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  Roger held up two tickets. “These are Lakers tickets. Hell, I offered to spank him myself. He preferred you. You also have the day off tomorrow.”

  Nicole yanked Garrett into her office and closed the door. “You’re in trouble.”

  “Oh yeah?” He backed her up until he had her right where he wanted her. Between him and the desk. “I missed you this week. I kept fantasizing about you and this desk. I just about went crazy.”

  “So you’re going with the horny defense?”

  “I’m going with the I’m-crazy-in-love-with-you defense. You done for the day?”

  “I am. Where’s Sam?”

  Garrett tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Back at your apartment with Ann. She’s thrilled that Ann came home for the weekend to help celebrate her birthday, by the way.”

  Nicole leaned in to give him a quick kiss, then pushed him away. “Just let me log out and we can get out of here.”

  “Hey now!” He grabbed her hand and pulled her back toward him. “What kind of a hello kiss is that? That was terrible. This is a hello kiss.” He dipped her low to the ground and kissed her thoroughly. “See the difference?”

  “I’m not sure. Maybe you should demonstrate again.”

  Garrett spun her around and swatted her playfully on the bottom. “Come on, hurry. Ann asked that I pick up steaks at Simon’s on the way home.”

  *****

  “Honey,” Nicole said, “you took a wrong turn.”

  “No, I’m pretty sure this is right.” Garrett reached down and turned off the radio.

  “This is Birch. I used to live on Birch. Simon’s is on Date. That’s two streets over.”

  “Really? This is the street you used to live on? Where?” He looked around with renewed interest.

  “Just up the block. It’s that yell—now apparently gray house.” She pointed to it. “It’s on the market again.”

  “It looks like it sold.” Garrett pulled over, stopped the car, then opened the door.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m gonna go take a closer look. I’m curious. Want to come with?”

  “I don’t think so,” she said, sadness creeping into her voice. “I hate to think of other people living there.”

  “I’ll just be a minute.” He climbed out and closed the door.

  Garrett walked across the lawn and onto the front porch. He cupped his hands around his face to block out the sun and peered in the dining room window before trying the front door. It opened. He looked back and grinned triumphantly, then stepped over the threshold.

  *****

  Five minutes passed and Garrett had yet to return.

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake.” Nicole nervously tapped her fingers on the car seat. After checking her watch, she climbed from the car and headed for the entrance.

  “Honey?” Her voice sounded loud as it echoed throughout the empty house. “Simon’s is going to be closing in—”

  “I’m sorry.” He appeared at the top of the stairs. “Guess I got a bit carried away. It’s a great old house. They don’t make them like this anymore.”

  “No, they don’t.” Nicole rubbed her hand along the smooth wood of the banister. “I have so many memories tied to this place.”

  He walked down the stairs to join her. “Tell me.”

  “They’re too many to count. Certainly too many to—”

  “Don’t do that. It’s important to talk about the memories. You taught me that.”

  Nicole reached up and caressed the side of his face.

  “I love you,” he said, intertwining his fingers with hers.

  “You do?”

  “Most definitely.” They walked back onto the front porch. “Shoot. I left my keys in the kitchen. Wait for me?”

  “Sure.” Nicole sighed. Just as she was about to sit down on the old porch swing her eyes came to rest on the giant oak that stood on the front lawn. She had spent countless hours while growing up staring out at it from her bedroom window. But what she was noticing now was new.

  Walking down the stairs, she slowly made her way over to it. There, slightly above eye level, was a fresh ten-inch heart carved into the trunk with the names Nicole and Garrett in the middle of it. Her hand flew to her mouth and she spun around quickly only to run into the solid wall of his chest.

  “Whoa! Careful, you’re going to make me spill the champagne.”

  “You bought the house!”

  Garrett held out one of the glasses. “Surprise! Roger called and told me it was back on the market. I put mine up for sale Monday. By Wednesday I was in escrow. I took the day off today so I could get down here and make an offer the owner couldn’t refuse.”

  Nicole accepted the champagne. “You’re moving to Sonoma? But your friends and family are all in San Diego, not to mention Sam’s daycare and—”

  “You’re not there.” He smiled and touched the side of her glass with his.

  Nicole tilted the glass to her lips and took a sip.

  “Marry me,” he said simply.

  “Marriage?” Nicole stared down into her glass at the diamond ring, then looked up into his bright blue eyes. “That’s a big step.”

