start out our new life right, so in an effort for full disclosure, you should know that I’m going to buy the building and lot behind the rec center.”
Stack went still, then lifted his head to look at her. “Why?”
She shrugged. “The rec center is growing. You know it. Even Cannon said so.” She inhaled. “It needs a separate shower area for the women.”
Stack struggled to hide his laugh. He’d already guessed her plans, but he didn’t want to steal her thunder. “Yeah, it does.”
“I’m going to do it. Buy the property and sponsor the addition. Quietly, if I can. I’d just as soon everyone not know. And of course, Cannon and Armie can make the plans for it. I wouldn’t have said anything, but you don’t want me keeping secrets, so I just—”
“You’re just wonderful.” He gave her a squeeze. “I know Cannon will be glad to hear it. But are you sure the guy will sell?”
“Given enough money, yes.” She toyed with his chest hair, then tilted her head back to see him. “I know because I already checked into it, and since I want a clean slate here, I—”
“Thank you.” Stack smoothed back her hair. “It’s your money, darlin’. You can spend it however you want, but I’d like it if you talked to me about it, if you didn’t feel you had to keep things from me.”
Beaming at him, Vanity said, “I’d marry you today if I could.”
He liked that idea. “You don’t want a big wedding?” It didn’t matter to him.
“Not really.” She wrinkled her nose. “I’d love it if it was just you and me, your family and our friends.”
Laughing, Stack said, “That’s a decent-size wedding. But I have an idea.” Far as he was concerned, the sooner the better. But if the idea offended Vanity, he’d scrap it in a heartbeat.
Coming up to her elbows, she kissed his mouth and smiled. “I’m listening.”
Damn, she was beautiful. Even more so now that she looked so happy. “We’ll be at a fight in Vegas right after the holidays. The guys will all be there, and we can talk my mom and sis into going along.” Especially if he paid their way. “How do you feel about getting married there?”
Vanity gasped. “Tabby.”
Laughing, hugging them both, Stack said, “At some point I’d like to get her alone, sis. So if you’ll excuse us, maybe I can explain things to her properly.”
Tabby squealed again, hugged them both too tightly, and then dug out her phone on her way out the door. Stack heard her say, “Mom, guess what!” before he got the door closed behind her.
Vanity watched him intently.
The love he felt for her filled him up, and he smiled. “You ready to go?”
“Oh.” She looked around. “Yes, I just need two minutes to close up.”
Stack helped her lock up the shop, then followed her home, and all along the way, he thought about loving her. Physically. Emotionally. In every way.
Forever.
They barely got in the front door, and he was on her. Vanity reciprocated in kind, her hands sliding up under his shirt, her mouth hungry on his.
Stack gently tunneled his fingers through her hair, held her still and looked into her beautiful blue eyes. “I love you, Vanity.”
Her lips parted, trembled. “You do? Are you sure?”
“Very sure.” Funny that everyone had realized it except her.
“I love you, too!” She hugged him tight. “Will you marry me?”
Stalling, Stack laughed and picked her up. “I should have led with that, huh? But damn, you make me hot, darlin’. I missed you.”
“I missed you, too, even though it’s only been half a day.”
“That felt like a lifetime.” Going down the hall and into her bedroom, Stack fell with her across the bed. “I want pets.”
Vanity beamed. “And I can travel with you.”
“And I love your house.”
She laughed. “And me.” Softening, her hand to his jaw, she whispered, “You love me.”
Stack kissed her again. “So damned much, I can’t imagine life without you.”
She shoved him to his back and climbed onto him. “So, yes, you’ll marry me?”
Laughing, loving her, Stack nodded. “Yes.”
An hour later, when they could both breathe again, Stack trailed his fingertips down her spine. Vanity lay sprawled over his chest, her beautiful blond hair everywhere, her heartbeat in sync with his.
Quietly, she said, “I want to start out our new life right, so in an effort for full disclosure, you should know that I’m going to buy the building and lot behind the rec center.”
Stack went still, then lifted his head to look at her. “Why?”
She shrugged. “The rec center is growing. You know it. Even Cannon said so.” She inhaled. “It needs a separate shower area for the women.”
Stack struggled to hide his laugh. He’d already guessed her plans, but he didn’t want to steal her thunder. “Yeah, it does.”
“I’m going to do it. Buy the property and sponsor the addition. Quietly, if I can. I’d just as soon everyone not know. And of course, Cannon and Armie can make the plans for it. I wouldn’t have said anything, but you don’t want me keeping secrets, so I just—”
“You’re just wonderful.” He gave her a squeeze. “I know Cannon will be glad to hear it. But are you sure the guy will sell?”
“Given enough money, yes.” She toyed with his chest hair, then tilted her head back to see him. “I know because I already checked into it, and since I want a clean slate here, I—”
“Thank you.” Stack smoothed back her hair. “It’s your money, darlin’. You can spend it however you want, but I’d like it if you talked to me about it, if you didn’t feel you had to keep things from me.”
Beaming at him, Vanity said, “I’d marry you today if I could.”
He liked that idea. “You don’t want a big wedding?” It didn’t matter to him.
“Not really.” She wrinkled her nose. “I’d love it if it was just you and me, your family and our friends.”
Laughing, Stack said, “That’s a decent-size wedding. But I have an idea.” Far as he was concerned, the sooner the better. But if the idea offended Vanity, he’d scrap it in a heartbeat.
Coming up to her elbows, she kissed his mouth and smiled. “I’m listening.”
Damn, she was beautiful. Even more so now that she looked so happy. “We’ll be at a fight in Vegas right after the holidays. The guys will all be there, and we can talk my mom and sis into going along.” Especially if he paid their way. “How do you feel about getting married there?”