  She held her breath, her heart racing. She needed Garrett to be sure. If they were to do this, it needed to be about creating something new, not about recapturing what he’d lost.

  Garrett nodded. “Yes, it is.”

  Nicole swallowed. “Are you sure?”

  “I’m not new to this. I know marriage is a big commitment. I’m an old-fashioned guy, Nicole. I want to spoon up behind you every night and feel the weight of your breast in my hand as I drift off to sleep. I want to open my eyes to the vision of your hair splayed out across my pillow. I want to raise my child with you. I want to see you in that kitchen in there, barefoot and pregnant and yelling at me as I chase you around, begging for a kiss. And, God willing, I want to sit up on that porch with you, drinking champagne and rocking in the swing as we watch the sun set together during the twilight of our lives. I want to do all those things with you.”

  “Me?”

  Garrett smiled. “Marry me, Nicole. Live your life with me.”

  Her eyes filled with tears. She blinked and they spilled over.

  He reached for her hand. “Honey?”

  Nicole’s throat was so tight, she wasn’t sure she could speak.

  Garrett hitched up one leg of his pants. “Maybe I should have gotten down on one knee?”

  “No! It was… You’re…”

  Garrett stood there, waiting.

  “It was perfect, Garrett.”

  “Glad you liked it.” He took a sip from his glass, then poured each of them a bit more champagne. “I was kind of hoping it would move you to…well…to say yes.”

  “Oh!” she gasped as she started to laugh. “Yes!”

  “Yes?”

  “Yes! Now, do we really need to get to Simon’s?”

  “Nope.” He led her back toward the porch. “That was all a ruse. Ann’s gonna be by in a few minutes with Sam. They’re bringing pizza. Thought we’d have a picnic. Then Ann’s taking Sam back to your place so that I can make uninterrupted love to you all night long. I had to do some fast talking to get the place for the night—”

  “We’re staying here?”

  “Well, I was actually thinking of the master bedroom. I’ve got a queen-size air mattress all set up. But if you’ve got your heart set on the front porch, I’m game!” He sat down on the porch swing.

  Nicole claimed the spot alongside him. “I love you, Garrett.”

  He placed his arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head. “Thank you. Thank you for loving me.”

  She sat up and searched his eyes. “I will always love you.”

  “You sure?”

  “Most definitely.”

  The slamming of a car door interrupted them and they looked up just in time to see Sam running up the walk. “What’d she say? What’d she say, Daddy?”

  Ga
rrett stood up and caught the little girl as she raced up the porch steps and flew into his arms. “She said ‘yes’, darlin’!”

  “She’s marrying us?”

  Nicole laughed and tugged playfully on one of the little girl’s braids. “Yes!”

  “Ann! Did you hear?” Sam shouted as she turned back toward Nicole’s sister who was walking across the lawn, carrying a pizza box in one hand and a six-pack of Coke in the other. “We’re getting married! We’re getting married!”

  Samantha Sommersby left what she used to call her "real life" day job in the psychiatric field to pursue writing full-time in 2007. She is the author of a dozen novels and novellas including several single title Contemporary and Historical Romances as well as the critically acclaimed Paranormal Romance series, Forbidden. She also writes the Fallen Siren series for Penguin/Roc as S.J. Harper in collaboration with author Jeanne C. Stein. The first book in that series, Cursed, will be released in October of 2013.

  Sam currently lives with her husband and cocker spaniel, Buck, in a century old Southern California Craftsman. On the rare occasion when she manages to set aside some play time for herself, you'll most likely find her reading a book, at the movies, or out wine tasting. Most days, she happily spends her days immersed in a world where vampires, werewolves, and demons are real, myths and legends are revered, magic is possible, and love still conquers all.

  Penguin/Roc (As S.J. Harper)

  The Fallen Siren Series order

  Cursed

  All Romance eBooks (As Samantha Sommersby)

  The Soldier & the Spy

  Once Upon and Heiress

  June in August

  Blackout

  Touch of Fire

  Samhain Publishing (As Samantha Sommersby)

  Shelter from the Storm

  The Forbidden Series order

  Forbidden: The Sacrifice

  Forbidden: The Ascension

  Forbidden: The Revolution

  Forbidden: The Temptation

  Coming Together (As Samantha Sommersby)

  Coming Together: Under Fire